Owner Pascal Raffy’s audacious vision was to put the most mesmerizing feature in watchmaking, the fl ying tourbillon, into the smallest BOVET case for this complication ever — 42mm — blending global versatility with artisanal splendor.

HORIZONS REDEFINED

In over two centuries, BOVET has mastered travel horology — from the DST-solving Récital 28 Prowess One to the rare three-time zone Récital 27, and many other timepieces in-between. Yet a true GMT was never in the collection… until now.

Enter the Récital 32: Pascal Raffy’s BOVET-style response was to insist on more than simply a second hour hand. This is a symphony of an expanded flying tourbillon (elevated for greater spectacle and transparency), a fully hand-engraved manufacture movement with 10 days of power reserve displayed on a roller, and eight layers of lacquer on its offset domed guilloche dial.

HIGH COMPLICATION, SMALL PACKAGE

In BOVET’s collection, tourbillons tend to be in larger but still very wearable cases, like the 46.3mm Récital 28 (with 744 components) and the 44mm Virtuoso VIII (with 356 components). But Mr Raffy’s mandate was to make this timepiece smaller and more wearable for everyday use. So, the brilliant engineers, constructors, and master watchmakers at BOVET found a way to place the 375-component manufacture movement in a 42mm case by using a box sapphire crystal and raising the patented flying tourbillon above the main plate to make it more visible from the front and the side.

Being a fully-integrated manufacture, BOVET makes more than 95% of everything that goes into its timepieces, emphasizing the human touch at every step. This self-reliance certainly made this masterpiece possible. And the watchmaking world is paying attention, as BOVET has won more than 70 awards since 2006, when BOVET first started producing its own movements, and 6 GPHG prizes in the last 8 years.

Encased in grade 5 titanium or 18K red gold, the case — echoing the Récital 30 — prioritizes daily elegance over grandeur. Local time nestles at noon with a blue guilloché day/night indication, encircled by a 24-hour track for the independent GMT hand.

A dedicated pusher at 10 o’clock advances this hand effortlessly, while the patented spherical rewinding system doubles every crown turn, filling its single-barrel reserve to ten days. The ability to put so much high watchmaking substance into a wearable 42mm case is truly exceptional.

Setting is pure instinct: wind fully, pull the sapphire-cabochon crown to adjust local hours (mindful of day/night), advance the GMT via the pusher, and savor. Two patents underpin it all — flying tourbillon and spherical winding — highlighting BOVET’s engineers’ triumph after two years of research and development.

BOVET’S TRAVELER’S MANIFESTO

Mr. Raffy designs all of BOVET’s timepieces, and he is the first to wear-test every single one. An almost-constant traveler, whether it is to visit his partners or his collectors in every corner of the world, one thing he needs to know is what time it is where e is and where his artisans are “What a gorgeous timepiece — I’m excited to wear it, with dials matching the strap, a huge tourbillon carriage, power-reserve roller, and intuitive day/night, hours, minutes, and GMT amid our signature finishing,” explains Pascal Raffy, BOVET’s owner. “I have dreamed of being able to do a true high horology movement in a 42mm case for a very long time, and now our first true GMT, combined with an expanded flying tourbillon, is a reality. To me, it is profoundly meaningful: timepieces so easy to read and use. High complications in a small, wearable package redefine everyday luxury.”

HAND-ENGRAVED AND HAND-FINISHED EXCELLENCE

Every component in the new Récital 32 is hand-finished, and the plates on the reverse side of the movement are completely hand-engraved. The master engravers developed a brand new motif- étoiles carrées or “square stars.” This hand-engraving takes at least 15 hours to complete, and worth every minute.

Available in titanium or 18K red gold, the Récital 32 is available in three color combinations, with rubber straps matching the dial color, and each variation is limited to 60 numbered pieces.

The Récital 32 transcends utility, emerging as a seductive fusion of wanderlust and watchmaking finesse: a complication that whispers across time zones of international adventures and far-flung locations, hand-engraved front and back on the in-house manufacture movement, forever attuned to the rhythm of the discerning explorer.

With the Récital 32, BOVET invites you to truly feel every second.

The post THE RÉCITAL 32 – THE MAISON’S FIRST TRUE GMT appeared first on Arab Watch Guide.

Conceived by Dr. Ludwig Oechslin in 2001, Ulysse Nardin’s Freak shattered conventions with its revolutionary design: no hands, no dial, and no crown. Combined with groundbreaking mechanics and the pioneering use of silicon technology, it redefined contemporary watchmaking. Since then, the Freak has driven a quarter century of innovation through 35 patents and 17 calibers, becoming an icon of contemporary watchmaking, one of the most unconventional creations in horology, and the most complicated time-only watch ever made.

In 2019, the Freak [X] challenged the very principles of the original Freak concept: it was a Freak with a crown. More compact. More versatile. Built for daily wear, while remaining faithful to the flying carousel architecture in which the movement itself tells the time.

The year 2026 marks two major milestones for Ulysse Nardin: 180 years of legacy and 25 years of the Freak. To celebrate both anniversaries, the Manufacture unveils a year marked by Freak novelties and continued innovation, including a complete reengineering of the Freak [X], which required more than two years of development by Ulysse Nardin’s engineers and designers.

More compact in design, more advanced in engineering, and enhanced in finishing, the new Freak [X] combines high horology with high technology. Engineered for daily wear.

ALL-NEW CALIBER

Among watch connoisseurs, the Freak needs no introduction. Defined by its flying carousel architecture, the movement itself tells the time: the rotating carousel completes one revolution every 60 minutes to indicate the minutes, while the hours are displayed via a pointer on a rotating disc. The carousel is described as “flying” because it operates without an upper bridge. Fully suspended and entirely visible, it creates an immediate sense of mechanical depth on the wrist.

FOR THIS LATEST GENERATION OF THE FREAK [ X ], ULYSSE NARDIN DEVELOPED AN ENTIRELY NEW IN-HOUSE CALIBER, THE UN-232: SLIMMER, SMARTER, AND MECHANICALLY MORE ADVANCED.

The new caliber is more compact than its predecessor, allowing the watch to be housed in a redesigned 41 mm case (reduced from 43 mm) with a new glassbox sapphire crystal. Beyond its reduced dimensions, the movement architecture has been completely rethought with a more modular and intelligent construction, enabling for instance compatibility with a wider range of métiers d’art hour discs.

For the first time in a Freak [X], the movement features an escapement in DIAMonSIL, enhancing precision, efficiency, and durability. This high-tech surface treatment acts as a protective shield, increasing hardness and resistance to mechanical stress in one of the movement’s most highly solicited components, subjected to more than 250 million impacts per year. The Freak
[X] also features an oversized silicon balance wheel and silicon hairspring, crafted at SIGATEC, Ulysse Nardin’s silicon laboratory.

For the first time in a Freak, automatic winding is powered by a rose gold micro-rotor, fully integrated into the movement to preserve compactness while delivering exceptional efficiency.

The movement further benefits from three advanced micro-engineering systems, manufactured to micron-level tolerances and developed to reduce noise and friction throughout the regulating organ while optimizing energy transmission.

Built on 35 Freak patents, the new UN-232 caliber integrates five patents, including the DIAMonSIL escapement, a thermocompensated silicon hairspring, ovoid hairspring geometry, optimized pivot contact, and axial assembly solution for silicon components. The movement is produced at Ulysse Nardin’s Manufacture in La Chaux-de-Fonds, and is assembled from start to finish by a single watchmaker. Assembly demands extreme precision, patience, and expertise. Despite its more compact architecture, the caliber delivers a 72-hour power reserve.

REENGINEERED CASE

The new Freak [X] introduces a completely reengineered case architecture, developed to bring the Freak experience into everyday wear without compromising its radical identity.

Compared to the original Freak [X], every proportion has been refined. The diameter has been reduced from 43 mm to 41 mm, the lug-to-lug from 49.6 mm to 47.3 mm, and the thickness from
10.7 mm to 10.3 mm (13.6 mm including the crystal).

The construction itself has also evolved. Unlike previous generations of the Freak [X], which relied on a modular titanium

architecture, the new model is built around a monobloc case crafted from 80% recycled steel or full rose gold. This redesigned architecture improves structural rigidity while optimizing acoustic stability by minimizing the propagation of mechanical vibrations through the case.

A newly developed glass box sapphire crystal further transforms the visual experience of the watch. More immersive and more architectural, it amplifies the depth of the flying carousel movement, offering a panoramic view of the Freak’s signature baguette mechanism in motion

ENHANCED WATER RESISTANCE

A product of high horology and high technology, the new Freak [X] introduces a screw-down crown and water resistance up to 100 meters — a significant technical evolution engineered for everyday wear.

Combining mechanical innovation with enhanced robustness, the watch is designed to accompany active lifestyles without compromising refinement.

ELEVATED FINISHING

With the new Freak [X], Ulysse Nardin further elevates the level of finishing and detail throughout the watch.

Every component of the Freak [X] — from the movement and case to the metal bracelet — is executed to Haute Horlogerie standards, combining mechanical precision with strong visual impact. Contrasting satin-brushed, polished, and hand-finished surfaces create depth, light, and movement throughout the watch, affirming the Freak [X] as a true high-horology timepiece beyond its radically technical architecture.

The hour and minute indicators, as well as the oscillator bridge, are hand-beveled, emphasizing the architectural construction of the movement itself. The watch features applied hour markers with white Super-LumiNova®, adding depth, legibility, and a more three-dimensional expression to the architecture. The open caseback reveals the rear architecture of the caliber, where alternating satin-brushed, grained and polished surfaces accentuate the sculpted geometry of both the movement and the case.

Another new feature, the Freak [X] now incorporates a rose gold micro-rotor visible through the caseback. Suspended between jewels, it introduces both visual warmth and mechanical contrast within the movement’s predominantly technical architecture. The rose-gold micro-rotor is framed within a perfectly balanced double-bridge design, mirroring the barrel opposite it, while both are enhanced by delicate colimaçon finishing.

THE NEW FREAK [ X ] INTERCHANGEABLE STRAPS OFFER

With the new Freak [X], Ulysse Nardin introduces a quick-release interchangeable strap system, allowing the wearer to change straps easily and independently, without the need for tools or assistance. Available in nine different configurations, including metal bracelets, rubber straps, and leather options, the system brings greater versatility to the collection across formal, contemporary, and sporty settings.

Crafted from 80% recycled steel, the new integrated metal bracelet follows the same advanced finishing language as the case, combining satin-brushed surfaces with polished bevels. Its integrated construction ensures both visual continuity and exceptional comfort on the wrist, while a 2 mm micro-adjustment system on both sides allows for precise comfort throughout the day.

The post ULYSSE NARDIN INTRODUCES THE NEW ERA OF THE Freak [X] COMPACT. ADVANCED. ELEVATED. appeared first on Arab Watch Guide.

“The Laureato endures through the strength of its architecture: a measured balance of lines and the movement within, naturally evolving with depth, presence and enduring character.”
Marc Michel-Amadry, Managing Director – Girard-Perregaux

The Laureato stands as a balance of technical authority, architectural clarity and aesthetic harmony, never excessive, always precise. Its beauty resides in proportion, balance and coherence rather than ostentation. Fifty years is not a retrospective moment, but rather the continuation of a presence that has endured across time with singularity and consistency.

It pursues its path without ever losing its core nature, embodying the full spectrum of Girard-Perregaux expertise. Above and beyond aesthetics, the Laureato reflects Girard-Perregaux’s integrated approach to Haute Horlogerie. From movement conception to finishing, from architecture to wearability.
Since 1975, the collection has reflected the Manufacture’s comprehensive in-house mastery of: movement development, construction, finishing and execution.
The Laureato Fifty unites some of the Manufacture’s most refined dial-making, finishing and movement execution within the enduring architecture of the Laureato, with particular attention devoted to wearability and comfort. From the softness of its lines and the fluid integration of the bracelet to the addition of a refined micro-adjustment system, every detail is designed to reinforce both precision and everyday ease.

The result is perhaps the most immediate expression of 235 years of Girard-Perregaux expertise distilled into a single object.

THE LAUREATO FIFTY COLLECTION

Conceived as a concentrated embodiment of the Laureato’s enduring identity, the Laureato Fifty collection intensifies the dialogue between proportion, refined materials and horological finesse. More than just an anniversary edition, the Laureato Fifty introduces an elevated degree of sophistication and craftsmanship. Each reference reflects a deeper expression of the Manufacture’s savoir-faire while preserving the coherence and restraint that have defined the Laureato for fifty years.

The collection is expressed through two complementary interpretations of the Laureato’s architecture: alongside the 39 mm version introduced last September, Girard-Perregaux now unveils a new 36 mm dimension, offering a more intimate and highly balanced incarnation of the collection’s distinctive silhouette.

In addition to its immediate presence, the Laureato Fifty reveals a more discreet level of consideration through details that naturally speak to attentive eyes: the in-house enamel execution over the textured motif, the rose gold balance bridge visible through the sapphire caseback, and the precision of the finishes and the particular care devoted to comfort and wearability. A collection designed not to assert itself, but to be progressively discovered over time.

39 MM MODELS, DEPTH, TEXTURE AND LIGHT

The 39 mm models emphasize depth, texture and light interaction through a deep blue in-house enamel dial over a “Clous de Paris” motif and an 18K rose gold-toned dial with date display.

Presented for the first time within the Laureato collection, the blue enamel work adorning the signature textured pattern introduces a level of artisanal complexity rarely associated with integrated-bracelet timepieces. The entirely in-house crafted enamelling creates remarkable transparency, depth and chromatic variation through ever-changing, shimmering light effects.

The 18K rose gold-toned dial offers a different variation of this same pursuit of depth and refinement. Continuously interacting with the “Clous de Paris” motif, the precious metal surface creates a mesmerizing set of reflections, oscillating between warmth, radiance and shadow as light moves across the dial. The result is both highly sophisticated and deeply architectural, reinforcing the Laureato’s characteristic balance between visual intensity and structural restraint.

36 MM MODELS, ORIGINAL SENSE OF PROPORTIONS

The 36 mm models express a more compact and highly balanced interpretation of the Laureato, revisiting the collection through proportions long appreciated by collectors for their elegance, versatility and fidelity to the spirit of the original design.

The 36 mm 18K rose gold-toned dial offers this same pursuit of refinement through a more restrained and intimate expression of the Laureato. The trimmer size enhances the purity of the geometry while allowing the warmth of the precious metal and the subtle relief of the “Clous de Paris” motif to interact with light in a particularly nuanced and sophisticated manner.

A more luminous interpretation combines a mirror-finished “Clous de Paris” silver-toned dial with a gem-set bezel featuring 64 brilliant-cut diamonds (0.55 ct), where light, reflection and precision interact with remarkable subtlety rather than overt ornament.

LAUREATO: FIFTY YEARS OF ARCHITECTURAL COHERENCE

The Laureato emerged at a pivotal moment in modern watchmaking.
In 1971, Girard-Perregaux developed the high-frequency quartz movement that established the 32,768 Hz frequency standard still used throughout the industry today. In 1975, this innovation found its place within the Laureato, combining technical precision with a distinctive architectural identity.

Entirely conceived and developed in-house, the first Laureato introduced a design language that would become instantly recognizable: an octagonal bezel resting on a circular plinth, a tonneau-shaped case and an integrated bracelet striking the perfect balance between elegance, proportion and sporty presence.

Over the following decades, the Laureato evolved through successive generations introduced approximately every ten years, each one extending the collection’s technical and aesthetic vocabulary while preserving the coherence of its original architecture.
The second generation expanded the Laureato universe through increasingly sophisticated executions and complications.

The third generation, introduced in 1995, marked an important evolution with the arrival of the automatic Manufacture calibre GP3100, reinforcing the Laureato’s mechanical legitimacy. In 2003, the fourth generation introduced more assertive proportions and a stronger sportive character while maintaining the collection’s characteristic balance and integration.

In 2016, Girard-Perregaux unveiled the fifth generation of the Laureato through a contemporary reinterpretation faithful to the spirit and geometry of the original design, reaffirming its place as a central pillar of the Maison.

Today, the Laureato Fifty continues this trajectory through four new references distinguished by increasingly refined execution, craftsmanship and finishing. Rather than transforming the Laureato, the collection reveals a more concentrated
expression of its enduring identity and of the Manufacture’s Haute Horlogerie savoir-faire.

Across five decades, the Laureato has embraced new materials, dimensions, movements and complications while preserving the essential coherence of its architecture — a balance of technical precision, visual clarity and enduring elegance.

CALIBRE GP4800, ARCHITECTURE, BALANCE AND FINISHING

At the heart of the Laureato Fifty beats the Manufacture Calibre GP4800, an automatic movement defined by architectural coherence, balance and precision.
Compact and precise, it operates at 4 Hz with a power reserve of approximately 60 hours. Its architecture draws direct inspiration from the Three Bridges, reinterpreting these structural elements and organizing the movement with clarity and intention.
The result is entirely deliberate. Exclusively for this release, the balance bridge is crafted in rose gold, reinforcing the movement’s visual depth and identity.

Conceived, developed, assembled and finished entirely in-house, the movement incorporates ten distinct finishes: polishing, sandblasting, anglage, Geneva stripes, engraving, snailing, circular satin-brushing, circular graining, sunray finishing and straight graining. More than decoration, these finishes express the Manufacture’s enduring commitment to Haute Horlogerie craftsmanship.

The GP4800 also marks the beginning of a remarkable new chapter for Girard-Perregaux. Since September 2025, the Manufacture has unveiled three entirely new calibres in rapid succession: first the GP4800, followed by the Grand Complications movement Laureato Three Gold Bridges GP9620, and most recently the Minute Repeater GP9530. Beyond demonstrating exceptional creative and technical momentum, this sequence reaffirms a Manufacture that continues to surprise, evolving its watchmaking language with confidence and depth while suggesting that this dynamic is far from complete.

The post Laureato FIFTY THE MOST IMMEDIATE EXPRESSION OF 235 YEARS OF HAUTE HORLOGERIE. appeared first on Arab Watch Guide.

Leading the season are two Big Bang Summer models with the same color face and design: a pastel composition of mint, pink and sky blue; yet their inner mechanics set them apart, highlighting Hublot’s watchmaking savoir-faire through two distinct expressions: the manufacture Unico flyback chronograph in 42 mm and the manufacture automatic Tourbillon in 44 mm.

Blending multi-colored ceramic in tones inspired by Mediterranean shades, Hublot captures the shifting palette of summer; from soft sunrise pastels to the glow of endless sunsets. A bold chromatic composition of pink, mint green and sky-to-sea blue ceramic, in a fusion only Hublot knows how to engineer. Light yet highly resistant, the case embodies Hublot’s mastery of material innovation. At Hublot, ceramic is not just vivid colors, it is process, precision and control.

The 42 mm manufacture Unico Flyback chronograph, produced in a limited edition of 200 pieces, features a sculpted case in microblasted and polished pink and mint green ceramic, framed by a sky-blue ceramic bezel and matching sky-blue case-back. The dial blends matte pink and mint tones, echoing the soft light shifts of the Mediterranean.
The 10-limited pieces 44 mm manufacture automatic tourbillon reveals a more architectural expression, with a transparent pink sapphire crystal dial exposing the movement beneath amplifying depth, light and mechanical transparency.

Both versions are fitted with interchangeable straps in sky blue, mint green and pink, all white-lined rubber, secured by a titanium deployant buckle clasp and featuring the One-Click system for instant style and mood match

FROM MATERIAL INNOVATION TO MOVEMENT – PERFORMANCE THROUGHOUT

Since 2018, Hublot has redefined ceramic, creating the world’s first and only palette of colored high-tech ceramics, from intense tones to soft pastels, continuously expanding what ceramic can be and what it can express. As a result of multiple patents and constant enhancements, Hublot delivers a ceramic up to 300 Vickers harder than traditional ceramic, with extreme scratch resistance and lasting brilliance.
Since 2010, the Manufacture Unico flyback chronograph caliber has continuously evolved, with reworked components, optimized architecture and refined proportions. One of the most advanced integrated chronograph calibers of its generation, it integrates five patented innovations, including dual oscillating clutches, a constant-pressure minute counter system, a zero-friction ratchet blocker and a fine balance wheel adjustment system; ensuring smoother engagement, enhanced accuracy and mechanical efficiency under pressure.

The tourbillon, powered by the HUB6035 manufacture movement, elevates this vision further. Its sapphire architecture reveals the movement in full transparency, enhanced by a micro-rotor for optimized energy efficiency visible dial side and a 72-hour power reserve. Lightness, depth and precision merge into a single mechanical signature.

INTRODUCING NEW BIG BANG IN NEW VIBRANT CERAMIC HUES IN 33MM & 42MM

On this special occasion, Hublot also introduces 3 monochrome ceramics in peach, mint and petrol blue. Known for its bold, high-impact colors, Hublot ceramic now reveals a softer side. Same cutting-edge material, same in-house mastery, now expressed in summer-infused tones that feel as smooth as they look. Fresh, vibrant and effortlessly cool, these Big Bang pieces channel the lighter side of the season: sun on the skin, salt in the air and that feeling you wish would never end.

For the first time in the history of the Big Bang, the 33 mm appears without diamonds, amplifying the intensity of its monochrome aesthetic and letting color speak in its purest, boldest form. Powered by a three-hand automatic movement, these versions embrace full color with dials entirely dressed in peach, mint or petrol blue. The monochrome aesthetic extends from dial to case and bezel and continues onto the structured lined rubber strap.

The 42 mm Big Bang Titanium Peach Ceramic, driven by the manufacture Unico flyback chronograph, adds a more technical edge. Housed in a titanium case with 100 m water resistance, the color peach appears dominant, on the bezel, the skeletonized dial, hands and rubber strap.

Soft from tones to materials, yet strong in presence and resistance. Light on the wrist, strong in character, these pieces are designed to move with you, from beach to sunset, day to night.

The Big Bang Summer editions and the Big Bang ceramic editions are available at selected Hublot points of sale as well as online at hublot.com and benefit from Hublot’s 5+5 warranty, extending international coverage up to ten years.

The post HUBLOT SUMMER: THE ART OF PASTEL CERAMICL CERAMIC appeared first on Arab Watch Guide.

A contemporary vision of Riviera elegance

With the Riviera 73, Baume & Mercier reinterprets the aesthetic spirit of the first generation of the Riviera launched in 1973. Since its launch, this model stood out for its unique silhouette and a design approach that blends modernity and elegance. Its dodecagonal case – the collection’s signature – introduced a bold geometry to the watchmaking world of the time, while its balanced proportions and understated lines asserted a style that is both timeless and distinctive. Riviera 73 carries forward the style of the collection, reinterpreting its founding codes in a contemporary way while remaining faithful to its original spirit.

The Riviera 73 M0A10844, M0A10845 and M0A10845 models, featuring a 39 mm diameter, are powered by a quartz movement. Their 7.7m thickness emphasises its harmonious proportions, and the dodecagonal bezel without visible screwsalong with wide dial opening showcase the elegance of its shape. On the case back, each model features the engraving “73” among vertical stripes, evoking the deck of a boat, and a typography inspired by the 1970s, a discreet signature that echoes the collection’s origins.

The history of the Riviera collection

Created in 1973, the Riviera collection stands out for its bold, innovative style, as one of the first steel sport chic watches. It was memorable from its launch, with its dodecagonal case and metal flat-link strap;style elements that laid the foundations of an original, immediately recognizable watch identity. The first generation was launched in quartz, and it quickly became available in a self-winding version, asserting the care brought to both design and technical achievement.

The second generation, released in 1980, introduced bicolor versions and the first appearance of the name ‘Riviera’ on the dial. In 1983, the collection stood out for its ultra-thin quartz movement with a thickness of just 2.5 mm and unprecedented complications such as a split-seconds, a perpetual calendar, and a second time zone. The third generation, launched in 1985, featured softened edges on the case and strap, played on polished and satin finishes, and incorporated a miniaturized crown for better water-tightness. The fourth generation, presented in 2004, included two distinct styles: a classic model and a sporty one, recognisable by its bezel equipped with four screws.

In 2021, the fifth generation affirmed the modernity of the Riviera with feminine 36 mm models and masculine 42 mm ones, some equipped with the Baumatic movement, others by a self-winding movement, featuring a dial adorned with a mountain-and-wave pattern. The collection was then extended to 39 mm self-winding and Baumatic models, as well as women’s 33 mm timepieces equipped with self-winding and quartz movements. Lastly, in 2025, the collection was completed by 41 mm chronographs, confirming the precision and unique style of the Riviera.

Today, the Riviera 73 continues to write history with a new expression of the Riviera design, inspired by the aesthetic codes of the first generation.

The post RIVIERA 73, THE ELEGANCE OF ORIGINS appeared first on Arab Watch Guide.

That hero is the UR-120 Blue Planet.
The third and final iteration of a now legendary model, it claims blue as its signature: deep, almost liquid, suspended somewhere between Earth seen from orbit and the endless azure of infinity. Lifted by touches of gold, this final UR-120 appears to drift between two realities: one governed by the cold precision of mathematical mechanics, the other by tales of exploration, distant galaxies and heroes raising one last farewell before vanishing from sight.

The case: a technical object in the service of style
The UR-120 Blue Planet is built on an interlocking two-part case construction, a structural principle dear to URWERK co-founder and artistic director Martin Frei: ” I’ve always been drawn to this two-part case approach – a base and an upper shell that fit together with precision. A hallmark of Gerald Genta’s work. Technically, it’s remarkably clever. You find that idea of a carapace, of built-in protection. The seam vanishes, the assembly becomes invisible. At that point, construction is no longer just a technical constraint, it becomes an act of design.”

Here, blue does not soften the UR-120. It sends it elsewhere. The watch becomes the hull of a space module, a fragment of interstellar architecture, an object designed for another atmosphere. Its smooth upper surface, free of visible screws, seems to stretch forward. The domed sapphire crystal draws the eye into the display. The articulated lugs – a rare feature in URWERK design – extend the case with seamless continuity, while a spring concealed within the 6 o’clock lug fine-tunes the fit on the wrist.
Nothing is accidental. Nothing is just cosmetic. Every detail serves the structure, the ergonomics and the visual trajectory of the watch.

The calibre: kinetics of a salute
At the heart of the UR-120 Blue Planet beats Calibre UR-20.01, a mechanism designed not only to indicate time, but to stage it. Three hour satellites orbit a central carousel. Each advances in turn along the minute track before leaving the stage to prepare for the next hour. Then comes the gesture. As a satellite reaches the left-hand side of the case, it opens. Its two rectangular arms split apart to form a V. The Vulcan salute comes to life.
Familiar to generations of science-fiction devotees, this gesture is transformed here into a genuine horological complication. The carousel rotates. The satellites counter-rotate to remain legible. The arms pivot independently on their own axis. Their opening and closing are controlled by a lyre-shaped spring, while Maltese crosses choreograph each sequence with absolute precision.

Felix Baumgartner, URWERK co-founder and master watchmaker, explains: “In actual fact, once we realised we had to open these satellites, it became a cause for personal celebration. A new horological conundrum to solve. The UR-120’s carousel alone comprises 175 components, while the complexity of the satellites requires us to control their interactions to the nearest micron. Our challenge has always been to optimise the forces in play. Energy management is delicate and intricate. Among other things, we used our signature Maltese cross element and produced the lyre-shaped spring at the heart of this complication in our own workshops.”

Gold: when function becomes light
Against the deep blue architecture of the UR-120 Blue Planet, the lyre springs and Maltese crosses are finished with a 24K yellow-gilt PVD coating. Here, gold is not an ornament. It reveals the function. It draws the eye to the active components, the points of tension, the parts where energy is stored, released and transformed into motion.
Like the Bussard collectors glowing at the front of the USS Enterprise’s warp engines, these gilded elements seem to capture and channel power. Every passing second becomes energy made visible. Every mechanical impulse becomes light.
Soaring towards the stars
The UR-120 Blue Planet does not announce a sequel. It is a final transmission.
For one last time, its satellites open. For one last time, that fleeting V-shape appears beneath the sapphire crystal. A Vulcan salute. A signal from the bridge. A nod to those who grew up with distant galaxies, impossible spacecraft and the belief that adventure might begin at any second.
The final UR-120 does not take a bow.
It soars away in a blaze of golden fireworks, then vanishes into the blue !

The post URWERK UR-120 BLUE PLANET The Final Salute from the Cosmos appeared first on Arab Watch Guide.

To celebrate this momentum, Gerald Charles decided to craft a unique timepiece dedicated exclusively to this market: a bold, vibrant and technically challenging limited edition built around one of Asia’s most culturally significant materials – jade.

Enter the new Maestro 2.0 Ultra-Thin Asia Edition
Limited to only 80 pieces, this special creation combines Gerald Charles’ unmistakable design language with one of the most difficult natural stones used in watchmaking. Not because jade is rare – although it absolutely is – but because shaping it into the iconic Maestro silhouette is an entirely different story.

Stone dials have always been part of Gerald Charles’ creative universe and one of the Maison’s most intrinsic signatures since its origins. Mr. Gérald Charles Genta himself had a deep fascination for precious stones and continuously explored unconventional materials, textures and colors throughout his career, pushing the boundaries of watch design with his artistic and experimental vision.

Harder, more fragile and far more unpredictable than many precious stones, jade is notoriously difficult to machine. And while the market has seen jade dials before, creating one specifically for the Maestro case shape required an entirely new level of technical expertise and craftsmanship.

The jade selected for this edition is among the world’s most precious and sought-after varieties, chosen for its vibrant green tone, natural depth and unique character. Across Asia, jade is far more than a decorative stone – it symbolizes prosperity, harmony, protection and virtue, and has been treasured for millennia as a material even more valuable than gold.

As the ancient proverb says: “gold has a value; jade is invaluable.”

Transforming this exceptional material into a Gerald Charles dial is an intense process where precision becomes obsession.

Each dial starts from a rough jade stone that must first be cut into an ultra-thin disc before being shaped, milled and finished to the exact Maestro geometry. The final dial thickness reaches only 0.4 mm – an extraordinary challenge considering jade’s natural brittleness.

Every phase demands extreme care:
slow machining speeds, ultra-precise tolerances and custom-made supports designed to eliminate any vibration, movement or pressure that could fracture the stone instantly.

The rejection rate is exceptionally high. The margin for error? Almost zero. And yet, this complexity is exactly what makes every piece unique.

No two dials are identical. Veins, inclusions and tonal variations naturally differ from one stone to another, giving each watch its own personality and organic texture – something no lacquered or painted dial could ever reproduce.

To further emphasize the beauty and authenticity of the stone, the dial has been intentionally left pure and minimalist, completely free of indexes and numerals. This deliberate choice allows the jade itself to become the true focal point of the watch, preserving the elegance of the design while fully showcasing the material’s natural depth, colour and unique character.

The result is striking.
The vivid green jade dial explodes visually against the bright white strap, creating a fresh, modern and high-contrast aesthetic that feels both luxurious and playful at the same time.

Ultra-thin at only 9 mm, water-resistant to 100 metres and designed with Gerald Charles’ signature Ergonteq® architecture for exceptional wrist comfort, the Maestro 2.0 Ultra-Thin Jade Edition proves that technical watchmaking can still have attitude.

This isn’t simply a jade dial watch. This is Gerald Charles cutting jade its own way.

The post WHEN JADE MEETS MAESTRO Introducing the Maestro 2.0 Ultra-Thin Asia Edition – An Asia Exclusive Limited to 80 Pieces appeared first on Arab Watch Guide.

The mind within the Machine

The robots of founder Maximilian Büsser’s childhood have influenced MB&F’s creations from the beginning. One of the most striking examples came in 2015, when MB&F partnered with L’Epée 1839 to create Melchior, a robot-clock shaped by Büsser’s memories of toys, science fiction and machines imagined as personalities rather than objects. In 2026, MB&F introduces something new: a wristwatch conceived as the brain of a robot; and a robot that gives the wristwatch a presence far beyond the wrist.

A total horological concept to open the third decade

Originally imagined to celebrate MB&F’s 20th anniversary, the development of HM12 The Guardian took far longer than expected. The project expanded and became more complex. What first seemed like a delay gradually revealed itself as an opportunity: it became the perfect object to launch the brand’s third decade.

HM12 The Guardian is not a watch; it is a complete horological concept – and a deliberate return to MB&F’s roots, at a time when much of the brand’s audience has discovered it only recently. HM12 arrives as a recalibration. A way « to put the church back at the centre of the village » as we say in French.

Back to the Idea

At MB&F, going back to the roots does not mean revisiting the past. It means returning to the ideas and principles that have shaped the brand from the beginning, and testing whether they still hold when pushed forward. One of those principles has always been: a creative adult is a child who survived.

HM12 The Guardian revisits key elements developed over the past twenty years and recombines them into a single object. Part Horological Machine, part Legacy Machine, part Co-Creation, it brings together narrative design, high-end watchmaking, mechanical experimentation and a playful relationship with the object.

A new creative duo

HM12 also marks a pivotal moment in MB&F’s creative structure. For the first time, after 20 years of collaboration with renowned designer Eric Giroud – who remains a key partner on other projects – an Horological Machine is conceived and developed entirely by the tandem formed by Maximilian Büsser and Maximilian Maertens. Max and Max have been collaborating for several years, but until now Maertens’ work had been mainly visible in the clocks and music boxes co-created by MB&F with L’Epée and Reuge.

Büsser provided the initial impulse for HM12 The Guardian, framing the concept: What if a robot’s head were a watch? He then stepped back and Maertens became the architect and guardian of the project. Over four years, Maertens iterated relentlessly: drawing, modelling in 3D, printing prototypes, testing stability and adjusting proportions.

A face, before a watch

Visually, HM12 is frontal. It reads immediately as a face, the head of the robot it sits on. Two eyes. A presence. The references are layered. For Max Büsser, they stem from early memories of robots and toys, from the science fiction imagery of the 1970s and 1980s, when machines were imagined as characters, explorers, or guardians. For Max Maertens, they come from a later generation, shaped by Transformers, animated series, and films like I, Robot, where robots evolve, adapt, and take on more complex roles. HM12 sits at the intersection of these imaginations across different eras.

A mechanical face

Developed entirely in house, HM12 is the result of a movement and case architecture that took more than four years to complete. Every element was designed internally, with narrative intent and mechanical constraints addressed simultaneously.

HM12 is conceived as a face, the entire watch forming the robot’s head. The time display occupies the position of the eyes. Instantaneous jumping hours on the left and trailing minutes on the right are read at a fixed point, while the information moves on rotating discs.

Below, one side of the micro-rotor – shaped like the MB&F battle-axe – sits where the mouth would be. Above, the flying tourbillon functions as the brain, deliberately exposed, with a classical aesthetic grounded in high-end watchmaking rather than futuristic design. The skull of HM12 is largely made of sapphire, allowing light to enter from multiple angles and strike the tourbillon directly, visible from the front and laterally through the side of the case.

The face shield, a mechanism within the mechanism

One of HM12’s defining features is its face shield system, treated as both a complication and a functional element tied to the object’s narrative. Within the logic of the watch, the shields exist to protect the robot’s face. They also radically transform and bring colour to the face of the watch.

Actuated via the left crown, the shields move in a continuous, linear way. The wearer controls how exposed the face remains and can stop at any point, from fully visible to concealed. The crown is declutching: once the shields reach their stop, it disengages.

The system is entirely mechanical and fully independent from the movement. More than 200 components are dedicated to this function alone, a level of complexity that exceeds that of many complete mechanical watches. Chatons, polished wheels and inward angles demonstrate a level of finishing usually reserved for traditional horology.

Development was handled in parallel, one engineer focusing on the timekeeping movement and the other on the shield system, while maintaining constant alignment to prevent conflicts in space, kinematics, and function. The result is a single machine in which mechanics and narrative are developed together.

The other side of the head

Developed entirely in house, the HM12 calibre has a power reserve of 84 hours and comprises 646 components – most of which are hand-finished – including 86 jewels. From the back, HM12 reveals a different register: this side follows a more classical, traditionally horological language. Where the front leans toward a futuristic expression, the back is restrained. The calibre was shaped to follow the case, not the other way around. Echoing the proportions of a human face, the movement is open, balanced and symmetrical.

The finishing reinforces this contrast. Bridges are softly curved and hand finished, with a grained surface on the mainplate. The rear rotor features a guilloché dome executed with the involvement of renowned independent watchmaker Kari Voutilainen and his team, a demanding exercise given that the guillochage is applied to a curved, spherical surface rather than a flat plane.

HM12 sits deliberately between two worlds, combining the expressive futuristic language of the Horological Machines with the classical refinement of the Legacy Machines.

The Guardian, a companion, not a stand

HM12 is delivered with The Guardian, the rest of the robot’s body – the two are one. The watch detaches from its strap via a quick-release system and mounts directly onto the head via a clipping system designed to secure it firmly while allowing repeated handling. The strap is stored in a hidden drawer integrated into the robot’s base. This is not a base or a stand. It is a body built around the watch.

The development of The Guardian was entrusted to L’Epée, a long-standing partner of MB&F. The robot is conceived as a mechanical extension of the watch and includes 755 components. At the centre of its chest sits a mechanical thermometer, acting as the heart of the robot. Each arm carries a tool. On one side, a shield that contains a loupe, calibrated to inspect the movement and reveal its finer details. On the other, a detachable torch with UV capability, designed to activate the Super LumiNova on both the watch and the robot itself.

A one-time object opening to the future

HM12 The Guardian is produced in three limited editions: blue, purple, or green. Only twelve pieces per colour, for a total of thirty-six. No more.

HM12 The Guardian brings together many of the elements that have shaped MB&F over the past twenty years: a sci-fi inspired Horological Machine, an entirely in-house calibre, traditional high-end finishing, an unconventional display, and a mechanical companion designed to be handled and explored. What first appears as a playful sculpture is in fact the result of years of development and nearly 1,500 components working as one.

HM12 The Guardian revisits MB&F’s roots – creating mechanical objects with strong personalities, real technical substance and a sense of wonder. It reaffirms those foundations and carries them into the brand’s third decade.

The post HM12 THE GUARDIAN A total horological concept to open the third decade appeared first on Arab Watch Guide.

A Heritage Forged in Speed
Introduced in 1969, the Heuer Monaco was a game changer. It was the world’s first square, water-resistant chronograph wristwatch, and among the first commercialized self-winding chronograph powered by the Calibre 11.
Recognizable by its unconventional left-sided crown, it was named after the glamorous principality of Monaco and its legendary Formula 1® racetrack. The TAG Heuer Monaco quickly ascended to iconic status, becoming a symbol of avant-garde watchmaking. Visionary and futuristic model was introduced to mark this milestone: the TAG Heuer Monaco.

TAG Heuer’s connection to motorsport has only deepened over the decades, from iconic racing figures of the past to contemporary champions who define the sport today. As Official Timekeeper of Formula 1® and partner of the Oracle Red Bull Racing team, TAG Heuer has celebrated the remarkable achievements of Max Verstappen, whose multiple World Drivers’ Championship victories reflect the same bold focus, relentless precision, and pursuit of excellence that have driven the TAG Heuer Monaco collection since its inception.

True to the TAG Heuer Monaco’s design codes, the TAG Heuer Monaco Speed 12 carries this heritage forward, bringing the thrill of high-performance engines to life on the wrist and translating high-octane racing into Avant-Garde Horlogerie.

The Art of Time at Full Throttle

The TAG Heuer Monaco Speed 12 transforms the energy of a 12-cylinder engine into a mechanical spectacle. Twelve rotating pistons circle the dial, indicating the corresponding hour with every revolution of the central minute hand, offering a mesmerizing reinterpretation of the jumping hour complication.

Created in collaboration with La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton, this timepiece is the result of their innovative savoir-faire and TAG Heuer’s bold DNA. It builds upon the exclusive Spin Time movement, developed and patented by La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton and exceptionally used for this one-of-a-kind creation. Uniting TAG Heuer’s racing-inspired vision with their Manufacture’s expertise in high-complication movements, this timepiece represents a true achievement.

The TAG Heuer Monaco Speed 12 is an entirely novel interpretation of one of the most iconic watches in history, elevating it to new heights of innovation and craftsmanship. It reflects a striking balance between watchmaking tradition and forward-thinking design.

Crafted in Grade 5 titanium, the signature square case frames the round movement, creating the refined duality that defines the TAG Heuer Monaco design language, squaring the circle. Four DLC-coated open-worked arches suspend the movement within the case, introducing both depth and transparency, hallmarks of Avant-Garde Horlogerie timepieces.

The sandblasted and brushed rotating pistons with engraved Arabic numerals lacquered in black emphasize the mechanical sophistication of the jumping hour display. Lightweight yet robust, the titanium case is topped with a domed sapphire crystal and caseback. It also features a square sapphire bezel that maximizes visibility on the pistons from all angles.

The open-worked dial invites the wearer to explore the intricate mechanics beneath, echoing the finishes and precision of engine blocks, as if peering under the hood of a finely tuned supercar. The vertical grooves at the center of the dial evoke high-performance engine covers while the skeletonized central minute hand mimics that of dashboard instruments, underscoring the watch’s racing inspiration down to the smallest details. A black rubber strap with textile embossing and red hand-stitching completes the sporty aesthetics of this incredible timepiece.

An Ode to 12-Cylinder Engines
Powering the TAG Heuer Monaco Speed 12 is the automatic Calibre TH84-00, a movement developed and produced by La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton, drawing on their watchmaking expertise from high-end movement development to fine finishing. TAG Heuer has reinterpreted the iconic Spin Time movement developed by Michel Navas and Enrico Barbasini, founders and Master Watchmakers of La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vouitton. The resulting Calibre TH84-00 is a dynamic expression of speed and mechanical artistry. The twelve indexes that rotate around the dial are precisely shaped like pistons, carefully integrated to echo the rhythm of a high-performance 12-cylinder engine, evoking its firing sequence through horological motion.

As the minute hand completes a full rotation around the dial, a precise sequence unfolds: one piston returns to its initial stance, while the following one executes a precise 90-degree turn, unveiling a previously concealed facet indicating the hour, resulting in a dynamic display of time.

On the Starting Grid
Limited to 50 individually numbered pieces, the TAG Heuer Monaco Speed 12 celebrates TAG Heuer’s racing DNA. It is an invitation for collectors to experience an exclusive combination of motorsport energy and Avant-Garde Horlogerie.

With the Formula 1 Louis Vuitton Grand Prix de Monaco 2026 as its stage, the TAG Heuer Monaco Speed 12 is a tribute to the thrill, precision, and passion that define TAG Heuer’s motorsport legacy. From Steve McQueen to today’s champions, TAG Heuer continues to translate speed and engineering into mechanical art, offering a timepiece that lives and breathes the adrenaline of the racetrack.

The post PREPARE FOR THE ENGINE ROAR AVANT-GARDE HORLOGERIE IS SPEEDING AHEAD WITH THE TAG HEUER MONACO SPEED 12 appeared first on Arab Watch Guide.

Lou Gehrig is remembered as one of baseball’s greatest players, having played 2,130 consecutive games for the New York Yankees, a record that earned him the nickname “The Iron Horse” and defined his reputation for endurance and consistency. In 1939, following his diagnosis with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), he delivered a farewell speech at Yankee Stadium that remains one of the most powerful moments in baseball history, marked by gratitude, humility, and composure in the face of adversity. His story continues to be closely associated with ALS awareness, and 2 June is now observed in the United States as “Lou Gehrig Day” in recognition of his legacy.

The Lou Gehrig Limited Edition translates this legacy into a series of thoughtful design details based on the Big Crown Pointer Date. The silver dial with its vertical brushed finish evokes the strength and endurance that defined Gehrig’s career as “The Iron Horse,” while subtle design cues reference the aesthetic language of the 1920s and 1930s. The dial combines a mix of numerals and indices, echoing vintage Oris design codes from the era. A blue “4” highlighted on the date ring pays tribute to his iconic jersey number, retired by the New York Yankees in 1940, while blue accents across the dial and the NATO strap reflect the team’s colours. The design is completed with a brown leather strap inspired by the stitching of a baseball glove, alongside an additional blue, white and grey NATO strap.

The story continues on the case back, where an engraving of Lou Gehrig’s farewell speech is paired with the individual limited-edition number. The watch is limited to 2,130 numbered pieces, a direct reference to his record-setting consecutive games and a lasting symbol of endurance. Through this edition, Oris supports The Lou and Eleanor Gehrig Family Foundation in its work to raise awareness of ALS and advance research into the disease.

The post Lou Gehrig Limited Edition appeared first on Arab Watch Guide.

Some anniversaries invite reflection on the path travelled. Others remind us of the enduring strength of an origin.

The thirtieth anniversary of Parmigiani Fleurier belongs to the latter. It does not merely celebrate the founding of an independent watchmaking Maison. It honours the work of a man who dedicated his life to understanding time, before seeking to create it.

Michel Parmigiani has never approached watchmaking as a realm of appearances. He approached it from within: through restoration, through listening to historic objects, through the patience of the hand, and through a profound respect for what previous generations had conceived, transmitted, and at times left unspoken.

From him, restoration has never meant looking at the past with nostalgia. Restoration meant learning. Deciphering. Understanding the intelligence of an architecture, the logic of a movement, the memory held within the hand. It meant discovering, within every object entrusted to his gaze, not only beauty, but thought.

Parmigiani Fleurier was born from this conviction.

For thirty years, the Maison has carried within it a rare form of purpose: to create from profound knowledge, to innovate without rupture, to bring contemporary expression into dialogue with memory. What Michel Parmigiani has built extends far beyond a collection of timepieces. It is a culture. A discipline of observation. A way of bringing together the hand, the mind, mechanics and time itself.

Created to mark its thirtieth anniversary, the Carillon Tourbillon, stands among the most personal expressions of this legacy. It gives voice to what has animated Parmigiani Fleurier since the beginning: restoration as a source of invention, complication as a language of culture, haute horlogerie as a work of transmission.

Within this timepiece resides the memory of historic watches, the intelligence of chiming mechanisms, the patience of the ateliers, the precision of the constructors, the knowledge of the artisans, and the endless pursuit of balance that has always guided Michel Parmigiani. Nothing here is gratuitous. Everything is considered, constructed, attuned.

Through the Carillon Tourbillon, we do more than unveil an exceptional creation. We pay tribute to a life’s work, to a fidelity to craft, to research and to transmission. We acknowledge what Michel Parmigiani has given this Maison: an exacting standard, a conscience.

Thirty years after its founding, Parmigiani Fleurier continues to move forward guided by this legacy. With gratitude, with respect, and with the responsibility to carry forward what has been entrusted to us.

For Michel Parmigiani’s legacy belongs not only to the Maison’s history. It continues to guide its future.

Guido Terreni

PARMIGIANI FLEURIER 30 YEARS OF HISTORY

THE MAISON’S SOUND SIGNATURE

For its 30th anniversary, Parmigiani Fleurier unveils a creation that does more than mark a milestone. It reveals an essential part of its history, its culture, and its singular way of conceiving haute horlogerie.

With the Carillon Tourbillon, the Maison opens one of its most intimate realms: that of sounding time. A place where restoration, mechanical memory, and attentive dialogue with materials and contemporary invention converge.

This atelier piece, limited to five examples, is born of a conviction that has accompanied Parmigiani Fleurier since its origins: before creating, one must understand. Understand historic objects, their architecture, their energy, their inner logic. Understand what time has deposited within them, then transform that knowledge into a contemporary expression.

Inspired by an early nineteenth-century Perrin Frères pocket watch, from the Sandoz Collection, restored in the ateliers of Parmigiani Fleurier in 2000, the Carillon Tourbillon does not reproduce a form from the past. It carries forward an intelligence: that of sound, gesture, balance and horological construction.

Entirely conceived, developed, constructed, assembled and finished within the Maison, it bears the vision of Michel Parmigiani and the savoir-faire of the watchmakers, constructors, artisans and finishers of the Manufacture.

The Carillon Tourbillon is more than an anniversary piece. It is a way for Parmigiani Fleurier to reveal to the world what lies at the founding of its haute horlogerie: a creation born of restoration, nourished by transmission, constructed from within, and guided by an intimate pursuit of mechanical and aesthetic harmony.

PERRIN FRÈRES : FROM RESTORATION TO RESONANCE

At the origin of the Carillon Tourbillon lies a seminal piece: a pocket watch signed Perrin Frères, made in Neuchâtel in the early nineteenth century, from the Sandoz Collection, and restored in the workshops of Parmigiani Fleurier in 2000.

This historic masterpiece was not approached as a model to reproduce, but as a living object to understand. It carried within it a knowledge of sound, energy, balance and mechanical architecture, extending even to the serpentine presence of its gongs, an immediately recognisable formal signature that the Carillon Tourbillon reinterprets within a contemporary construction.

This lineage illuminates one of Parmigiani Fleurier’s deepest convictions: history is never a static archive. It is a source of creation.

UNDERSTANDING AS THE FIRST ACT OF CREATION

The Maison’s Founding Discipline

Understanding before drawing. Restoring before inventing. Listening to the inner logic of objects before proposing a new expression.

A restorer before becoming a creator, Michel Parmigiani shaped his perspective through close contact with historic timepieces, automata, clocks and chiming mechanisms.

From this practice emerged a singular way of thinking about watchmaking from within: through the hand, through memory, through the mechanical intelligence of objects.

The Carillon Tourbillon emerges directly from this lineage: that of a Maison that learned to create by first learning to understand. It expresses a vision of haute horlogerie in which complexity is never an effect, but a necessary architecture.

Michel Parmigiani remained closely involved throughout its development, working alongside the watchmakers and constructors, guiding, refining and transmitting a vision of mechanics as an architecture that is legible, enduring and profoundly mastered.

This piece does not merely bear the signature of the Maison. It is the expression of its most intimate culture.

FROM TOWER TO WRIST: THE INTIMACY OF SOUNDING TIME

From medieval bell towers to the great chiming watches, the carillon belongs to a singular history: that of time made audible.

Once, it gave rhythm to the life of the city. Reimagined within the intimate space of a timepiece, it becomes a personal experience. The tradition of the carillon reminds us that sound is never a mere effect: it carries memory, gesture, continuity.

In the Carillon Tourbillon, this culture of sound leaves the public realm to inhabit the space of the wrist. Time no longer imposes itself. It reveals itself, on demand, through the vibration of a miniature architecture.

The Carillon Tourbillon is unmistakably a Parmigiani Fleurier creation of today. Its language neither looks to the past with nostalgia nor seeks demonstrative effect. It expresses its modernity through the clarity of its construction and through its relationship with volume, transparency and light.

The redesigned white gold case, the vertical gadroons inspired by the classical columns so dear to Michel Parmigiani, the glass box sapphire crystal, the visible hammers on the dial side and the hand-hammered Morning Blue dial; the aesthetic signature of the thirtieth anniversary places the piece firmly within a contemporary expression. One of its most recognisable gestures lies in its four serpentine gongs. Directly inspired by the Perrin Frères pocket watch restored by Parmigiani Fleurier, their long undulating curves embrace the architecture of the Carillon Tourbillon, giving it its visual identity, structuring space and marking the reading of the hours.

Here, acoustics become form.

Between silver and azure, the Morning Blue dial enters into dialogue with this architecture without ever dominating it. Its deliberately restrained proportions free the space required for the presence of the hammers and the unfolding of the gongs.

Here, mechanics do not add themselves to form: they structure it.

Yet within this contemporary presence remains a profound memory: that of gesture, of sound, of restored objects, and of the watchmakers who conceived of time as a living material.

The Carillon Tourbillon embodies a rare tension: a contemporary creation, shaped by the intelligence of the past

VIRTUOSITY HELD IN RESERVE

The piece also expresses a distinctly Parmigiani Fleurier philosophy of visibility.

The tourbillon and the power-reserve indicator are positioned on the reverse of the watch, where the movement opens fully to the eye. On the dial side, the reading remains clear, balanced, almost silent.

Virtuosity does not seek immediate effect. It reveals itself through depth, through observation, through use, through time spent with the object.

This restraint does not diminish the chiming complication. It stages it with precision.

On the dial side, the hammers are visible in both their function and in their mechanical choreography. They reveal the very instant in which time is about to become sound.

Around them, the serpentine gongs envelop the piece like memory turned into architecture. Their presence introduces an almost musical tension between silence and release, between anticipation and vibration.

A CALIBRE TUNED FOR RESONANCE

The calibre is a true demonstration of craftsmanship, composed of 456 components meticulously assembled by hand. Its construction is based on a highly sophisticated mechanical architecture built around two superimposed barrels, ensuring the transmission of power through the gear train and guaranteeing an exceptional 12-day power reserve, a rarity in a timepiece incorporating a chiming complication.

The third barrel, dedicated to the striking mechanism, is automatically rewound when the striking slide is activated, and only when the minute repeater is engaged.

The construction of the calibre has also been conceived to make the mechanics fully legible in motion. The components related to the striking mechanism are positioned on the case back side, offering the eye a view of the mechanism unfolding at the very moment when it transforms time into sound. The open architecture reveals the inner logic of the complication: the circulation of energy, the cadence of the hammers, the vibration of the gongs.

The mechanism incorporates a regulating flywheel, ensuring a constant flow of energy and a perfectly regular cadence. This essential component provides a fluid chime, without acceleration or slowing, for an acoustic experience mastered from the first strike to the last.

In the Carillon Tourbillon, the movement is therefore not only a motor. It becomes an instrument. It measures, it stores, it releases, it regulates, it gives sound to time.

A MELODY IN FOUR NOTES

The four gongs compose a complete and nuanced chime:

one low-pitched gong for the hours one high-pitched gong for the minutes two additional gongs, each with its own note, for the quarters

Together, they create a four-note melody – distinctive, harmonious and immediately recognisable.

The striking mechanism is equipped with an integrated regulating flywheel, ensuring a constant flow of energy and a perfectly regular cadence.

This essential component guarantees a fluid chime, free from acceleration or slowing, for an acoustic experience that remains controlled from the first strike to the last.

A CASE BUILT FOR RESONANCE

The white gold case extends the lineage of the Armoriale, with its vertical gadroons inspired by the classical columns so dear to Michel Parmigiani.

This choice continues an acoustic sensibility deeply rooted in his approach to haute horlogerie: in a chiming timepiece, the case does more than house the movement; it contributes to the transmission of sound — its density, clarity and resonance.

White gold offers here a controlled resonance, in harmony with the spirit of the Carillon Tourbillon.

Reimagining this architecture to accommodate a dial, a tourbillon and a carillon striking mechanism transforms the aesthetic language of the Armoriale into a complete horological construction.

Integrated into the case band, the striking slide calls for a gesture that is simple, direct and almost ceremonial.

MADE FOR TRANSMISSION

Produced in only five examples, the Carillon Tourbillon belongs to a different temporality from that of novelty.

Its rarity is not a launch statement. It is the natural consequence of a creation that demands time, hands, attentive listening and an almost confidential mastery.

This piece is conceived for transmission, for collections that look beyond the instant, for those who recognise in a horological creation not only an achievement but a culture.

With the Carillon Tourbillon, Parmigiani Fleurier does more than celebrate thirty years of existence. The Maison reveals one of the deeper sources of its creative philosophy: a vision of haute horlogerie born of restoration, nourished by transmission, constructed from within, and capable of transforming complication into culture.

Thirty years after its founding, Parmigiani Fleurier’s voice in time continues to resonate.

THE SERPENTINE SIGNATURE

The four serpentine gongs constitute one of the most recognisable signatures of the Carillon Tourbillon. Visible beneath the glass box sapphire crystal, they trace long undulating curves that envelop the piece and give the acoustic architecture its singular presence.

This form derives directly from an element observed on the Perrin Frères pocket watch restored by Parmigiani Fleurier. Reinterpreted within a contemporary creation, it becomes more than a historical recollection: it becomes a principle of construction, at once acoustic, aesthetic and spatial.

The serpentine curves accompany the reading of the hours and inscribe sound within the very form of the watch. They lend the chiming mechanism a fluid, almost organic presence, perceptible even in silence.

Here, the gong is not merely an acoustic component. It becomes sign, structure and memory.

MAKING RESONANCE VISIBLE

The movement, too, becomes a field of expression.

Its components are adorned with the mezzo vibrato decoration, a language previously explored by Parmigiani Fleurier on the dial of the Armoriale, the Maison’s emblematic Objet d’Art and now transposed into the very heart of the movement.

Executed entirely by hand by the engravers, surface after surface, this slow and demanding work brings the material to life.

Here, the gesture leaves the surface of the dial to enter the mechanical architecture itself. It acts as a visual resonance of the chiming mechanism: what the carillon makes heard, the mezzo vibrato makes visible.

MORNING BLUE, HAMMERED INTO LIGHT

The Morning Blue dial, crafted in hand-hammered white gold, extends this dialogue between material, light and vibration.

Between silver and azure, the Morning Blue tone engages with the metal without ever concealing it.

This hammered texture forms one of the defining aesthetic signatures of Parmigiani Fleurier’s thirtieth anniversary, in continuity with the Toric Anniversary creations.

It expresses a shared idea of the hand: a living gesture, never standardised, through which each surface carries its own subtle variation.

The post OBJETS D’ART COLLECTION CARILLON TOURBILLON THE SOUND OF THIRTY YEARS OF INDEPENDENT HIGH-HORLOGERIE appeared first on Arab Watch Guide.

The Endeavour Flyback Chronograph Dual Time Date model expresses a contemporary vision of travel: mobile, fluid and perfectly controlled. Its second time zone, subtly integrated at the centre of the dial, its tachometric scale inspired by measuring instruments, and its remarkably clean display come together in a watch designed for movement. A timepiece that crosses time zones with the same fluidity with which the eye moves across its dial. Sophisticated without ever being ostentatious, it is the ideal companion for the modern traveller.

THE CHRONOGRAPH IN ITS PUREST FORM
Reinventing the traditional codes of the chronograph with the accent on space, balance and legibility, H. Moser & Cie. has chosen minimalism and restraint. All the indications are centralised to preserve the harmony of the dial, in two parts. The chronograph hands replace traditional counters, with the red hand indicating the seconds while the rhodium-plated hand displays the elapsed minutes.

The result is an immediacy: intuitive reading, free of any visual clutter. The second time zone also appears at the centre of the dial, on a fumé disc adorned with a discreet white arrow that blends naturally into the composition. True to the brand’s philosophy, the complication never seeks to dominate the aesthetic, instead dissolving into an exquisite clarity.

STATE-OF-THE-ART MECHANICAL ARCHITECTURE
Developed with AGENHOR, partner of H. Moser & Cie., the HMC 730 calibre powering the Endeavour Flyback Chronograph Dual Time Date reinterprets the architecture of the HMC 902 movement in a hand-wound version. For this evolution, AGENHOR removed the entire automatic winding system as well as the oscillating weight. A decision that opens up a new arena for mechanical freedom and makes it possible to integrate the Dual Time display and the date within the available space.

The HMC 730 movement retains the fundamental qualities of the HMC 902, notably the column wheel and the micro-tooth system developed by AGENHOR, while adopting a more classic, more tactile character befitting a hand-wound watch. Using the retrograde principle to enable the elapsed minute hand to jump instantly using the energy accumulated and then released by a snail cam, it allows the values to be read with greater accuracy. It is equipped with a double barrel providing a 72-hour power reserve, displayed on the back of the movement to preserve the purity of the dial. The date can be adjusted both forwards and backwards without risk to the movement – a rare level of user convenience in such a sophisticated horological architecture.

A CONTEMPORARY INTERPRETATION OF THE MEASURING INSTRUMENT
The Endeavour Flyback Chronograph Dual Time Date features a 42-mm stainless steel case. Around the edge, the white minute track measures the seconds and minutes, structuring the dial, while the tachometric scale, designed to measure speed with precision, reinforces its technical and dynamic aesthetic. The hands are slender and elegant, offering excellent legibility. The alligator strap with nubuck finish underscores the discreet sophistication of this creation.
The Endeavour Flyback Chronograph Dual Time Date turns the instrument into an object of style; functionality becomes aesthetic.
H. Moser & Cie.’s own and unique take on Haute Horlogerie.

The post ENDEAVOUR FLYBACK CHRONOGRAPH DUAL TIME DATE: THREE COMPLICATIONS. A SINGULAR CLARITY. appeared first on Arab Watch Guide.

As Official Timekeeper, Baume & Mercier will be associated with the official timing for the entire race weekend, ensuring accuracy for every moment on the track. This partnership reinforces the Maison’s longstanding dedication to precision and its appreciation for the motorsport’s rich heritage.
Michael Guenoun, CEO of Baume & Mercier, stated, “Partnering with the Gran Premio Storico d’Italia is a celebration of our combined heritage. This event celebrates the same values we uphold: precision, heritage, and the constant dialogue between past and present. This collaboration embodies that bridge, honoring motorsport history while looking to the future with unwavering passion.”

The Gran Premio Storico d’Italia 2026 promises an unforgettable spectacle, uniting collectors, enthusiasts, and motorsport legends for a weekend of historic racing.
Laurent Vallery-Masson, CEO of HVM Racing and promoter of the Gran Premio Storico d’Italia, stated: “We are proud to welcome Baume & Mercier as Official Timekeeper of the Gran Premio Storico d’Italia. Motorsport and watchmaking share a common language: precision, craftsmanship and the pursuit of excellence. Baume & Mercier’s remarkable heritage and commitment to timeless elegance make this partnership a natural fit for an event dedicated to celebrating the most iconic eras of Formula 1 while inspiring future generations of enthusiasts.”

The post BAUME & MERCIER NAMED OFFICIAL TIMEKEEPER OF THE 2026 GRAN PREMIO STORICO D’ITALIA appeared first on Arab Watch Guide.

Just in time to bring some much-needed chromatic relief during the sizzling hot summer months in the northern hemisphere, Projekt 02 Variant “C” once again demonstrates that a shift in tones goes a long way in giving a watch a completely different vibe. The inaugural Projekt 02 FFF&F (Friends, Family, Fools & Flippers) edition from September 2025 set the tone with a warm metallic dial and off-white hand-painted elements, a wearable proof-of-concept for a dial made like no other. Variant B from March this year introduced the stacked gradient dial, or what horo-hipsters might refer to as the first vertical fumé dial.

While retaining the same overall design with an emphasis on volume as its predecessors, the third interpretation of Projekt 02’s topographical dial gets a bit more literal, with the color gradient of white to blue giving the impression of islands scattered in an archipelago, or even glaciers below mountain peaks.

Across nine layers consisting of sixty-seven individual dial plates (with pegs and all), Projekt 02 Variant C brings a different kind of panorama to the wrist. Within a case that’s actually more sapphire crystal than metal to truly take in the view, the bright rhodium plating and matte finish of the individually crafted, painted and assembled dial plates contrasts and catches the light against an azure backdrop that’s constantly shifting with the light and revealing its different hues of blue.

HYPSOMETRY OF TONES
Like all kollokium Projekts and Variants, a little cosmetic change goes a long way, but it also requires much more prep work than meets the eye. Projekt 02 FFF&F edition proved that it can be done. A flat, two-dimensional image transfigured into a true topographical dial, consisting of 67 stacked dial plates. Each is painted by hand with a lacquer infused with Super-LumiNova. Variant B went a step further by introducing a vertical color gradient that darkens from top to bottom. Variant C is the culmination of two years of testing and trying to find the best way of achieving the desired visual effect and level of execution.

Like a Hypsometric map, the idea was to highlight and dramaticize the three-dimensional nature of the topographical dial by having each level painted in a slightly different tone. The highest peaks os the dial, representing the twelve hour markers, are hand-painted in a bright, cool white tone, then each successive lower layer gets darker and bluer. Across sixty-seven dial plate and nine vertcial layers, the dial shifts from white to deep turquoise.

The process to perfect the gradient of luminescent paint was no easy feat. Besides the usual headache of finding the right grain sizes, opacity and consistency, creating a transitioning gradient that maintains a unifrom tone or hue took more trials than we’d like to remember. But the end result is totally worth the effort. And just like in Variant “B”, a compromise had to be found between achieving a near-perfect transitition of blue tones and a solid performance of the luminescent pigments. It won’t glow like a torch, but it definitely glows, especially the Lichtblock™ elements on the hour and minute hands.

BRUTALIST ARTISANSHIP
While kollokium’s designs are meant to evoke a sense of industrialism and rawness, behind the avant-garde object is a tremendous amount of manual, meticulous handwork. And because there’s no equivalent to base our work on, we end up having to find creative solutions to problems no one has encountered before. While we wouldn’t consider ourselves champions of traditional handcrafts, our watches require specialized hands and talent to materialize. We call it brutalist artisanship.

Projekt 02’s topographical dial is made in nine layers, composed of sixty-seven individual dial plates, which are individually hand-painted with a mix of lacquer and Super-LumiNova, carefully avoiding the metal contours. These plates are then vertically stacked and pegged on top of each other, one at a time. It takes around 8 hours to assemble a single dial, and the plates can be prone to bending when handling and pressed together during assembly, causing the entire dial to have to be discarded and the work starts all over again. The good news is, our partners in dial production have gotten better, relatively speaking. Compared to the first version of Projekt 02, the dial rejection rate of Variant “C” has gone down from nearly 80% to 50%. Still horrible by any measurable standard, but such is the raw beauty of kollokium’s take on contemporary craftsmanship.

It should be noted that given just how much of the dial work is done by hand, industrial-level perfection and super-tight tolerances are not the aim of the game for us. We rejoice in the fact that no two dials will be exactly identical, and that some discrepancies are only natural in this kind of work. In fact, we’re so proud of it that we offer a full panoramic view of the dial through the tall sapphire crystal with rounded edges.

MONOBLOC CASE (OR IS IT?)
One of the things that we believe makes kollokium stand out from the rest is our approach to making cases. Instead of the tried and tested methods of CNC milling or stamping (yuck), we use a method that isn’t commonly found in watchmaking: diecasting. By working with a mold, the molten 316L stainless steel can take on forms that would be difficult to achieve with other methods, while also exhibiting a unique matte texture that requires no finishing. It’s steel in all its raw glory.

In Projekt 02, the case serves as a structural platform, upon which the topographical dial is built. With no distinct bezel (from the outside anyways), no caseback and no detachable lugs, it’s a single integrated unit that’s indivisible. The design is such that a slightly arched barrel-shaped central element appears to be held in place by four triangular lugs, as if welded together. No sharp angles, no straight lines. It’s all in the curves and tension. With a rounded bottom and downward lugs, the case sits very close to the wrist and wears surprisingly slim. With no visible logo or branding, the watch bears only one mark of its makers: the project’s full internal dossier or project name, K,P–n02, in relief on the side of the case. On the opposite side, the signature kollokium triangular valve-shaped crown.

One of the elements that many of our customers adore about their kollokium watch is the strap. Light, elastic and breathable, the strap is inspired by outdoor gear (glamping trip, anyone?). The hook buckle, also in diecast steel to match the case, fastening system and stitched loops allow for easy size adjustment on the move. For the first time, kollokium is going full-on colorful with a turquoise blue strap that perfectly matches the dial.

kollokium ≠ WATCHMAKER
We’re not pretending to be something we’re not. kollokium may be a lot of things (at least we like to think so), but a watchmaker on a bench isn’t one of them. For Projekt 02, we’re continuing to use Swiss movement manufacturer La Joux-Perret’s G101 automatic movement. With a power reserve of 68 hours, you can take it off on Friday and wear it again on Monday (though why anyone would want to remove it at all is beyond us, but hey). Since kollokium had nothing to do with the movement, it was decided to leave it completely unbranded and unadorned. It’s not like you can see it anyways ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

The post Cooler Waters: kollokium Projekt 02 (K,P–n°02) Variant “C” tempers the heat with nine layers of turquoise blue appeared first on Arab Watch Guide.

Following the success of their first collaboration, Dennison and Collectability are proud to announce their second limited-edition release: a bold new expression of the now familiar Dennison form, imagined through the shared vision of Collectability founder John Reardon and celebrated Swiss designer Emmanuel Gueit.

The 2026 Edition Oblique Collection will be produced as a limited edition available to pre-order for one week only from May 27 until June 2. This model will be exclusively made for the Dennison + Collectability collaboration and offers two distinctive dial options, in two different colorways, each with its own personality.

Some partnerships are born out of a natural connection. The Dennison + Collectability partnership is one of them. The story of this new release began in Geneva last fall, with a meeting of minds and a single piece of paper. Inspired by their mutual love of 1960s asymmetric design, and by a shared desire to create something distinctive, emotional, and accessible, the idea took shape almost instantly. Gueit brought the sketch to life, and it was immediately clear that something special and something very different had been born.

This new 2026 Edition builds on the spirit of the first Dennison + Collectability collaboration while moving the design language forward in a daring and unexpected new direction. The familiar Dennison case shape is transformed through an unusual asymmetric form set within the case revealing a geometrically shaped dial. Each version of the watch features its own design language on the dial. More sculptural than the first edition, the watch is designed to engage the wearer to see time in a whole new way.

The renewed Dennison identity has been guided by Emmanuel Gueit, the creative force behind some of modern watchmaking’s most recognizable designs. For this Dennison + Collectability 2026 Edition, Gueit expands on Dennison’s distinctive case and dial architecture with a design that feels at once vintage-inspired and unmistakably contemporary.

Playful, mysterious, and delightfully offbeat. This two-tone dial features an inner blue sunburst finish, framed by a diamond-cut metallic border and set within a rich suburst green surround. Its asymmetrical layout and unexpected geometric composition give the watch a sense of movement, as if the dial is shifting between perspectives.

Oblique Vector Dial

An energetic expression of the Oblique design. Twelve lines radiate from the center, creating a dynamic sense of direction and dimension. In gold, the Vector dial has warm gilt-colored sunray finish with contrasting black lines. In steel, it has a silvered sunray finish with blue lines. This monochromatic design blends timeless elegance with a refined, futuristic edge.

With this second series release, Dennison and Collectability reaffirm their shared belief that great design should not be reserved only for the few. Inspired by vintage form, modern creativity, and the emotional pull of collecting, the Dennison + Collectability 2026 Edition brings a new shape and a new feeling to the wrist.

John Reardon quote: “This second collaboration with Dennison is about the joy of design and the emotion of collecting. It started with a conversation and a single piece of a paper, and a shared love of 1960s asymmetric watches. Emmanuel took that idea and made it real. The result is something bold, unexpected, and accessible. Exactly the kind of watch that reminds me why I fell in love with collecting in the first place.”

Emmanuel Gueit quote: “For this next collaboration with Collectability, I really wanted to focus on the architecture of the watch and especially the asymmetrical opening of the dial. My vision has always been to create something different and unexpected rather than follow convention. For me, asymmetry creates tension, balance, and a completely different emotion on the wrist.”

Toby Sutton quote: “When we first released this collaboration in 2025 it was unexpected, yet made perfect sense. This time round, we are even more excited to introduce the new 2026 Edition. A collaboration shaped by a shared passion and vision. The result is a watch that honors the past while possessing a distinctly original character and authenticity.”

The post Dennison + Collectability Unveil Their Second Collaboration appeared first on Arab Watch Guide.

The LM Perpetual Chromatic Editions

The first two editions are crafted in 18k white gold and feature bezels set with either blue or purple sapphires. The third edition is crafted in 18k red gold and features a bezel set with red rubies. Each bezel is traced by an elegant line of 48 baguette-cut gemstones, all set by hand by the skilled team at the brand’s long-term Friend STG Creation in Geneva — a perfect frame for the complex perpetual calendar calibre, achieved without increasing the diameter of the case.

The new pieces are also distinguished by PVD-treated hands matched to their gemstones or case colour; purple for the purple sapphires, blue for the blue sapphires and 5N PVD for the red ruby edition, echoing the tone of the red gold case.

Bringing together the horological complexity and craftsmanship of the innovative perpetual calendar mechanism created by Stephen McDonnell with the bold sophistication of colourful gemstones, these new editions are limited to just 8 pieces each – making them among the rarest LM Perpetuals ever crafted.

The LM Perpetual

Over ten years ago, MB&F and independent Irish watchmaker Stephen McDonnell began with a blank sheet of paper and completely reinvented that most traditional of horological complications; the perpetual calendar. This resulted in the creation of the Legacy Machine Perpetual, featuring a visually stunning in-house movement – developed from the ground up to eliminate the drawbacks of conventional perpetual calendars.

The fact that the complication looked sensational and could be fully appreciated dial-side was just one of the many benefits offered by the new movement, controlled by a mechanical processor.

The LM Perpetual features a fully integrated 581-component calibre − no module, no base movement − with a revolutionary new system for calculating the number of days in each month. And it holistically reinterprets the aesthetics of the perpetual calendar by placing the full complication on dial-free display underneath a spectacular suspended balance.

The perpetual calendar is one of the great traditional complications, calculating the apparently random complexity of the varying numbers of days in each month − including the 29 days in February during leap years. But traditional perpetual calendars do have a few drawbacks: dates can skip; they are relatively easy to damage if adjusted while the date is changing; and the complications are usually compromises of modules powered by base movements.

The fully integrated, purpose-built movement of Legacy Machine Perpetual has been designed from scratch for trouble-free use: no more skipping dates or jamming gears, and the adjuster pushers automatically deactivate when the calendar changes, so no problems there either!

Traditional perpetual calendar mechanisms use a 31-day month as the default and basically “delete” superfluous dates for the months with fewer days – by fast-forwarding through the redundant dates during changeover. A traditional perpetual calendar changing from February 28 to March 1 scrolls quickly through the 29th, 30th and 31st to arrive at the 1st.

LM Perpetual turns the traditional perpetual calendar system on its head by using a “mechanical processor” instead of the conventional space-consuming grand levier (big lever) system architecture. The mechanical processor utilises a default 28-day month and adds extra days as required. This means that each month always has the exact number of days required; there is no fast-forwarding or skipping redundant days. And while the leap year can only be set on traditional perpetual calendars by scrolling through up to 47 months, LM Perpetual has a dedicated quickset pusher to adjust the year.

With its open dial revealing the full complication and suspended balance, it’s the harmonious mechanical beauty of LM Perpetual that really steals the show. And in an interesting technical twist, that eye-catching balance hovering on high is connected to the escapement on the back of the movement by what is likely to be the world’s longest balance staff.

Using an innovative system developed especially for Legacy Machine Perpetual, the subdials appear to “float” above the movement with no visible attachments. The skeletonised subdials rest on hidden studs, which is technically impossible with traditional perpetual calendar mechanisms because they would block the movement of the grand levier.

Taking a clockwise tour of the dial, at 12 o’clock we see the hours and minutes nestled between the elegant arches of the balance; day of the week at 3 o’clock, power reserve indicator at 4 o’clock, month at 6 o’clock, retrograde leap year indicator at 7 o’clock, and date at 9 o’clock.

The Legacy Machine Perpetual won the Best Calendar Watch Prize at the GPHG (Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève) in 2016.

LEGACY MACHINE PERPETUAL IN DETAIL

INSPIRATION AND REALISATION

The Legacy Machine collection was conceived when MB&F owner and creative director Maximilian Büsser started fantasising. “What would have happened if I had been born in 1867 instead of 1967? In the early 1900s the first wristwatches appear, and I would want to create three-dimensional machines for the wrist, but Grendizers, Star Wars, and fighter jets would not have been around for my inspiration. But I do have pocket watches, the Eiffel Tower, and Jules Verne, so what might my 1900s machine look like? It has to be round and it has to be three-dimensional.” The result of this was Legacy Machine No.1, first launched in 2011 – followed later by LM2 and LM101.

The LM Perpetual project began with a meeting between Maximilian Büsser and Northern Irish watchmaker Stephen McDonnell. McDonnell had been a long-time Friend of the brand and played an instrumental role in the realisation of MB&F’s very first timepiece, Horological Machine No.1. As Büsser was thinking of developing a perpetual calendar for the fourth watch in the Legacy Machine collection, McDonnell replied that he had an idea for a perpetual calendar that addresses many of the drawbacks associated with conventional examples.

Three years and a great many sleepless nights later, Legacy Machine Perpetual was born.

CONVENTIONAL PERPETUAL CALENDARS

Conventional perpetual calendars are generally modules comprising the complication, which is fitted on top of an existing movement. The calendar indications are synchronised by a long lever (in French: grand levier) running across the top of the complication and passing through the centre. As the date changes, this long lever transmits information to the appropriate components and mechanisms by moving backwards and forwards.
The existence of the grand levier means that there can be nothing in the centre of the complication that might impede it – like a suspended balance with its staff running right down through the centre of the movement to an escapement on the back.
This lever also means that perpetual calendars require a full dial, which may have cut-outs or windows, as it is impossible to support subdials with studs because they would block the motion of the big lever mechanism.

In the traditional grand levier system, perpetual calendars assume that, by default, all months have 31 days. At the end of months with less than 31 days, the mechanism quickly skips through the superfluous dates before arriving at the 1st of the new month. Any manipulation or adjustment of the date during changeover can result in damage to the mechanism, requiring expensive repairs by the manufacturer. The dates can also jump or skip during changeover, negating the whole point of the perpetual calendar in the first place, which is not requiring adjustment for years. Or decades.

“I call perpetual calendars boomerang watches because they come back for repair so often,” says Maximilian Büsser. “The mechanisms jam, block, break, or jump days when they shouldn’t.”

MECHANICAL PROCESSOR

Legacy Machine Perpetual uses a “mechanical processor” consisting of a series of superimposed disks. This revolutionary processor takes the default number of days in the month at 28 – because, logically, all months have at least 28 days – and then adds the extra days as required by each individual month. This ensures that each month has exactly the right number of days. There is no “skipping over” redundant days, so there is no possibility of the date jumping incorrectly.

Using a planetary cam, the mechanical processor also enables a quick setting of the year so that it displays correctly in the four-year leap year cycle, whereas traditional perpetual calendar mechanisms require the user to scroll through up to 47 months to arrive at the right month and year.

The mechanical processor also enables an inbuilt safety feature that disconnects the quickset pushers during the date changeover, eliminating any risk of damage while the date is changing.

While the conception and development of this mechanical processor-controlled perpetual calendar complication is a noteworthy achievement in itself, Stephen McDonnell went even further by managing to place all 581 components of the movement in virtually the same-sized case as LM1.

OPENING UP A NEW WORLD OF PERPETUAL CALENDAR AESTHETICS

Doing away with the calendar’s big lever has allowed for completely new aesthetics not possible when conventional systems are in use. MB&F’s mechanical processor enables the centre of the complication to be used, thereby saving space and allowing design freedom as the full dial is no longer necessary.

Legacy Machine Perpetual takes advantage of its fully integrated movement to place the perpetual calendar mechanism on top of the movement main plate so that it can be appreciated from above. Legibility is often an issue with perpetual calendars due to the sheer number of indications, and LM Perpetual addresses this by using skeletonised subdials (except for the time indication) that appear to float above the complication with no apparent support from below.

BALANCE ABOVE, ESCAPEMENT BELOW

In yet another innovation, Legacy Machine Perpetual uses what is likely to be the world’s longest balance wheel pinion to connect that elegantly suspended balance, hovering above the top of the movement, to the escapement on the back of the movement. Ensuring the practicality and reliability of this approach was essential before any other development work began.

While the view through the display back is animated by the escapement, it’s the spectacular hand-finishing of the bridges and plates that really captivates the eye.

The post LM PERPETUAL CHROMATIC EDITIONS Three brilliantly colourful bezels for the LM Perpetual appeared first on Arab Watch Guide.

Where continuity defines form and tone defines character. In the interplay of light, gold expresses its most sophisticated nuances.

LIONEL FAVRE, PRODUCT CREATION & DESIGN DIRECTOR

PRISMATIC ALLURE
Reviving the bold aesthetics of the colourful, gem-set cocktail watches of the 1930s, these creations capture their expressive design through vibrant colours with rubies, blue sapphires and emeralds.

‘OR DECO’ MONOCHROMATIC ALLURE
A design defined by a monochrome aesthetic, elevated through a play of contrasting textures, balancing polished and grained finishes to create a composition that is both complex and cohesive.

VINTAGE ALLURE
With a distinctly vintage allure, it reflects the refined way timepieces were once worn, inspiring restrained dimensions and a Milanese bracelet for a timeless sense of elegance on every wrist.

TRADITIONAL CRAFTS
The ‘Or Deco’ series adapts time-honoured techniques, including intricate gem-setting and precise bracelet construction, for the modern era.

OVER 10 METRES OF GOLD THREADS
A Milanese link is a dense, flat metal mesh woven from two twisted metal threads into interlocking links, requiring over 10 metres of gold threads. Formed into a fabric-like pezza, it is stamped to size and soldered link by link by hand, creating a smooth, flexible mesh.

46 BAGUETTE-CUT PRECIOUS STONES
The Métiers Rares™ atelier used rail setting, a technique that involves forming gold rails into which stones are slid and secured by folding a fraction of the case’s gold over the edge of the 46 baguette-cut and coloured stones without compromising them. This edge-to-edge setting ensures a continuous flow of light.

The post REVERSO, TIMELESSLY REIMAGINED THE REVERSO ‘OR DECO’ SERIES appeared first on Arab Watch Guide.

Anchored by a vivid red flying tourbillon and crafted in titanium, this limited edition reflects the collaboration’s shared outlook: purpose over excess, essence over noise, and a deliberate emphasis on focus and intent.

A FRESH PERSPECTIVE ON EXPLORATION

The Royal Oak Concept Flying Tourbillon created with Yoon and Verbal presents the collection’s architectural strength into a compact 38.5 mm titanium case, where sandblasted, satin‑brushed and polished surfaces highlight its sculptural geometry. A vivid red aluminium flying tourbillon stands out against a black aventurine dial, while openworked details and luminescent white‑gold hands bring depth and clarity. Through the sapphire and titanium caseback, the ultra‑modern movement is revealed with engravings affirming the collaboration.

AT THE CORE OF THE NEW CALIBRE 2982

Developed specifically for this collaborative limited edition, Calibre 2982 builds on the technical advancements of Calibre 2964 – the Manufacture’s hand-wound flying tourbillon movement that brings together tradition and modernity. Crafted to showcase the regulating organ in full view, the new variation conserves its predecessor’s high-tech architecture. Its aluminium tourbillon cage, framed by red bridges, adds a bold visual signature while enhancing precision.

Partly openworked and finished with refined hand‑decorations, Calibre 2982 brings clear, architectural and expressive refinement to the heart of this limited-edition Royal Oak Concept Flying Tourbillon.

A CONTEMPORARY TAKE ON THE ROYAL OAK CONCEPT

Equipped with the interchangeable strap system, the model shifts effortlessly between black and red rubber straps featuring a “micro‑mosaic” pattern and quilted inner lining.

Red has always been a powerful colour for us, while the tourbillon cage represents the heart of the watch – the force that keeps everything in motion. Red evokes the Earth’s core: the origin point, the source of energy and, ultimately, the beginning of how we measure time itself.

Verbal – Ambush Co-Founder and Music Producer

Creativity is always in motion. You keep evolving, regenerating, moving forward, so the design of this limited edition had to follow that energy. For me, it was about balance, about creating something truly universal that anyone could connect with.

Yoon Ahn – Ambush Co-Founder and Creative Director

The post CRAFTING TIME WITH YOON & VERBAL appeared first on Arab Watch Guide.

Audemars Piguet and Swatch unveil the Royal Pop, a groundbreaking watch collection that combines joyful boldness and positive provocation with fine watchmaking. This collection, titled Royal Pop, draws inspiration from Pop Art, an artistic movement  that transforms everyday pop culture imagery into vibrant, colorful and energetic works of art. Audemars Piguet and Swatch have decided to blend some of their hallmark features into a disruptive pocket watch available in eight models and designed to be worn in a multitude of different ways.

This partnership is more than a tribute, it is a disruptive collaboration between two icons of Swiss watchmaking.
The Royal Pop watches draw inspiration from Audemars Piguet’s legendary Royal Oak collection, launched in 1972, as well as the Swatch POP watches of the 1980s.

This collection will change the way we wear watches. The watches in the AP × Swatch collaboration break free from the wrist, featuring a high-quality calfskin lanyard with contrasting stitching, allowing you to wear the watch in unexpected, playful, and  dynamic ways. The choice is yours: around your neck, on your wrist, in your pocket, attached to a handbag, and more. There are no limits, with three lanyard lengths to choose from and a small removable stand that lets you turn it into a desk watch.

The collection of eight Swiss-made Bioceramic models is powered by Swatch’s signature, innovative SISTEM51 movement, now offered in a new hand-wound version with 15 active patents. SISTEM51 is a true industrial feat, as it is the only Swiss-made  mechanical movement in the world whose assembly is 100 % automated.

Among its features are over 90 hours of power reserve, the anti-magnetic Nivachron™ balance spring, and laserbased precision adjustment performed directly at the factory. It’s worth noting that the Nivachron™ balance spring was developed in  collaboration with Audemars Piguet and is therefore found in several of their models.

And that’s not all. This magnificent movement is partially visible thanks to the transparent caseback of the eight watches in the Royal Pop Collection, each with its own unique color scheme. In addition to the colors, customers will be spoiled for choice  with two different versions:

• a Lépine-style pocket watch, with the winding crown positioned at 12 o’clock. Time reading is simplified to two hands (hours and minutes). This version is available in six different models.
• a Savonnette-style pocket watch with the winding crown at 3 o’clock. This version, available in two models, features a dial with a small seconds subdial at 6 o’clock.

But why exactly eight models for Audemars Piguet × Swatch? It’s a nod to the eight sides of the case and the eight screws on the Royal Oak’s signature bezel. And since nothing is left to chance, the Royal Pop has 8 additional patents for the case  construction, as the original Royal Oak’s case is complex, combining the rounded octagon, the circle, and the barrel shape. All these features are found in the Royal Pop.

One of these patents is the design of the barrel drum (the watch’s power reserve), which is not merely decorative, but also indicates the watch’s power reserve. When the barrel chambers are gray, they reveal the coils of the mainspring. This means the  watch needs to be wound.

Conversely, when the color is gold, the mainspring is no longer visible through the barrel chambers. It is fully compressed, indicating that the watch is fully wound and running at full power.

The “Petite Tapisserie” dial pattern has also been one of the Royal Oak collection’s defining aesthetic features since 1972. All eight Royal Pop models thus feature this instantly recognizable Royal Oak design. For its part, the Royal Oak’s octagonal bezel is a signature in its own right, with its eight hexagonal screws, which are among the most disruptive elements of the Royal Oak. As for the Royal Oak’s bezel, while it is octagonal, it goes far beyond a simple eight‑sided shape. Accenting this octagonal bezel,  the eight hexagonal screws are perhaps the most groundbreaking element of the 1972 Royal Oak. The Royal Pop draws inspiration from this and, in the white model named HUIT BLANC, boldly features them in eight different hues. For all eight models, the eight screws on the eight-sided bezel and the caseback are welded to the case.

Among the Royal Pop’s other technical features, the vertical satin finish on the bezel and case back echoes the original decorative elements of the Royal Oak. In keeping with this identity, a “Tapisserie” effect has been applied to the dial. The movement’s  caseback is printed using digital printing. The crown, case, and lanyard attachment are made of Bioceramic. The hour and minute hands and hour markers are coated with Grade A Super-LumiNova® for optimal nighttime readability.

The entire collection features two sapphire crystals on the front and back of the case. The caseback is also pad-printed with the Royal Pop logo. Both the top and bottom crystals, which are sapphire crystals for enhanced scratch resistance, feature an anti-reflective coating. The unique composition of Bioceramic— two-thirds ceramic powder and one-third biosourced material derived from castor oil—gives it a strength and smoothness that must be experienced to be believed. The Audemars Piguet × Swatch collab logos can be found on the dial and the crown.

The watch head is attached by clipping the back onto the clip, which can be removed as desired. During this process, a clicking sound also becomes an acoustic signature of this collection.

Audemars Piguet × Swatch is available exclusively as of 16 May, 2026 at selected Swatch stores. Find your nearest point of sale using our store locator on swatch.com. As with other Swatch collaborations, only one watch per person, per day, and per  selected store may be purchased.

The post AUDEMARS PIGUET × SWATCH BREAK THE RULES OF WATCHMAKING appeared first on Arab Watch Guide.

One blends heritage with precision. The other redesigns tomorrow for fun. Yet, the two are tied together by friendship. Foundation was laid in 2021 in Baltic’s headquarters. French Watchmakers were invited to discover the brand’s new office and share a moment together. Théo Auffret and Guillaume Laidet met on that occasion, making it the start of their friendship and what would become SpaceOne. Five years later, that bond gave life to a watch, the Seconde Majeure.

DESTRUCTURED DISPLAY
The Seconde Majeure takes a kinematic approach to time reading. Time is decentralized, traditional hands make way for sapphire discs, all in favor of an exclusive complication module.

Hours are read at 12 o’clock and minutes at 6 o’clock, guided by an arrow ending crosshair. The forward-looking typography stamped on the discs brings contrast to the otherwise classic assembly. A large seconds hand glides above, bringing motion to the seemingly still composition and giving its name to the watch: Seconde Majeure.

VERTICALITY: TYING FORM TO FUNCTION
Offering an ingenious architecture, the Seconde Majeure is designed around its complication. The jumping-hour module – developed by Théo Auffret – relies on three visible components.

A Central Control Wheel lies beneath the minute disc. It makes a full rotation in 60 minutes. When it completes a full rotation, it engages with the Star Wheel. The later has 12 teeth, corresponding to the 12 hours displayed on the disc attached above. The Jumper Spring, visible to the left, keeps pressure on the Star Wheel, maintaining it centered. It is also responsible for the “jump” of the hour disc. Pressure builds when the Star Wheel begins its rotation.

The hour jumps when the spring settles back between the next teeth. The dial ties the face together. Cut from a single piece of maillechort, it is both decorative and essential. The
plate supports the module and allows the watch to function.

EXCLUSIVE FINISHING
The watch is available with two different dial finishes: Vertical brushed or “Charbonné”
This signature technique is performed by expert watchmakers in Théo Auffret’s atelier. Done exclusively by hand, it requires up to three hours of work, giving each watch a truly unique character.

A TIMELESS CASE
Housing a SpaceOne module in a Baltic case would have been too easy. We aimed at something new, something none of us would have made without the other. The result is an entirely new design. Inspired by independent watchmaking, the Seconde Majeure is fitted with a 38.5mm case.

The Mid-case, lugs, and case back are brushed with contrast provided by a polished concave bezel. This shape and finish are mirrored on the lugs. Arched and low-hanging, the lugs help the watch to sit naturally on the wrist. The feeling is complemented by a strap crafted by Delugs. Made from beige Alcantara® and featuring curved spring bars, it hugs both the wrist and the case.

LIMITED IN TIME
The Seconde Majeure will be available for pre-order for from May 12th to May 17th. Each watch is individually numbered on the case back. Production will be limited by the number of orders placed during these six days.

THE PROTAGONISTS ETIENNE MALEC
Watch enthusiast and collector who has an eye for photography and product design.
He understands and respects history but has no desire to live in the past.

JAS REWKIEWICZ
Creative director and cultural shapeshifter, Jas is the custodian of Baltic’s identity. His art direction translates vintage subtlety into modern design.

THÉO AUFFRET
Brilliant watchmaker and constructor, Théo is a master of mechanical engineering.

GUILLAUME LAIDET
Serial watch entrepreneur, Guillaume is a catalyst for disruptive concepts. He anticipates the watchmaking of tomorrow and provides a structural framework for an audacious approach to reading time.

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Only the second vintage Patek Philippe wristwatch to top USD 10 million at auction

GENEVA, 9 MAY 2026 – Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo achieved a landmark result at The Geneva Watch Auction: XXIII today as the extraordinarily rare Patek Philippe Ref. 2523 “South America” world-time wristwatch sold for CHF 7,961,000 / USD 10,247,000 / HKD 80,223,000 – a world-record price for the reference.

The watch is only the second vintage Patek Philippe wristwatch ever to sell at auction in excess of USD 10 million, surpassed only by the stainless steel Patek Philippe Ref. 1518 sold by Phillips last November.

Today’s sale was achieved amid strong global participation and intense competition in a packed salesroom, online, and on the phones, before bidding narrowed to an extended battle between telephone bidders and a room bidder, with the star lot ultimately selling to the room.

The result further confirms the continued strength and resilience of the top end of the international watch market despite the current global geopolitical situation.

Regarded by many collectors as one of the ultimate trophy watches, the 18k yellow-gold, two-crown Ref. 2523 features an exceptional polychrome cloisonné enamel dial depicting a map of South America. One of only two examples known, the watch had only ever appeared at public auction once before, in 1988.

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With its assertive style, Haute Horlogerie finishes and exceptional movement, the Laureato Chronograph 42 mm embodies the quintessential casual chic watch according to Girard-Perregaux. This model enables the Manufacture to offer a nuanced play  on contrasts between past and present, sportiness and refinement, horological excellence and everyday comfort.

LAUREATO CHRONOGRAPH 42 MM HIGHLIGHTS

An unexpected two-tone chronograph.

A harmonious choice of materials subtly revealing its perfection upon closer inspection.

The Manufacture GP03300 chronograph calibre combines precision-timekeeping excellence with exceptional watchmaking finishes.

An initial 50-piece production run.

A tribute to the decade in which it was born, this new interpretation of the Laureato subtly revisits the theme of the two-tone watch that was all the rage in the 1970s.

The tonneau-shaped case crafted from 904L steel contrasts with the warm hues of rose gold accenting the octagonal bezel, the crown and the pushers positioned on the case middle.

The link bracelet is replaced by a rubber strap adorned with a Clou de Paris hobnail pattern, hugging the curves of the wrist with a supple, perfectly ergonomic feel.

MANUFACTURE CHRONOGRAPH MOVEMENT

While the Laureato stands out at first glance for its bold aesthetic, it is also distinguished by the exceptional Calibre GP03300. This reliable, high-performance movement features exquisite horological finishes (circular graining, Côtes de Genève, bevelling, mirror polishing, satin brushing, engraving, sunburst finishing, snailing), visible through the sapphire crystal caseback, testifying to the high level of expertise and savoir-faire developed by Girard-Perregaux since 1791.

THE LAUREATO: A QUESTION OF STYLE

More than just a watch, the Laureato is a legend in its own right. Launched in 1975, this timepiece with its bold design is one of the purest expressions of Girard-Perregaux’s multiple skills.

The seamless blend of angular lines and polished curves strikes a rare balance that endows the watch with its timeless character.

As a Manufacture renowned for both design and movements, Girard-Perregaux has truly come into its own with this luxurious, sportychic steel watch with its integrated bracelet.

It is distinguished by its tonneau-shaped case along with its circular satin-finished octagonal bezel set on a polished ring which – like the Three Bridges – has become a defining feature of the Maison’s style vocabulary.

An object in which design meets Haute Horlogerie, the Laureato Chronograph 42 mm is aimed at devotees of understated luxury.

The sporty, contemporary Laureato is above all a Girard-Perregaux. The warm hues of the brown dial bearing a Clou de Paris motif complement the rose gold, reflecting the uncompromising attention paid to both the finest details, as well as to respect for  the Manufacture’s watchmaking traditions and expertise.

An object in which design meets Haute Horlogerie, built for optimal everyday comfort with its 42 mm case just 12.16 mm thick ensuring a perfect fit and secured by the integrated rubber strap, the Laureato Chronograph 42 mm is aimed at devotees of understated luxury.

This sleek, geometric and functional aesthetic embodies a distinctive vision of watchmaking and celebrates the perfect alchemy between form and function, a language cherished by Girard-Perregaux since its founding in 1791.

Recognisable at a glance, the Laureato combines precision, design, comfort and sophistication.

A time-measuring instrument crafted in the grand Swiss watchmaking tradition, the Laureato is also a perennially elegant design object. Epitomising accuracy in terms of aesthetics, chronometry and craftsmanship, it encapsulates the full range of expertise of an integrated Manufacture, bringing together under one roof all the skills involved in developing and producing exceptional timepieces.

Each generation fine-tunes the proportions, hones the lines and strengthens the coherence of the Laureato.

Without ever straying from its identity, the Laureato has evolved in step with the times, reinterpreted across the decades with remarkable consistency. Each generation fine-tunes its proportions, hones its lines and strengthens its coherence in an ongoing dialogue between heritage and modernity.

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SPORT AS A PLACE OF CONNECTION
Sport has long provided Audemars Piguet with a way to engage beyond watchmaking. Within this universe, padel stands out as a discipline defined by exchange, proximity and collective momentum, where interaction plays a central role.

Over recent years, this sport has brought together a diverse and growing community, establishing itself across various cultural contexts. Originating in Mexico and rooted in Latin American culture before gaining wide popularity in Spain, it now sits at the intersection of culture and lifestyle, attracting players from different generations, backgrounds and creative fields, including music, fashion and the arts. Its global expansion has positioned it as a genuine connector: a shared ground where different worlds converge through practice and collective experience.

Many of Audemars Piguet’s clients already engage with padel in their daily lives. Played in pairs and built on continuous interaction, the sport creates informal moments where connection is forged through timing, coordination and shared intent. As the point unfolds, the game increasingly relies on synchronisation and the ability to read subtle variations in rhythm. This level of attention and balance mirrors the precision required in Haute Horlogerie, where accuracy and the interplay of elements work together to create a coherent whole.

By supporting this discipline, the Manufacture meets its community in settings where time is shared and exchange unfolds with ease.

“Sport has always been a part of Audemars Piguet’s story. With padel, we are continuing that journey while opening a new chapter guided by the values that matter to us – inclusion, teamwork and talent. The sport brings people together across generations and genders, creating a fun shared space for our community.”

Ilaria Resta
Chief Executive Officer, Audemars Piguet

PADEL AS A GLOBAL PLATFORM
Padel’s international development has contributed to the emergence of new structures that bring together players, audiences and communities across regions. At the forefront of this evolution, Premier Padel has become the leading professional tour worldwide, setting new standards for the sport’s global growth, elite competition and international reach.

Founded in partnership with the International Padel Federation, the Qatar Airways Premier Padel Tour brings together the world’s leading male and female players in major venues around the world. As Official Timekeeper, Audemars Piguet will accompany this circuit throughout the season. This includes dedicated court clocks and select branded elements integrated into each tournament environment. The Manufacture will also be present at key moments of the Tour, both on site and via international broadcasts, creating opportunities for audiences to encounter the sport and its culture.

“Premier Padel has established itself as the global reference for professional padel, bringing together the world’s best players and leading international brands on one unified tour. Our partnership with Audemars Piguet reinforces the momentum behind the sport’s continued global growth and reflects our shared commitment to excellence, innovation and long-term development.”

David Sugden
Chief Executive Officer, Premier Padel

A SHARED MINDSET OF COMMITMENT AND CURIOSITY
To reinforce its engagement with padel, Audemars Piguet is partnering with Agustín Tapia, the sport’s top ranked player and a leading figure of his generation. Born in Catamarca, Argentina, Agustín has shaped the evolution of the game with a style marked by precision, creativity and exceptional technique, earning recognition both on and off the court.

In a discipline where play rests on synchronisation and constant adjustment, Tapia’s approach reflects a balance of instinct and rigour, paired with a refined sense of timing. His ability to adapt the rhythm of a point, anticipate trajectories and maintain composure under pressure demonstrates a level of control that parallels the Manufacture’s high standards. His creativity makes him unpredictable to his opponents, notably his capacity to invent shots that defy conventional logic. Beyond results, Tapia is valued for his humility, professionalism and leadership – qualities that have made him a reference for younger athletes and reinforced his influence in the sport’s fast-growing landscape.

The relationship with Agustín Tapia extends Audemars Piguet’s longstanding dialogue with sport. Throughout its history, the Manufacture has been drawn to individuals who shape their craft with commitment and a sense of purpose. This outlook has guided collaborations across sport and culture – from long standing partnerships with athletes such as Serena Williams, Aryna Sabalenka, Antoine Dupont, Simone Biles and Shai Gilgeous Alexander to earlier encounters with figures including LeBron James and Michael Schumacher. Each partnership has contributed to a broader dialogue grounded in openness and a shared passion, reinforcing sport as a space where collective energy and human talent converge with the values upheld by the Manufacture.

“It’s an honour to join Audemars Piguet, a manufacturer defined by precision, excellence and the constant pursuit of perfection – values that reflect exactly what I bring to the court every time I compete. This partnership represents a shared understanding of time, performance and the elite level, driven by the same standard of excellence.”

Agustín Tapia
World No.1 Padel Player

EXTENDING THE PADEL EXPERIENCE
Alongside the Qatar Airway Premier Padel Tour, Audemars Piguet will also explore formats that bring people together around the sport. Uniting professional players and amateur participants, a Pro am tournament will offer a setting for natural encounters between clients, friends of the brand and the wider AP family.

Complementing these initiatives, the Swiss manufacturer will develop a network of club partnerships in locations where padel is part of local lifestyles. Creating additional opportunities to experience the sport through proximity and shared time, planned destinations include Europe, the Middle East, the Americas and Asia. These partnerships further reflect Audemars Piguet’s wish to meet its community where padel naturally thrives, while opening spaces for new audiences to discover the world of Haute Horlogerie.

The post AUDEMARS PIGUET ENTERS THE WORLD OF PADEL THROUGH NEW PARTNERSHIPS WITH PREMIER PADEL AND AGUSTÍN TAPIA appeared first on Arab Watch Guide.

The groundbreaking haute horlogerie watch with a function selector that can switch between automatic and manual winding modes returns, driving the limits of technical performance and human creativity across new frontiers

Geneva, 6 April 2026 – Vanguart, the ultra-luxe independent watchmaker and creator of some of the most disruptive, inventive watches ever seen in haute horlogerie, returns to its wildly inventive Vanguart Orb at Geneva Watch Week 2026. For the first time, the explosive design will be injected with flashes of coloured ceramic, creating a pair of crossover watches that are at once works of mechanical art and suitable for daily wear.
The Vanguart Orb Pink Ceramic Titanium and Vanguart Orb Blue Ceramic Rose Gold are defined by a unique cocktail of materials, technologies, textures and colourways. In this way, they create a playful paradox. On the one hand, the soft, relaxed colours in the pink and blue ceramics give both watches a versatility and an ease; on the other, the Orb’s theatrical, joyfully unorthodox architecture remains, dazzling with its mechanical ambition and complexity.

THE COLOUR OF TIME: BRILLIANT CERAMIC OPENS THE ORB UP TO A NEW GENERATION
The Vanguart Orb rocked watchmaking two years ago when it became the world’s first flying tourbillon watch with a function selector that could pivot between manual and automatic modes at the whim of its owner. This provocative function brought fresh intrigue to haute horlogerie, one that explored eternal philosophical questions: how is time shaped? Can it be controlled?

The Orb was an instant hit in watch collecting circles. It shot Vanguart into the limelight and secured its reputation as one of the pioneers of contemporary ultra-luxe watchmaking. Since launch, the watch has been spotted on the wrists of a number of global superstars from the worlds of sport and entertainment, all of whom have chosen to wear Vanguart.

Now, the Orb Pink Ceramic Titanium and Orb Blue Ceramic Rose Gold elevate the design’s challenging form further still. In either shade, the watch becomes a more versatile everyday watch – “a daily-wear flying tourbillon”. With these additions of coloured ceramic, Vanguart has opened a new chapter for the Orb flying tourbillon, giving it deeper resonance intended to captivate the next generation of aficionados and collectors of esoteric watch art.
THE BACK STORY: AVANT-GARDE DESIGN AND MECHANICS IN A BEAUTIFUL, ERGONOMIC WATCH
The original Orb flying tourbillon of 2024 was conceived and developed over a period of three years as a high-concept, high-complication watch with an ingenious winding selector that put the wearer in control of how it generated power. It had an elegance to it, too: the overall form was a lesson in massing and proportionality, balance and symmetry.

The conceit was that it was also highly ergonomic, sculpted to the wrist. So while its thrilling movement architecture created a visual vortex, drawing the wearer through multiple physical layers into its dancing flying tourbillon, the 41mm case was a mere 10.5mm thick, a measurement that defied its complexity.

Its wearability was further enhanced by its fluid, beautifully engineered curved case back, which followed the topography of the wrist. The effect was a seminal watch that had mesmerising depth and presence, and yet wore with the day-to-day practicality of an off-the-shelf sports watch.

Two years on from the release of the Vanguart Orb, the Orb Pink Ceramic Titanium and Orb Blue Ceramic Rose Gold invite a new audience, one with an appetite for an exclusive wristwatch that fuses extreme watchmaking mechanics with everyday style and sophistication.

THE NEW CHALLENGE: INTEGRATING CERAMIC INTO THE ORB
In 2025, Vanguart fulfilled a special commission to create a series of unique pieces for a high-profile private client to incorporate ceramic into the Orb. As well as presenting a tantalising research and development opportunity to interpret watchmaking’s ceramic trend through Vanguart’s unique creative and technical lens, the project posed a number of engineering challenges. Namely, how to integrate coloured ceramic into the Orb’s fluid form without compromising the design’s distinctive character, the watch’s performance (including water resistance to 30 metres) or Vanguart’s hugely exacting quality and finishing standards.

While it can deliver profound colour and depth, ceramic is a complex material. It’s notoriously brittle and inflexible, and so a special formula was required to deliver the dynamics the new Orb watches demanded. Through a year-long research and development process, the company’s engineers delivered a highly resistant ceramic that could be sculpted into sweeping curves that follow the Orb’s unique geometry, and polished by hand to give it a deep brilliance.
Bespoke tooling had to be developed for the work, too, to ensure every component in the watch would be produced and finished to Vanguart’s exacting standards. Quality that goes beyond what is visible is one of the brand’s founding pillars.

In the Orb Pink Ceramic Titanium and Orb Blue Ceramic Rose Gold, this ceramic features in the case flanks and in the pusher inserted into the crown. The ceramic delivers tactility as well as the hardness, colour intensity and scratch- and fade-resistance that have made it such a desirable watchmaking material. Vanguart’s blue and pink ceramics will not scratch or fade, even when exposed to the elements for extended periods.
THE ORB: TIME COMES UNDER CONTROL
The basic form and architecture of the new Orb Pink Ceramic Titanium and Orb Blue Ceramic Rose Gold are carried over from the 2024 launch editions. Both have 41mm round cases measuring 10.5mm thick, with top and bottom components in either micro-blasted and satin-finished titanium or micro-blasted and satin-finished 18-carat rose gold. Both iterations of the case also feature hand-polished angles that create much of the form’s depth.
The story of innovation continues inside the case. The curved réhaut and the Orb’s similarly concave signature oscillating mass are colour- and surface-matched to the watch’s polished ceramic elements using a bespoke treatment inspired by the automotive industry and applied with high-precision micro-painting. This process was performed by a specialist in colour optimisation and required months of trials due to the complexity of applying it to functional, three-dimensional shapes. By adopting this approach, Vanguart was able to deliver a ceramic-like visual effect without adversely influencing the watch’s technical performance.
These two visually prominent components sit either side of an hour track in either titanium or rose gold. Together, they cascade into the watch and into its spectacular 3hz (21,600vph) flying tourbillon movement. In both models, the mainplate, bridges and tourbillon cage are cast in Grade 5 titanium, with micro-blasted, satin-finished, block-polished and hand-beveled surfaces.
The movement’s barrel sits in the prominent 12 o’clock position and hosts the watch’s signature function. Its surface is micro-blasted and laser-engraved with the company name. An inner ring is then colour-matched with a pink or blue PVD coating and interspersed with three apertures that turn black to indicate the watch’s mode: M for manual-winding, A for automatic winding, and H for time-setting. These modes are selected through the pusher set into the crown.

As before, these functions either activate or deactivate the watch’s oscillating mass. When the watch’s function selector is set to manual, the mass remains fixed in place. Switched into automatic mode, it’s released and spins freely, the animation dramatised by the ricochet of light from the brilliant-cut diamond set into it.

In total, each watch has 395 components. Despite its complexity and the energy required to fuel the watch’s mesmerising flying tourbillon, the movement has a 60-hour power reserve.

THE FINISHING: GOING DOWN A LEVEL TO LEVEL UP

Together, the Orb Pink Ceramic Titanium and Orb Blue Ceramic Rose Gold are an exercise in exquisite artisanal hand-finishing, pushing hand-craftsmanship to its limit.

One major update is the three-dimensional hand-polished bevelling applied to the sand-blasted central bridge. The hour track has been enhanced too, and now features a highly technical blend of micro-blasted and mirror-polished surfaces, creating an elegant pattern that carries an echo of the Art Deco movement.

The lumed hour markers – triangular on the blue model and trapezoid on the pink edition – sit in sharp contrast to this track, delivering on the Orb’s promise of usability by making it immediately legible. This is backed up by satin-polished, lumed and partially skeletonised hour and minute hands that, despite the visual complexity of what lies beneath them, still stand proud, ensuring legibility.
Both editions also elevate Vanguart’s extreme finishing approach further still. The pink edition features a sand-blasted mainplate that is first PVD-treated in a deeper pink hue, and then re-angled again by hand to reveal the polished titanium beneath. In the blue edition, the barrel bridge and tourbillon cage are coated with gold PVD, giving them a gilded allure. This next-level finishing highlights Vanguart’s devotion to haute horlogerie.

THE STRAPS: SWITCH ON DEMAND IN CONFIDENCE
Whether in its overall form or in the tiniest dial detail, the Orb Pink Ceramic Titanium and Orb Blue Ceramic Rose Gold deliver exceptional quality, beauty and ergonomics, ensuring unparalleled wearability.
The same principle applies to the Orb’s straps and strap quick-release system. Developed by Vanguart, the system is activated by an easily accessed but safely concealed pusher on the case back. This way, the strap can be changed at the owner’s discretion, while simultaneously guaranteeing security.

The watches are supplied with a rubber strap colour-matched to the ceramic, while owners will be able to personalise their watches with a suite of additional coloured straps.
THE LIMITED NUMBERS: RETAINING VANGUART’S EXCLUSIVE MAXIM WITH SPECIAL PARTNERS
Reflecting the extreme complexity in the case, movement and material mix found in the new Orb Pink Ceramic Titanium and Orb Blue Ceramic Rose Gold, both models will be limited to just 25 individually numbered pieces with extremely limited distribution.

Since the debut of its first timepiece, the Black Hole Tourbillon in 2021, Vanguart’s success has been driven by a close-knit and deeply valued network of suppliers and partners who share its vision of exclusive haute horlogerie. To honour its role in shaping the Vanguart story and fostering meaningful connections between its founders and discerning collectors of avant-garde haute horology, US retailer Material Good will serve as the exclusive global outlet for the Orb Pink Ceramic Titanium. In recognition of this unique partnership and the close dialogue that informed the watch’s development – each of the 25 pieces will feature a specially engraved “MG” monogram on the case back.

The Orb Blue Ceramic Rose Gold, which carries a higher retail price due to its increased precious metal content, will also be available through Material Good; through Seddiqi, Vanguart’s exclusive partner in the Middle East; and directly from Vanguart in all other markets.

THE VOICES: THE STORY TOLD BY THOSE CLOSEST TO IT
Mehmet Koruturk, Vanguart President, said: “The Vanguart Orb Pink Ceramic Titanium and Vanguart Orb Blue Ceramic Rose Gold reflect how we think about watchmaking today. Our clients expect pieces that move with them – across different moments, different environments, different lives. Ceramic allowed us to bring that versatility to the Orb while preserving what makes it unique.”

Axel Leuenberger, Vanguart Chief Executive Officer, said: “The Vanguart Orb is a symbol of our intent: to enrich tradition through new forms of expression, embodied in design, mechanics and craftsmanship that redefine what a watch can be. The Vanguart Orb Pink Ceramic Titanium and Vanguart Orb Blue Ceramic Rose Gold belong to a future we are already building. They are pieces that feel visionary, yet are made to be worn and lived with every day.”
Thierry Fischer, Vanguart Creative Director, said: “Creating the Vanguart Orb Pink Ceramic Titanium and Vanguart Orb Blue Ceramic Rose Gold was a remarkable journey. Colour is deeply subjective, and even more so when shaped through ceramic, with its depth and intensity. We set out to create pieces that feel both warm and precise, technical yet tactile. It required a true dialogue between creative vision and engineering discipline.
It marks the beginning of a new chapter – one that allows us to connect with more people, while staying true to what defines us.”
THE FINAL WORD: EVOLVING THE CODES OF FINE WATCHMAKING FOR AN EXCLUSIVE CLIENTELE
With the release of the Vanguart Orb two years ago, Vanguart created a new template for a round watch with a classical complication that evolved and elevated the codes of fine watchmaking. With its fluent, seamless form and exquisitely finished mechanical movement, the Orb was a visceral reimagining of traditions passed down through generations of elite watchmakers. It took a heritage story and made it science fiction. Now, with the addition of coloured ceramic, the watch becomes a true lifestyle object, ready to carry Vanguart into the next chapter of its remarkable story.

The Vanguart Orb Pink Ceramic Titanium and Vanguart Orb Blue Ceramic Rose Gold will be on display during Geneva Watch Week 2026, April 12-17. By appointment only.

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In the spirit of independent watchmaking, DANIEL ROTH introduces a new expression of its Extra Plat collection that further elevates the exclusivity of the piece, while remaining understated in appearance. Crafted in platinum, a metal long associated with rarity and traditional savoir-faire, this latest addition brings a quiet yet unmistakable presence to the wrist that can be appreciated by connoisseurs. Beyond its brilliant surface, the watch is defined by the architecture and finishing of its Calibre DR002, where technical discipline and aesthetic restraint converge in perfect balance.

ARCHITECTURE IN MOTION

Maintaining Mr. Roth’s watchmaking philosophy, the Calibre DR002 is designed with an emphasis on proportional clarity
and equilibrium, where each component is meticulously positioned with intent. Extra Plat watches embody a unique philosophy in their own right, given the constraints of their thinness. Master Watchmakers Enrico Barbasini and Michel Navas asked themselves, “How far and no further” when designing the DR002. The finishes, requiring more than 70 individual operations, are executed by hand and are refined to a point of excellence.

In developing the movement, Barbasini and Navas aimed to strike a balance between chronometric precision and power reserve. To do so, the
frequency was increased by adopting a 4 Hz balance wheel. This required a different approach to ensure the higher frequency could be sustained without compromising energy efficiency or the calibre’s overall stability. The balance wheel itself was refined with a variable-inertia geometry with counterweights, all while preserving the movement’s slim structure.

ELEGANCE IN THE DETAILS

Meticulous bevelling is visible through the open caseback. Among the most demanding details are the internal angles, rendered in a rounded bercé form, an intricate execution that requires at least twice the time of a conventional bevel, underscoring the depth of hand-finishing involved.

This traditional watchmaking decoration is used to polish a radius or edge, rather than a flat, angled bevel, and is found throughout the edges of bridges to create a rounded, brilliant profile. The angled surfaces are meticulously shaped and refined by hand in-house using a cabron tool, a technique that delivers a level of precision and uniformity unachievable through automated processes.

TIME FORMED IN PLATINUM

The double-ellipse-shaped platinum case gives a sense of subtlety and exclusivity.

Platinum is significantly denser than gold, making it more difficult to work with, placing increased strain on tools and requiring precise, low-speed artistry, often taking up to three times  as long to craft.
The base of the dial is in solid gold, accompanied by a gold minute disc finished with a filet sauté border and black typography indicating the time and the DANIEL ROTH name. Pinstripe guilloché adorns the dial and is executed entirely by hand using a rose engine, with each line individually carved. This process requires precise control over both depth and spacing to ensure uniformity across the surface.
Downward-shaped lugs enhance wrist comfort, complement the case shape, and serve as a base for the light-tan leather strap, creating a refined contrast.

The Extra Plat Platinum stands as a disciplined expression of DANIEL ROTH watchmaking codes, where refinement is achieved in accordance with the Brand’s guiding principle: “La Montre Objet d’Art.”
By uniting traditional hand-finishing with a rigorously engineered calibre, this watch reinforces a steadfast commitment to enduring savoir-faire and technical integrity, defined by exacting detail and quiet distinction.

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This marks the first time that Chalamet has taken a partnership role in a company. The connection between UJ and Chalamet began organically and grew through a natural alignment of values. Chalamet, who has gained attention for his interest in independent watchmaking, first approached UJ as a collector.

“When we first met, we were struck by Timothée’s curiosity and interest in independent watchmaking,” said Alex Rosenfield, UJ CEO. “He is a deeply passionate creative person who cares about craft and excellence. That’s the reason people respond to him, and it aligns closely with how we approach what we do. UJ’s philosophy is expressed through the quality of the work, the preservation of traditional techniques, and a focus on doing things properly at every stage. It was this way of thinking that first resonated with Timothée and that will define the partnership. We want to work together to advance our mission of bringing a contemporary perspective to the world of independent watchmaking while remaining grounded in what has always defined it. There is a certain magic in wearing a handmade watch that carries the spirit of its maker and the genius of the artisans who work on it. Timothée felt this magic when he first tried on a UJ watch and we want more people to experience that. We are happy to welcome Timothée to the UJ family.”

UJ is one of the oldest and most storied names in watchmaking. Founded in Copenhagen by the Jürgensen family, UJ served as watchmaker to the Danish Royal Court and clockmaker to the Danish Navy. Known for its distinctive combination of Danish design and Swiss engineering, the company entered a new generation in June 2025, returning once again to family ownership.

Under the stewardship of the Rosenfield family, the maison is focused on celebrating the best of independent handmade watchmaking with a mission of holding the company within the family and growing it slowly and thoughtfully for the next 250 plus years. Urban Jürgensen is defined by innovative engineering, a devotion to traditional processes, and a commitment to doing things to the highest standard which it achieves by working with leading watchmakers, including industry legend Kari Voutilainen, who designed the first three watches of this chapter. Over the past year, the company has earned industry recognition, including receiving three GPHG nominations and winning the Men’s Watch Prize at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève.

Timothée Chalamet said, “A couple of years ago, a film director I admire deeply piqued my interest in artisanal watchmaking — not the flashy kind, but the kind that demands years of discipline, patience, and ultimately, mastery. I started to see it as a sibling to filmmaking — a precise expression, just on a different scale. One lives on an IMAX screen, the other within 48 by 40 by 10 millimeters, but both have the ability to hold entire worlds within them. When Andy and Alex Rosenfield introduced me to Urban Jürgensen, what drew me in was how clearly the focus was on the watches themselves — on craft, on process, on getting it right. It also felt like something different than the typical arrangement — more of a creative collaboration than a traditional endorsement. I’m excited to be involved and to continue exploring this world alongside them.”

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This evolution is accompanied by a significant increase in mechanical intricacy. The striking system has been expanded from two to four hammers and four gongs, while a newly developed function introduces an additional level of interaction. Through a dedicated selector, the wearer may choose between the conventional indication of time or activate the 12:59 sequence – the longest possible strike of the mechanism.

Beyond its technical advancements, the watch is defined by a singular design language, marked by purity of form and balanced proportions. While remaining fully openworked and three-dimensional, the composition is expressed with greater restraint, favouring softer lines and a more fluid architecture. The resonance clutch has been reoriented to animate upward, bringing the oscillating interaction to the forefront, while the twin balance wheels remain visually anchored on the dial side.
The display is centred, reinforcing a strong sense of equilibrium, as the overall composition focuses on essential elements alone: the resonance system, the four hammers and gongs, and the visible flying governor regulating the cadence of the strike. Conceived as a lasting expression of the complication, the design achieves a rare balance between mechanical intensity and visual harmony, while remaining unmistakably rooted in Armin Strom’s signature transparency.

Calibre ARR25: Setting new standards.
At the heart of the timepiece lies the entirely new manual-winding manufacture Calibre ARR25, developed, engineered and produced in-house. Built around Armin Strom’s patented resonance clutch, the movement synchronises two independent regulating systems – each with its own barrel, gear train, escapement and balance wheel – operating in harmonic resonance.
This dual architecture significantly increases mechanical complexity, requiring the precise coordination of twice the number of components found in a conventional striking movement.

The minute repeater mechanism itself has been developed to match this level of sophistication. Equipped with four hammers and four gongs within a remarkably thin construction, the movement delivers a full Westminster chiming sequence. A flying governor, visible on the dial side beneath the hammers, regulates the cadence of the strike, ensuring acoustic consistency and offering a dynamic visual indication.

A further innovation lies in the integration of the 12:59 function, allowing the wearer to select between two distinct striking modes. In standard operation, the watch chimes the time indicated by the hands. Alternatively, it delivers the longest possible sequence – 12 hours, three quarters and fourteen minutes.

This transition is governed by a column wheel system, ensuring precision and reliability. The selected function is indicated via a discreet aperture (white / red), and activation is performed through a slider at 9 o’clock, which both winds and releases the striking mechanism.
Finishing, Tone by Tone.

Beyond its mechanical sophistication, the watch reflects Armin Strom’s commitment to hand craftsmanship. Every component is meticulously finished by hand, with a complete 360-degree decoration by a dedicated in-house team.

On the dial side, the finishing reveals a balance between polished and matte surfaces. The hammers, gongs and resonance clutch spring are mirror-polished, contrasting with the frosted mainplate and bridges. Hand-bevelled edges, polished sinks, and refined textures enhance depth and definition.

The flying governor stands out as a focal point, combining hand-bevelled edges, circular graining, and a contrasting matte engraved surface.
Turning the watch over reveals traditional finishing techniques such as Geneva stripes, straight and circular graining, alongside contemporary textures, creating a composition rich in detail, depth, and visual contrast.

The post Minute Repeater Resonance 12:59 First Edition: A New Benchmark. appeared first on Arab Watch Guide.

AN INTERWOVEN HERITAGE OF TIME AND TRAVEL

Jaeger-LeCoultre’s rich watchmaking heritage extends to the realm of travel, marked by the creation of Dual Time and World Time wristwatches, as well as travel clocks in various forms. Marrying this technical expertise with aesthetic elegance, Jaeger-LeCoultre has created a legacy of nomadic timekeepers distinguished by unexpected, meticulously crafted designs – some enhanced with functions such as thermometers and barometers.

This story is inextricably linked to the iconic Memovox alarm calibre, introduced in 1950. Announced by an advertisement headlined “Memovox reminds, notifies, and wakes up”, the Memovox (derived from the Latin for ‘voice of memory’) was initially designed for wristwatches to help businessmen remember their appointments. Given its utility, it was natural that Jaeger-LeCoultre should adapt the Memovox complication for a series of desktop and travel clocks from the early 1950s onwards. In both watches and clocks, the Memovox Calibre translates into a distinctive dial, with a triangular pointer at the edge of a mobile central disc indicating the alarm time, and a distinctive Memovox sound reminiscent of a traditional school bell.

A NEW COLLABORATION WITH MARC NEWSON
Jaeger-LeCoultre and Australian-born industrial designer Marc Newson have collaborated since 2008, combining their expertise to reinterpret the Atmos – an object the designer describes as both “complex” and “magical.” This creative dialogue has given rise to successive calibres: 561 in 2008, 566 in 2010 and the first iteration of 568 in 2016. Renowned for his multidisciplinary practice, Marc Newson has long been fascinated by the Atmos, first encountered in his early teens. Guided by its timeless character, he introduces precise design interventions that respect and preserve the integrity of the object.
His approach explores unexpected uses of materials and challenges technical conventions. Rooted in a deep appreciation for analogue objects, his vision aligns with a commitment to longevity: creations designed to endure, both in function and in form.

FUNCTION AND FORM IN PERFECT HARMONY

A master in the marriage of function and form, Marc Newson brings a fresh eye to the technical and visual lineage of the Memovox, creating a contemporary object that is as aesthetically pleasing as it is practical and easy to use. In a symbiotic union of skills, Jaeger-LeCoultre harnessed its watchmaking expertise to bring the designer’s vision to life, developing several technical innovations to make it possible.

The clock is powered by a completely new, manually wound movement, Calibre 256, featuring the signature Memovox complication. Like all Jaeger-LeCoultre calibres, it was conceived, designed and produced entirely in-house. To eliminate concerns for travelers about rewinding the clock, Calibre 256 offers an exceptionally long power reserve of 12 days thanks to two large barrels dedicated to the timekeeping function. An additional third barrel is used exclusively for alarm mechanism.

Inspired by the traditional Memovox dials, the dial design plays on circles within circles, anchored by a distinctive power reserve indicator, shown in narrow apertures that form a broken circle around the large Arabic numerals. One day of power reserve corresponds to one hour on the dial, so that when the barrel is fully wound, all 12 indicators are orange. Starting from 12 o’clock and moving in an anti-clockwise direction, with each day that the power reserve reduces, the corresponding indicator turns blue.

The apparent simplicity of the display belies the technical feat behind it – a new mechanism developed and patented by Jaeger-LeCoultre comprising two intertwined helicoidal rings: a mobile ring in orange and a fixed ring in blue. Surrounding the mobile central disc of the dial, which carries the Memovox’s emblematic triangular alarm pointer, minutes are marked on a fixed ring. With a narrow bezel and striking orange-and-blue colour palette adding a contemporary note and enhancing legibility, the hands and the alarm triangle are coated in SuperLuminova® for maximum visibility in low light.

Forged from the ethereal strength of titanium, the Memovox Travel Clock, a perfect sphere of lightness and resilience, embraces a diameter of 69 mm and a slender profile of 18 mm. Continuing the theme of circles within circles and the complete absence of visual clutter, a folding stand is integrated into the caseback, for use on a desk or bedside table. Concealed beneath the bezel, a peripheral winding crown offers the tactile pleasure of manual winding, time-setting and alarm setting – the desired function chosen by an integrated selector button.

The orange-and-blue colour scheme is echoed on the case back, with a central indicator for the alarm power reserve (orange turning to blue as it runs down) and a blue band on the underside of the winder, bearing several engravings, including the year edition and the series number of the clock, for which production is limited to 100 pieces per year.

A CASED DISPLAY: A DESIGN THOUGHT THROUGH TO THE FINEST DETAIL

To complete the Memovox Travel Clock, Marc Newson collaborated with Schedoni, an historic, family-run leather workshop located in the heart of Modena and renowned for its work on classic Italian sports cars of the mid-20th century, as well as its signature leather-molding techniques. The clock is nestled within its own travel pouch, for its journey. This pouch, in turn, finds its place within a comprehensive travel pack, thoughtfully designed to also embrace three beloved wristwatches. Completing this ensemble, a curated kit of essential tools awaits: a discerning magnifying glass, a precise strap removal tool, and a screwdriver.

A dedicated display stand also accompanies the timekeeper, ideal for use when the clock is ‘at home’ on a desk or bedside table for an extended period. Each of these companions – the pouch, the travel pack, and the elegant display stand – is meticulously crafted by the Italian luxury Maison Schedoni. Made from the finest tan-coloured, natural open-pore cowhide leather, their surfaces graced with the artistry of contrasting beige hand-stitching, a testament to enduring quality and design.

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Since its debut in 1986, the TAG Heuer Formula 1 has been a symbol of individuality and performance. It was the first watch to carry the TAG Heuer name and introduced bold color, daring design, and innovative composite cases reflecting the dynamism of the late twentieth century. These timepieces became statements of identity, worn by those drawn to speed, competition, and self-expression. The collection quickly became inseparable from the world of Formula 1, a sport where precision and emotion coexist at breathtaking intensity.

Through the decades, the TAG Heuer Formula 1 continuously adapted, mirroring shifts in design, technology, and cultural sensibilities. In 2025, the introduction of the TAG Heuer Solargraph movement marked another decisive chapter, as it was the first time this TAG Heuer movement got included into the TAG Heuer Formula 1 collection. Harnessing light as an energy source, the technology embodied the forward-thinking innovation that has always driven TAG Heuer. The refined 38mm silhouette striked a thoughtful balance between heritage-inspired proportions and contemporary wearability.

Today, TAG Heuer continues this journey with a radiant reinterpretation inspired by its own history. This latest evolution builds on a story that has shaped contemporary watch culture and continues with a fresh visual language that radiates confidence and vitality.

A Fresh Expression of Racing Energy
The new pastel series express a softer yet deeply confident vision of the TAG Heuer Formula 1 identity.
These timepieces reinterpret the iconic design codes through soft pastel tones drawn from the collection’s colorful heritage, reimagined with a fresh contemporary sensibility that evokes optimism, clarity, and vibrant self-expression.

The TAG Heuer Formula 1 Solargraph 38mm with beige opalin dial, limited to 3’500 timepieces, radiates understated warmth. Its harmonious palette recalls the effortless elegance of sunlit surfaces, where subtle contrasts enhance the architectural geometry of the shields and cool gray minuterie. The result is a presence that feels serene and unmistakably assertive.

The TAG Heuer Formula 1 Solargraph 38mm with pastel pink opalin dial, limited to 2’500 timepieces, captures vitality and expressive energy. The immersive monochromatic composition transforms the watch into a dynamic extension of personal style, echoing the vibrant boldness that defined the earliest models.

The TAG Heuer Formula 1 Solargraph 38mm with pastel blue opalin dial, limited to 3’000 timepieces, embodies freshness and clarity. Its cool tonality evokes open horizons and fluid movement, reflecting the spirit of speed through an unexpectedly refined lens.

Crafted in TH Polylight, the cases offer remarkable lightness and tactile comfort while amplifying chromatic intensity. The iconic bidirectional bezel, Mercedes hour hand, and signature shields remain, anchoring each model firmly within the TAG Heuer Formula 1 lineage.

Powered by the Solargraph movement, the watches harness both natural and artificial light as a virtually unlimited energy source. A two-minute exposure to direct sunlight is enough to power the watch for an entire day, while a full charge, reached in under 40 hours of light exposure, delivers up to ten months of autonomy in total darkness. Even after stopping, the watch restarts with just ten seconds of light exposure, and its accumulator offers an impressive lifespan of up to fifteen years, ensuring enduring reliability.

Refined Modernity
TAG Heuer expands the TAG Heuer Formula 1 Solargraph universe with two refined interpretations that blend sporty dynamism and luxurious detail. The 38mm pastel green and lavender-blue editions are distinguished by the subtle brilliance of diamond-set indexes, offering a touch of refinement for those seeking sophistication. The TAG Heuer Formula 1 Solargraph 38mm pastel green model pairs contemporary color with sparkling luminosity, while the TAG Heuer Formula 1 Solargraph 38mm
lavender blue version, accented with pastel pink minuterie, creates a sophisticated contrast where the diamond-set indexes catch the light and enhance depth, with the pastel green edition limited to 1,500 pieces and the lavender blue to 1,000.

Encased in sand blasted steel and complemented by a three-row steel bracelet, these timepieces convey a heightened sense of elegance while preserving the unmistakable energy and presence of TAG Heuer Formula 1.

An Invitation to the Formula 1 Dream
The new TAG Heuer Formula 1 Solargraph 38mm pastel series continue to redefine the TAG Heuer Formula 1 universe and become an emotional gateway into the world of racing, where performance meets self-expression, and heritage meets contemporary personality.

In every reflection of light, in every soft hue, the collection celebrates a simple yet powerful essence.
Racing is a feeling, a pulse, a state of mind, living beyond the track.

The post RACING IN PASTELS BUILDING ON A HERITAGE SHAPED BY COLOR, SPEED, AND VIBRANCY, TAG HEUER PRESENTS THE PASTEL COLLECTION OF THE TAG HEUER FORMULA 1 SOLARGRAPH 38MM. appeared first on Arab Watch Guide.

IWC Schaffhausen boasts 90 years of experience in crafting tool watches that are purpose-designed to meet the requirements of aviation. In recent years, the Swiss luxury watch manufacturer has gained first experiences in space through participating in the Inspiration4 and Polaris Dawn human spaceflight missions. However, every watch that has traveled to space to date has essentially been a modified terrestrial aviation watch. As commercial space exploration enters a new era, IWCSchaffhausen is now pushing the limits with the Pilot’s Venturer Vertical Drive (Ref. IW328601). This milestone marks the first IWC watch that has been designed and engineered from the ground up for the unique and challenging demands of human spaceflight.

“When our engineering division XPL developed the Pilot’s Venturer Vertical Drive, they did not simply adapt an existing watch design for use in space. They took a blank sheet of paper and worked to define from scratch what a tool watch for astronauts would have to offer in terms of functionality, ease of operation, time display and material execution. Every single detail of this watch has been single-mindedly optimized for the unique requirements of human spaceflight and timekeeping in space. It was crucial for us to put the final watch into the experienced hands of real space professionals. After undergoing rigorous testing by our partner, Vast, the Pilot’s Venturer Vertical Drive is the first IWC watch that has received certification for spaceflight,” explains Chris Grainger-Herr, CEO of IWC Schaffhausen.

“The new space age is shaped by innovative and ambitious companies that push the boundaries of science and technology. These emerging players operate much like brands, deliberately harnessing the power of design to inspire people and spark enthusiasm for their bold visions. To reflect this, we have chosen a forward-looking, dynamic and beautifully minimalist design expression for the Pilot’s Venturer Vertical Drive. With its rounded edges and black and white color scheme, it embodies our vision of a modern space watch and carries IWC’s tool watch legacy into the 21st century,” adds Christian Knoop, Creative Director at IWC Schaffhausen.

DESIGNED FOR OPERATION WITHOUT A CROWN
The Pilot’s Venturer Vertical Drive features an innovative, patent-pending rotating bezel system that allows all watch functions to be controlled without the use of a crown. Inspired by the scenario of astronauts wearing a space suit during spacewalks (EVA, or Extravehicular Activity), the ultimate exploration moment, the watch is designed to be able to be operated while wearing gloves.

The movements of the bezel are transmitted to the winding stem through an efficient clutch system known as “Vertical Drive.” A rocker switch on the side of the case enables the wearer to change between various functions, including winding the movement or setting the two different time zones. The watch can be wound using the integrated oscillating mass or by rotating the bezel anti-clockwise. This hybrid winding system ensures efficient operation both on Earth and in microgravity or zero-gravity environments.

DISPLAYING THE MISSION’S REFERENCE TIME IN 24-HOUR FORMAT
The Pilot’s Venturer Vertical Drive boasts a matte black dial that is reduced to the absolute essentials and avoids light reflections. With highly legible markings, it displays two different times. The mission’s reference time is indicated by the central hour and minute hand, and also in 24-hour format by a dedicated hand on the outer dial scale, which runs from 00:00 to 24:00.
The necessity for a 24-hour display comes from the fact that a spacecraft or a space station completes an orbital cycle around the Earth roughly every 90 minutes. This means astronauts experience as many as 16 sunrises and sunsets within a 24-hour period. To manage this rapid sequence of day and night, they adhere to GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) or UTC (Coordinated Universal Time). These formats retain the familiar 24-hour rhythm of Earth time, enabling the crew to keep a consistent routine with work and sleep times while in space.

The central hour and minute hands are normally synchronized with this reference time. If required, however, the hour hand can be moved in one-hour increments to display a second time zone. An astronaut in space can use this function, for example, to show the home time in any location on Earth. After returning to Earth, the second time zone feature transforms the watch into the quintessential companion for frequent flyers: with a simple turn of the bezel, it can be set to display the time at the destination of travel.

The edges of the black triangular hour and minute hands are coated with green Super-LumiNova®, while the arrow-shaped tip of the 24-hour hand glows blue in the dark. The blue second hand points to the inner scale, which features a thin ring in the same shade of blue. The color is a nod to Earth’s oceans as seen by astronauts from space.

This dual-time display is made possible by the newly engineered IWC-manufactured 32722 caliber, an efficient automatic movement with a 120-hour power reserve that includes an integrated GMT module. There is also a date indication at 3 o’clock.

EXTREME ROBUSTNESS AND PERFORMANCE
When ascending to space on a rocket, the engines generate powerful vibrations and astronauts experience acceleration forces of up to 4g, which is equivalent to four times the force of gravity on Earth. In space, hardware is exposed to vacuum, radiation and extreme fluctuations in temperature. Temperatures can exceed 100 °C in direct sunlight and plummet to -150 °C in the shade.

To ensure high robustness and reliable operation during all phases of a mission, the Pilot’s Venturer Vertical Drive is crafted entirely from advanced performance materials. Its case is made of white zirconium oxide ceramic. With a Vickers hardness rating second only to diamond, ceramic ranks among the hardest substances on Earth. The rotating bezel and case back are crafted from Ceratanium®. Developed by IWC, Ceratanium® combines the lightness and structural integrity of titanium with a hardness and scratch resistance similar to that of ceramic. The combination of these two materials makes the watch not only highly robust and resilient but also immune to temperature fluctuations and corrosion. The case back features an engraving that symbolically evokes a space vehicle, reflecting humanity’s curiosity and spirit of exploration.

The Pilot’s Venturer Vertical Drive is fitted with a white integrated FKM rubber strap. FKM (fluorinated rubber) offers excellent thermal insulation and is resistant to UV radiation, ensuring extreme durability.

TESTED AND CERTIFIED FOR SPACEFLIGHT BY VAST
The Pilot’s Venturer Vertical Drive has undergone extensive type testing by IWC’s brand partner, Vast. Vast is building Haven-1, scheduled to be the world’s first commercial space station. Haven-1 will inform Haven-2, a multi-module, continuously crewed station that is the proposed successor to the International Space Station (ISS). Haven stations are state-of-the-art, human-centric innovation labs for both private astronauts and government missions. For Haven-1’s inaugural mission, four crew members will embark on a short duration journey which will include opportunities to conduct advanced science, research and in-space manufacturing. Haven-1 will not support EVAs however its missions will lay the groundwork for future capabilities.

“IWC’s dedication to engineering excellence, delivering uncompromising accuracy, reliability, and astronaut-focused design, aligns perfectly with Vast’s human centric approach to developing Haven-1. We’re thrilled to see this tool watch go from design and testing to launch,” added Max Haot, Vast CEO.

At their headquarters in Long Beach, California, engineers at Vast conducted thorough evaluations of the watch, assessing its resistance to vibrations and pressure changes, as well as the compatibility of its materials with the Haven-1 environment. The vibration tests, for example, exceeded the typical forces that astronauts experience during ascent. The watch was secured to a platform that generated rapid directional changes, exposing it to forces of up to 10g. After each test, the engineers verified that the watch remained intact and fully functional.

The Pilot’s Venturer Vertical Drive has successfully met all the testing criteria required for Haven-1 spaceflight environments and crew usage, earning an official certification for spaceflight from Vast.

The post THE PILOT’S VENTURER VERTICAL DRIVE: IWC SCHAFFHAUSEN’S FIRST TOOL WATCH ENGINEERED AND CERTIFIED FOR HUMAN SPACEFLIGHT, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH VAST appeared first on Arab Watch Guide.

The showcasing of nine decorative crafts through the representation of cultural symbols placed within the decorative arts context of their respective eras

Four models limited to 15 pieces each, powered by the Manufacture Calibre 2460 G4/2, allowing exceptional artistic freedom

Vacheron Constantin and the Louvre Museum, two institutions jointly committed since 2019 to preserving art and culture and passing on traditional craftsmanship

Vacheron Constantin opens a new chapter in its Métiers d’Art Tribute to great civilisations collection of watches. Born from the partnership with the Louvre Museum, the first series of timepieces was unveiled in 2022. Continuing this journey, the Maison now presents four new timepieces that reflect its spirit of cultural exploration. In close collaboration with the museum’s director’s, the Maison selected major works from the Department of Antiquities to celebrate Pharaonic Egypt, the Assyrian Empire, Ancient Greece and Imperial Rome.

As the cradle of modern thought and of the political and social organisations that shape today’s world, the civilisations of Antiquity continue to fascinate through their artistic and architectural achievements. This attraction to foreign and ancient cultures has long nurtured Vacheron Constantin’s spirit of exploration and creativity. The Maison’s commercial expansion from the early 19th century into the Americas, the Middle East and Asia provided countless sources of artistic and cultural inspiration.

Four new Métiers d’Art Tribute to great civilisations pieces celebrate the Louvre Museum’s ancient masterpieces and the decorative arts associated with them, with a constant concern for historical accuracy and authenticity. In agreement with the heads of the Louvre’s departments, the reproduction work took into account the materials used for the original works, namely stones of the same origin and quality. The decorative crafts highlighted in these pieces reflect Vacheron Constantin’s ongoing commitment to preserving and showcasing traditional skills such as glyptics, micro-mosaic, engraving, enamelling, marquetry, gilding and miniature painting.

ARTISTICALLY DESIGNED DIALS

The complexity of the decorative crafts used on these watches required a dial construction composed of several elements, each corresponding to a specific technique. Positioned on a gold base plate, the centre features the effigy of a work representing one of the four civilisations, along with applique ornamentation reflecting the decorative arts characteristic of each culture. Around the periphery, a frieze completes the composition. In order to be assembled like a puzzle, these various components must be perfectly calibrated and adjusted with meticulous care so as not to alter the respective work of each artisan involved in the dial’s ornamentation.

The central effigy is created using stone glyptics, a stone-carving technique consisting of engraving or sculpting the material in relief, traditionally used in the creation of cameos. The selection of stones — identical in nature and/ or origin to those used in the Louvre works — required extensive research. The appliques accompanying the four central figures, as well as the peripheral friezes, both inspired by pieces exhibited in the museum, were also the subject of in-depth study with Louvre experts in order to respect the traditional ornamentation of the four civilisations.

CALIBRE 2460 G4/2 TECHNIQUE IN THE SERVICE OF ART

Leaving the dial free of any hands, the Calibre 2460 G4/2 offers a vast space of expression for master artisans. This 237-component self-winding Manufacture movement is distinguished by its peripheral display of the hours, minutes, day, and date. These indications appear on discs visible through four apertures positioned at the upper and lower sections of the dial. The colours of the discs harmonise with the dial décor and therefore vary according to their placement. Beating at a frequency of 4 Hz (28,800 vibrations per hour) and equipped with a 40-hour power reserve thanks to bidirectional winding, the movement has a thickness of just 6.05 mm.

On the reverse side of the movement, the oscillating weight pays tribute to the Louvre through an 18th-century engraving depicting the museum’s East façade and its colonnade inspired by the work of Louis Le Vau and Claude Perrault. The design matrix was hand-carved before being used to stamp the oscillating weight. The same attention to detail can be found in the movement’s haute horlogerie finishes, which meet the requirements of the Hallmark of Geneva Seal. Visible through the sapphire caseback are bevelled bridges adorned with Côtes de Genève, a circular-grained mainplate and circled wheels.

DECORATIVE CRAFTS IN THE SPOTLIGHT
• Glyptics and sculpture
Glyptics consists of engraving hard materials such as stone, crystal or gemstones to create designs either carved in intaglio or in relief. It requires extreme precision of gesture and a thorough understanding of the material, whose layers, inclusions, and hardness influence every incision. In watchmaking, glyptics is applied to miniature decorative elements only a few millimetres thick, hand-carved under a binocular microscope. Sculpture, which is closely related, involves a more volumetric approach in which the artisan works with depth, textures and light to bring a figure, scene or symbolic motif to life.
• Micro-mosaic
Micro-mosaic is an art consisting of assembling tiny tesserae, generally made of glass paste, enamel or stone, whose size can be smaller than a millimetre. Each fragment is selected for its colour and shape and then positioned under a binocular microscope according to the desired pattern. The result forms an image akin to a mineral painting of striking figurative beauty.

• Marquetry and cloisonné marquetry
Marquetry involves composing a motif or scene by assembling thin “leaves” or veneers made from a variety of materials: rare woods, mother-of-pearl, straw, precious metals, soft stones or even leather. Each element is cut and adjusted with extreme precision before being fixed onto a base and sometimes shaded, engraved, or enhanced with miniature painting to provide additional detail. Cloisonné marquetry, for its part, is a unique process combining metalwork and veneer work in reference to the technique of cloisonné enamelling. The marquetry components are inserted within fine gold wires forming the framework of the design to be created. The same technique may also be applied in a champlevé manner by hollowing out the material.

• Enamelling and miniature painting
Enamelling is an art of fire: coloured glass powders are applied to a gold surface and then fired at high temperatures to create a glossy and durable vitrified layer. Several techniques are used on these pieces — champlevé enamel, flinqué enamel and miniature enamel painting — yet all require mastery of the materials’ coefficients of expansion as well as perfect preparation of the pigments. Champlevé enamel consists of engraving cavities into the thickness of the metal into which enamel powder is deposited in successive layers, each fired in the kiln. Flinqué enamel involves covering an engraved or guilloché plate with translucent enamel in order to give it greater consistency and depth. Miniature enamel painting, meanwhile, much like a master painter’s canvas, involves hand-painting motifs and ornamentation on a surface specially prepared for firing.

• Engraving
Engraving on a watch dial consists of directly incising the metal surface — gold, mother-of-pearl or hard stone — using burins or micro mills to create a continuous, regular and perfectly symmetrical motif. Performed under a binocular microscope, the work requires exceptional mastery of gesture to ensure consistent depth, sharp edges and uniform relief across a surface only a few millimetres thick. Depending on the desired aesthetic, the artisan may play with different textures — satin-finishing, graining or polishing — to enhance contrasts and capture the light.
• Gilding
On a watch dial, gold leaf gilding is a particularly delicate technique. It consists of applying extremely thin leaves of pure gold to the surface of the dial, giving it the radiance and appearance of solid gold. This meticulous process produces a luminous surface of great refinement, capable of offering a variety of finishes, whether brilliant or matte. The technique enriches the dial with a precious and lasting touch.

BUSTE D’AKHÉNATON
EGYPTIAN NEW KINGDOM (1500–1000 BC)

The colossal statue of Akhenaten exhibited at the Louvre bears witness to a singular moment in Egyptian history: the political, religious and artistic reform led by this unconventional pharaoh, whose reign lasted from 1355 to 1337 BC. Son of Amenhotep III, Akhenaten sought to impose the cult of Aten (the solar orb) and to centre it around the king and his family as the sole intermediaries between the human and divine realms. This reform ultimately proved unsuccessful: Tutankhamun, Akhenaten’s son, and successor, swiftly restored the traditional cults. Yet brief as this so-called “Amarna period” of ancient Egypt may have been, it remains one of the most fascinating episodes in its history, notably marked by new aesthetic canons that are clearly visible in the bust of Akhenaten.

Discovered in the 19th century at Amarna, the bust of Akhenaten preserved in the Louvre Museum is fragmentary. Originally, it formed part of a group of pillars erected during the early years of the pharaoh’s reign in a building constructed east of the temple of Karnak. The sovereign is depicted wearing a long ceremonial false beard and holding the two royal sceptres, of which only the handles remain. Carved in sandstone, the statue of the pharaoh is striking for its elongated, almost abstract face, with stretched eyes, full lips, and a pointed chin. This apparent androgyny reflects the religious and artistic revolution initiated by Akhenaten.

To represent him at the centre of the dial, Vacheron Constantin’s designer chose a slightly low-angle profile view, lending the figure an enigmatic expression. The portrait is executed in glyptics. In the interestof authenticity, this reproduction is carved from limestone sandstone from the Sinai in Egypt — the same stone used for the original work. It is hand-patinated to enhance realism, giving it greater volume and depth. Facing it, the pharaoh’s cartouche is engraved on the same calcareous sandstone, based on a wall relief from Karnak. These two central dial components required around 60 hours of work.

Two friezes frame the pharaoh. The outer frieze, inspired by the collar of Nakhti — a jewel composed of tubular beads attributed to this Egyptian chancellor of the 12th Dynasty — is drypoint engraved on a single turquoise ring. A gold border separates it from the inner frieze, executed in stone champlevé, in which the elements are inserted into a motif formed by finely engraved gold threads. For this composition — assembling tiny tesserae of red mother-of-pearl, chrysoprase, opaline and sodalite — the inspiration was drawn from a 7th-century BC pectoral preserved in the Department of Egyptian Antiquities at the Louvre. The creation of these two friezes required approximately 150 hours of work.

LAMASSU DE SARGON II
NEO-ASSYRIAN EMPIRE (934–609 BC)

Monumental in scale, the winged human-headed figures from the palace of Khorsabad rank among the most impressive treasures in the Louvre’s Department of Near Eastern Antiquities. These five-metre-high Lamassus
— part bull, part eagle, part man — once guarded the gates of the palace and city of Sargon II, king of Assyria, in what is now northern Iraq. Through numerous conquests, Assyria became a vast empire during the first millennium BC, extending from its Mesopotamian heartland to Egypt, Anatolia, and Persia. Its rulers commissioned grand palaces, such as Dur-Sharrukin — present-day Khorsabad — built by Sargon II, whose reign lasted from 721 to 705 BC. Everything was designed to evoke grandeur, including these Lamassus, the protective guardians of the city.

Carved from enormous blocks of alabaster, these sculptures combine high relief for the body with sculpture in the round for the head. With their braided beards, outstretched wings and five sculpted legs designed to create the illusion of movement depending on the viewing angle, the Lamassus were originally painted, like all the reliefs decorating Assyrian palaces. Identified during pioneering excavations conducted by the French archaeologist Paul-Émile Botta from 1843 onwards, the remains of Sargon II’s palace marked the beginning of the archaeological rediscovery of the Assyrians, previously known mainly through the Bible and other ancient texts. Some of these remains are displayed at the Louvre; others remain on site or can be seen in the museums of Baghdad and Mosul in Iraq. Today, the “Khorsabad Court” at the Louvre evokes the palace environment with original works and two plaster casts.

The gold base of the dial features stone champlevé work — a technique inspired by enamelling in which tiny tesserae are inserted into a framework engraved directly into the material. This highly figurative composition, combining slender rods of red agate and blue dumortierite, draws its inspiration from a mural painting of a winged human-headed bull discovered at Til Barsip (Syria) dating from the 8th century BC and reproduced on a scroll preserved at the Louvre.

This base is also engraved and enhanced with flinqué enamel to create a sense of depth. The technique consists of engraving the material according to the desired motif — here the feathers of the Lamassu — before applying several layers of translucent enamel, in this case tinted red. Once the decorative setting has been established — after 145 hours of work — the applique of the Lamassu exhibited at the Louvre is added. It is executed in glyptics from limestone sandstone originating from Italy, a stone slightly harder than gypsum. To accentuate the features of the androcephalous creature, the engraver completes the work with a hand-applied patina. The outer frieze is made of engraved gold, based on a motif depicted in an 1863 painting held at the Louvre showing The Visit of the Pasha of Mosul to the Digs of Khorsabad.

ATHÉNA DE VELLETRI
ANCIENT GREECE (480–323 BC)

The majestic Pallas of Velletri preserved at the Louvre embodies the power and martial wisdom of the patron goddess of Athens. Discovered in 1797 near Velletri, south of Rome, this marble statue standing over three meters high is a Roman copy of a Greek original sculpted around 430 BC by Cresilas, a contemporary of Phidias who is also credited with a celebrated portrait of Pericles. Athens conceived this Pallas only a few decades after its victory over the vast Persian Empire during the Greco-Persian Wars. The rising power of Athens had just established its hegemony over a large part of the Greek world, notably thanks to the strength and efficiency of its fleet. This period marks the “Golden Age of Athens”, when the city-state experienced an unprecedented era of prosperity and influence on intellectual, political, and artistic levels.

The Pallas statue in the Louvre, depicted wearing a helmet and draped in a peplos, experienced a particularly eventful history. After passing through the hands of the renowned Roman sculptor and restorer Vincenzo Pacetti (1746–1820), it was purchased by France during the Directoire and exhibited at the Villa Medici, before being seized by the troops of Ferdinand IV of Naples during the capture of Rome in 1798. It was Napoleon who, fascinated by the symbolism of this warrior goddess of wisdom, negotiated its acquisition in 1801 during the peace treaty signed in Florence between France and the defeated Kingdom of Naples. Two years later, the statue entered the collections of the Louvre.

The majesty of the Pallas of Velletri is conveyed through glyptic work executed in marble from Paros, a Greek island in the northern Aegean Sea. This is the same stone as that used for the original statue, renowned for its dazzling whiteness and large-crystal composition. On the dial, the goddess of Athens is depicted in three-quarter view from a slightly low angle, giving her a commanding posture over the world. Hand-patinated to accentuate shadows and relief, the applique is mounted on a gold dial previously entrusted to the enameller. The latter created a black champlevé enamel frieze on the yellow-gold base with lace-like precision. A krater preserved at the Louvre, painted by Aegisthus around 460 BC and depicting the murder of Tityos, provided inspiration for this frieze, which is itself framed by a second one in engraved and patinated white gold inspired by a Dionysian scene.

The centre of the dial is decorated with a stone marquetry composition inspired by a Greek amphora from Milo dating from the late 5th century BC. The original depicts the battle between giants and gods fighting from chariots drawn by horses. These same horses appear in the central marquetry of this piece, executed in onyx and creamy white and orange mookaite. Faithful to the original, it captures the vigour and expressiveness of the horses through miniature painting applied to the stones marquetry. Around 60 hours of work were required to create this part of the dial.

TIBRE DE L’ISEUM CAMPENSE
IMPERIAL ROME (27 BC – 476 AD)

Discovered in Rome in 1512 on the site of a sanctuary dedicated to the Egyptian gods Isis and Serapis, the imposing marble sculpture of the god Tiber, measuring 1.76 metres in height, depicts the aged, bearded river god reclining on a stone bed and holding a cornucopia overflowing with fruits and ears of grain. At his side, the she-wolf nurses Romulus and Remus, recalling the founding myth of Rome. Monumental and allegorical, the statue of the Tiber celebrates the narrative of the city’s origins. The Tiber was indeed a vital artery without which the Eternal City, located in its lower valley, would never have experienced such growth. During the time of the Empire founded by Augustus in 27 BC, Rome had a population of around one million inhabitants — a figure that cities such as London or Paris would only equal at the beginning of the 19th century.

The statue of the Tiber is among the many works seized by Napoleon Bonaparte in Italy following the Treaty of Tolentino in 1797 and transported to the Louvre for display. After the fall of the Empire in 1815, some of the works taken from Italy and Germany were returned, but the statue of the Tiber — presented by Pope Pius VII to the new king Louis XVIII — remained in France.

At the centre of the dial, shown in three-quarter view, the head of the Tiber and his cornucopia are executed in glyptics on marble. The stone used for this applique originates from Italy, as is the case with the original statue. Sculpted and patinated to highlight every detail, this depiction of the river god is highly realistic, conveying the impression of tranquil power expressed by the sculpture. Facing it is a second applique executed in stone micro-mosaic, inspired by a mosaic dating from the late 2nd century AD discovered in Utica (Henchir Bou Chateur in Tunisia), also preserved at the Louvre. Its floral decoration is reproduced using thousands of fragments of jasper, chrysocolla and opaline. The interstices between the stones, serving as joints within the composition, are finished with miniature painting in several colours matching the stones.

The gold base dial supports these two appliques. Textured with gold leaf, giving it a subtly grained appearance, it is then covered with translucent enamel. An engraved mother-of-pearl frieze executed in drypoint surrounds the composition. It is inspired by a Campana plaque — a terracotta relief from the Louvre dating from the 1st century BC — depicting a Dionysian dance scene. The creation of this dial requires collaborative work between the engraver, enameller and micro-mosaic artisan.

AN ARTISTIC AND CULTURAL PARTNERSHIP

Vacheron Constantin and the Louvre formalised their artistic and cultural partnership in 2019. United by the same vocation of conserving, preserving and transmitting the arts and artisanal knowledge, the two institutions collaborate on various projects. One of the first outcomes of this alliance took shape during the “Bid for the Louvre” auction held in 2020 to raise funds supporting the museum’s cultural solidarity initiatives. For the occasion, Vacheron Constantin imagined a distinctive experience: the highest bidder could select a work of art from the Louvre to be reproduced by the Maison’s master artisans on the dial of a bespoke watch. This is how the piece Les Cabinotiers – Tribute to Peter Paul Rubens, The Fight for the Standard of the Battle of Anghiari was created in 2023.

The Métiers d’Art Tribute to great civilisations series of watches presented in 2022 brought together the Maison and the museum in celebrating the splendours of the past and the means of perpetuating them. More recently, as part of its 270th anniversary in 2025, Vacheron Constantin chose the Louvre to unveil and exhibit La Quête du Temps, an astronomical automaton clock comprising 2,370 components and 22 complications. It was displayed within the museum alongside other works, including La Création du Monde, an 18th-century masterpiece of precision clockmaking whose restoration was supported by Vacheron Constantin in 2016.

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This year we kick it off with a very special collaboration; a first for the club and for Baume et Mercier – we decided to develop a new watch off catalogue that represents an artistic take on the Clifton line from Baume et Mercier

We introduce the Baume et Mercier Opal Mozaic Dial for Arab Watch Club. We started this project after Geneva Watch days in September 2025, right after a visit to the Museum where we discovered a wealth of incredible historical releases from the brand since 1830s… but what caught my attention was the erea of the 30s and 40s where the blend of shapes and stones with predominant.

From there an idea came to mind and I immediately proposed it to Michael Guenoun , CEO of Baume et Mercier. In our conversation, I mentioned to him that I would love to blend the past and future into one edition for AWC. A baumatic movement with a stone dial, more precisely an Opal stone broken into several Mosaic pieces. I chose Opal, because for me personally i believe it is the most elevated and elegant stone in the world and its colors and diversity is mesmerising. The idea of reshaping the stone into smaller pieces combined as a Mosaic will create a  kind of Art Deco look for the watch, a much more unique dial for each collector and also an homage to a craft very well knows in the Levant using Mother of pearl into furniture, architecture and more.

Let’s talk about Baumatic movement first

• Power Reserve: 120 hours (5 days), significantly higher than standard movements.
• Accuracy: COSC-certified chronometer precision, often within seconds per day.
• Durability: High resistance to everyday magnetic fields and enhanced reliability.
• Maintenance: Long service intervals, often supported by a 5-year to 8-year warranty

The Baumatic, produced by Richemont Group-owned Baume & Mercier, is designed to offer high-end, in-house, “manufacture” watchmaking at a more accessible luxury price point

The dial animation of course is the focus of this edition – the opal stones have been carefully sources to have a color combination mix of green, blue and pink hues to create a playful display once broken into Mosaic.

The feature comes in a 39mm Stainless Steel bracelet with a very slick Clifton case with curves that blend very well with the lugs drop – the strap is a green croco strap that complements the colors of the dial – each watch is numbered One of 30 and has the initials of the collector on its case back. This is edition is an expression of love and art for the horology world and a start of a new era for our Club Special Editions.

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Since it was first published over 80 years ago, “The Little Prince” has remained immensely popular with both children and adults. The enchanting story follows a Little Prince as he embarks on a journey through space to faraway planets, gaining valuable insights along the way. In his most famous literary work, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry explores profound philosophical themes such as love, loss, and friendship. One of the book’s iconic quotes is, “It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.” It serves as a potent reminder that true understanding and beauty come from emotions and feelings, rather than merely seeing. IWC Schaffhausen now introduces its first Le Petit Prince edition in the Portofino collection.

The Portofino Automatic Day & Night 34 Le Petit Prince (Ref. IW459806) features a compact 34-millimetre case crafted in durable stainless steel. The design of this elegant and timeless dress watch is complemented with a deep blue dial with gold-plated hands and appliques. These dials, which are treated with an elaborate sunray finish, are a signature feature of IWC’s special editions honoring Saint-Exupéry’s timeless tale.

A highlight of this watch is the day-and-night indication at 6 o’clock, which visualises the continuous transition between day and night and completes one full rotation every 24 hours. At noon or at midnight, either the sun or the moon appears in the upper section of the small disc, indicating whether it is currently day or night. As a charming design detail, the Little Prince is depicted standing on the moon, gazing at the starry night sky. The stainless steel case back also features an engraving of the Little Prince.

This watch is powered by the Calibre 35180, which features an automatic winding system and has a power reserve of 50 hours. It is paired with a hand-coloured blue calfskin strap from the Italian leather artisan Santoni, which is equipped with a quick-change system and a butterfly folding clasp.

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“The Big Bang Reloaded is a masterful statement. It embodies Hublot’s growth as a Manufacture and the evolution of the Big Bang collection and the Unico caliber over time. Hublot introduced the Big Bang Original featuring the Unico caliber earlier this year, inspired by the 2005 original model with a closed dial, yet reimagined and powered from now on by the Unico manufacture caliber. That was a turning point: our in-house caliber now drives the entire Big Bang collection. The next step for us was clear: to re-engineer the openworked Big Bang Unico itself, now more expressive and rebuilt from the inside out”, said Julien Tornare, CEO of Hublot.

FROM THE INSIDE OUT

In 2026, the icon returns, rebuilt from the inside out, carrying the same DNA with new energy, evolved mechanics, sharper design and a stronger identity. The Big Bang Reloaded ushers the Big Bang and the Unico legacy into the next era.

INSIDE: THE UNICO
Launched in 2010, just a year after the debut of Hublot’s Manufacture, the Unico caliber has continuously evolved, with reworked components, optimized architecture and refined proportions. In 2018, the base caliber and chronograph module became a fully integrated caliber, re-engineered for higher performance and trimmed to fit into multiple cases. Sixteen years after its launch, that evolution continues, with a caliber that is even more visible, taking center stage.

The Big Bang Reloaded brings performance and legibility to the forefront. As one of the most advanced integrated chronographs of its generation, the Unico caliber features 5 patented innovations: backlash-compensating oscillating clutch, an anti-shaking chronograph hand system, a “zero friction” ratchet wheel blocker, a watch rate fine-adjustment system and highly shock-resistant time-setting. Beyond amplifying the visibility of the caliber’s architecture and technical depth, this reloaded vision places the Unico caliber at center stage, with color and contrast making its mechanics more visible than ever. The color-highlighted column wheel at 6 o’clock and the dual oscillating clutch at 8 o’clock immediately draw attention to the manufacture flyback chronograph caliber. The chronograph counter at 3 o’clock has been redesigned, the date repositioned between 4 and 5 o’clock and the flyback function reinforced with subtle color details. A new chronograph hand marks precision in action. On the back, contrast plays across a new openworked rotor featuring a cut-out H engraved with the inscription “Hublot. Design. Manufacture. Nyon”, along with the balance, barrel and going train.

OUTSIDE: AMPLIFIED BIG BANG ARCHITECTURE
The Big Bang Reloaded stays true to its iconic design while asserting a bolder, sportier character. The 44 mm case features amplified architecture with a two-part bezel, creating sharper contrasts and enabling dynamic interaction between materials and finishes. The multilayer dial plays with textures and surfaces, giving depth and a technical edge. The chronograph becomes a standout feature, with a colored ring on the 4 o’clock push-piece, a redesigned minutes counter at 3 o’clock, a flyback inscription and the date repositioned between 4 and 5 o’clock. Each watch comes with two wristbands: one in fabric-inspired rubber with H-pattern stitching and the other in classic black rubber, both secured by a folding clasp and patented One Click system enabling either an instantly sporty or elegant style.

MATERIAL STATEMENT

The Big Bang Reloaded celebrates Hublot’s mastery of materials and key anniversaries: 20 years of the All Black Concept (2006) and 15 years of Magic Gold (2011). These permanent collection timepieces fuse decades of research, innovation and craftsmanship into a single icon. The Magic Gold model celebrates the world’s first scratch-resistant 18K gold, the second hardest material after diamond, created through four years of R&D in partnership with EPFL’s Metallurgy Lab, produced entirely in-house at Hublot Manufacture in Nyon and distinguished by its signature bronze glow. Ceramic takes shape in three references: the All Black edition marking 20 years of the radical “visibility through invisibility” concept; along with blue and dark green models showcasing Hublot’s full-color high-tech ceramic mastery rendering this material 300 Vickers harder than its conventional counterpart. The fifth reference blends Titanium and Black Ceramic, combining lightweight aerospace-grade titanium with technical ceramic to ensure robustness, along with a titanium bezel and case fitted with a black ceramic case-back, just like the first Big Bang Unico launched in 2013.

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In 1986, IWC Schaffhausen introduced its first wristwatch with a case crafted from black zirconium oxide ceramic. Over the past four decades, the Swiss luxury watch manufacturer has continuously expanded its expertise with this highly engineered material. Ceramic offers compelling advantages such as its light weight, hardness and scratch-resistance. After introducing the first Ingenieur in black zirconium oxide ceramic last year, IWC complements the collection with a new model crafted entirely from dark olive green ceramic, underscoring its coloured ceramic expertise.

The Ingenieur Automatic 42 (Ref. IW338902) features a case ring, bezel, case back ring and crown protection made of dark olive green ceramic. Coloured ceramic is made by mixing zirconium oxide with other metallic oxides in a precisely defined mixing ratio. As the colour changes during the sintering process, it is highly complex to achieve a uniform shade across different components. The integrated ceramic bracelet is attached to the case ring via its middle links, making it sit ergonomically on the wrist. As ceramic is lighter than steel, the bracelet offers excellent wearing comfort. The “Grid”-patterned dial features the same green hue as the ceramic components. The new Ingenieur Automatic 42 is also distinguished by golden accents. Its crown is crafted from 18-carat 5N gold. The screws that secure the bezel to the case ring are made of 18-carat Armor Gold®, a material with significantly higher hardness values than conventional gold alloys. The hands and appliques are gold-plated and both filled with Super-LumiNova®.

A MULT I – PA R T C E R A M I C C A SE C ON S T R U C T I ON

The manufacturing of ceramic watch cases and components represents a true feat of engineering. One of many challenges is that the parts shrink by about one-third during the sintering process. This loss in size must be factored in already during the design phase. The new Ingenieur Automatic 42 is a true-to-proportion ceramic execution of the Gérald Genta-derived integrated bracelet design. IWC achieves this with a multi-part ceramic case construction, which eliminates the need for a movement container. A thin titanium ring secures the movement, holds the functional screws from both the front and the back, and ensures a high water resistance of 10 bar. The sapphire crystals and gaskets are pressed directly into the case and case back ring, respectively. This innovative approach yields a case construction that remains perfectly faithful to the original stainless steel design.

T H E C H A LLE N G E S O F F IN I SHING C E R A M I C

With a value of about 1300 on the Vickers scale, ceramic ranks among the hardest materials on Earth. After sintering, the material can only be processed further and machined using special diamond tools. With the Ingenieur Automatic 42, IWC once again underscores its expertise in ceramic finishing by combining satin finishing, sandblasting and polishing on the same watch. The case and bracelet components are satin-finished, and a delicate polishing is applied around their edges. Finally, a smooth sandblasting is added on top to achieve a refined look and just the right level of light reflection.

H I G H – EN D M OV EM EN T W I T H C E R A M I C C O M P O N E N T S

The Ingenieur Automatic 42 is powered by the IWC-manufactured 82110 calibre, featuring a Pellaton winding system and a 60-hour power reserve. Initially conceived by IWC’s former Technical Director, Albert Pellaton, during the 1950s, this efficient winding system utilises rotations of the oscillating mass in both directions to wind the mainspring. Parts that are subject to high stress are manufactured from zirconium oxide ceramic, making them essentially immune to wear and tear. The automatic wheel and the clicks are crafted from black ceramic, while the central rotor bearing is made of white ceramic. The balance wheel oscillating at 4 Hertz ensures a high level of precision. Elaborately decorated and finished with Geneva stripes, the movement can be viewed through the transparent sapphire glass case back.

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The Ingenieur Automatic 35 is a highly ergonomic automatic model with a case diameter of 35 millimetres and a thickness of just 9.4 millimetres. Despite its compact size, it retains all the characteristic design elements from the Gérald Genta-inspired Ingenieur. Key features include the distinctive bezel with five functional screws, an integrated bracelet attaching via its middle links and a “Grid” dial with applied metal markers. The Swiss luxury watch manufacturer now adds two new models to the collection.

The Ingenieur Automatic 35 (Ref. IW324911) is the first model in the current Ingenieur collection to feature diamonds. Its screw-on bezel, made from 18-carat 5N gold, is embellished with 45 white diamonds weighing a total of
0.7 carats. The edges of the bezel are polished, creating an elegant frame for the diamonds. This luxury sports watch boasts a stainless steel case and an integrated bracelet, complemented by a silver-plated “Grid” dial. The hands and appliques are gold-plated, and both are filled with Super-LumiNova® for enhanced legibility.

The Ingenieur Automatic 35 (Ref. IW324907) introduces IWC’s signature blue dial colour to the 35-millimetre Ingenieur collection. IWC has been producing watches with blue dials since the late 1960s, with one of the earliest models being the Ingenieur Automatic, Reference 866AD.

Today, blue is among the most sought-after dial colours. This new model combines a stainless steel case and bracelet with a deep blue “Grid” dial. The rhodium-plated hands and appliqués are filled with Super-LumiNova®.

The Ingenieur Automatic 35 impresses with its highly detailed finishing, which combines satin-finishing and polishing on the case and the bezel. Its bracelet pairs satin-finished H-links with beautifully polished middle links.

SE E – T H R O U G H S A P P HIR E G L A S S C A S E B AC K

Both new models feature transparent sapphire glass backs that showcase the 47110 calibre, which offers automatic winding and a power reserve of 42 hours. Finished with circular graining and Geneva stripes, the movement also features a gold-plated oscillating weight.

The two novelties complement the existing Ingenieur Automatic 35 collection. Previously, it included the Ingenieur Automatic 35 in 18-carat 5N gold with a gold-coloured dial (Ref. IW324903), as well as the Ingenieur Automatic 35 in stainless steel with a silver-plated dial (Ref. IW324901) and a black dial (Ref. IW324906).

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Born in 2016 with the Big Bang Impact Bang, the fragmented motif transcended traditional gemsetting, redefining visual intensity. In 2026, its architecture evolves, incorporating materials from diamonds to osmium, alongside polished rhodium-plated appliques and black-plated elements. Shards radiate from the bezel to the sapphire dial, while fragments orbit the moonphase at 6 o’clock. Each applique is hand-positioned and secured with micron-level precision.

Hublot pushes the limits of watchmaking once again, transforming extreme technical mastery into impact. For the first time in its history, diamonds are set directly into sapphire, a feat demanding extraordinary precision. Cutting, machining and securing gems in one of the hardest materials on Earth creates a bold statement, made possible only by Hublot’s mastery of materials and relentless innovation.

A first for Hublot: setting diamonds directly into sapphire.
While Hublot has demonstrated mastery over sapphire cases since the 2016 Big Bang Unico Sapphire, 2026 marks a new frontier. Machining sapphire, one of Earth’s hardest materials (9 Mohs), presents an extreme technical challenge in itself; however, setting diamonds within it introduces an entirely new dimension of complexity. The challenge intensifies because every gem is unique in size and cut, requiring individually adapted channels and mounts. Set within polished gold channels and secured between two framing strips, the diamonds are inserted into laser-machined mounts in the sapphire, ensuring absolute precision. Hundreds of hours are required to machine, polish and set a single case. In this 20-piece limited edition, 145 fancy-cut diamonds extend the Impact Bang motif from dial to bezel.

Impact becomes stellar: sapphire and osmium
Since 2014, Hublot has exclusively introduced crystallized osmium – considered the rarest metal on Earth – into watchmaking. Denser than platinum, harder and heavier, it features a naturally bluish radiance that shines like no other metal. Through a highly sophisticated crystallization process developed with Swiss scientists in Valais, osmium transforms into stable crystal form, unlocking its cosmic sparkle. In a 30-piece limited edition, rhodium-plated appliques alternate with osmium shards on the dial.

20 Years of All Black: making an impact
This year marks 20 years of the iconic Hublot All Black concept, the revolutionary idea that a watch can be seen by contrast, where black reigns supreme and understatement becomes a bold statement. Expressed in polished and microblasted black ceramic, the Spirit of Big Bang Impact plays with Hublot’s

invisible visibility, revealing texture through polished and microblasted finishing in a 100-piece limited edition. With tone-on-tone play, subtle reflections and material innovation, All Black is elusive at first glance and magnetic to behold. In the Spirit of Big Bang Impact, All Black ceramic proves that invisibility can make the strongest impact.

All three models are sculpted in Hublot 42 mm tonneau case. Introduced in 2014, the Spirit of Big Bang marked Hublot’s first move away from the round case. Still built on the Big Bang’s DNA of layered construction, exposed H-shaped screws and fearless material fusion, its case was literally made for impact. At the core of the three editions, the HUB1770 skeletonized automatic caliber with a 50-hour power reserve drives a skeletonized moon-phase display at 6 o’clock and a Big Date at 1 o’clock. This caliber doesn’t merely sit beneath the dial, instead actively participating in the impact.

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With the new Ingenieur, IWC Schaffhausen revisits the bold and visionary design created by Gérald Genta in the 1970s, pairing it with enhanced ergonomics and a highly detailed finishing. Since the launch of the Ingenieur Automatic 40 in 2023, the Swiss luxury watch manufacturer has continuously extended the collection with new sizes, materials and complications such as the emblematic crown-controlled perpetual calendar from Kurt Klaus. IWC now introduces an exclusive new model featuring the undisputed “queen of complications” in fine watchmaking, the tourbillon.

Limited to 100 pieces, the Ingenieur Tourbillon 41 (Ref. IW345901) features a 41.6 millimetres case and an integrated bracelet crafted from 18-carat 5N gold. The characteristic bezel, crown protection and crown are also made of this precious metal. Securing the bezel to the case back ring, the five functional screws are made of 18-carat Armor Gold®, a material with significantly higher hardness values than conventional gold alloys. Featuring the characteristic “Grid” pattern, the structured dial is a hallmark feature of the Ingenieur and adds a stunning level of texture and depth. Its dark olive green hue beautifully contrasts the gold. The hands are gold-plated, and the appliques, which are individually set by hand, are made of solid gold. As it combines various techniques, the Ingenieur Tourbillon 41 also boasts a high level of detail in its finishing. The case, bezel and bracelet links are satin-finished and

feature polished edges. Gold brings out the intricate lines and angles of the Ingenieur particularly well, underscoring the sculptural beauty of the Gérald Genta-inspired design.

S TAT E – O F – T H E – A R T T O U R B I LL O N AT 6 O ’ CL O CK

The tourbillon places the balance wheel and the escapement inside a small cage that rotates around its axis once every minute. This continuous rotation counteracts the effects of gravity on the oscillating system, contributing to a highly accurate rate. The flying minute tourbillon of the Ingenieur Tourbillon 41 is placed at the 6 o’clock position and suspended from gold-coated bridges, providing a stunning visual spectacle. Consisting of 56 individual parts, the delicate mechanism weighs just 0.635 grams. Due to the high number and minuscule size of its components, the tourbillon ranks among the most complex complications for a watchmaker to assemble. Thanks to the integrated tourbillon stop, the mechanism can be brought to a complete halt, allowing the watch to be set with down-to-the-second accuracy. The pallet lever and the escape wheel are treated with Diamond Shell® technology, an innovative coating that reduces friction and enhances the flow of energy in the movement.

H I G H – EN D M OV EM EN T W I T H P E L L AT ON W IN D ING

The Ingenieur Tourbillon 41 is powered by the IWC-manufactured 82905 calibre. Its highly efficient Pellaton winding system utilises the rotor’s movements in both directions to reliably build up a power reserve of 80 hours in the mainspring. Components of the winding system that are subject to high stress are manufactured from virtually wear-free zirconium oxide ceramic. Among these are the automatic wheel and the clicks, which are crafted from black ceramic, while the rotor bearing is made of white ceramic. The movement also features a high level of detail in the finishing. As an example, the automatic bridge and the rotor are both gold-plated and decorated with Geneva stripes. The oscillating mass features an integrated “Probus Scafusia” medallion, crafted from solid gold and symbolising IWC’s commitment to craftsmanship and quality.

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FUSING WATCHMAKING AND JEWELLERY MASTERY
Marking the 10th anniversary of the Big Bang Impact Bang’s unique setting, the Big Bang Impact One Million asserts Hublot’s fearless drive to push boundaries – crafting a daring, three-dimensional gemsetting that fuses technical mastery with bold design, a feat that extends a lineage of rare, million-dollar creations. From the 2007 One Million $ Big Bang to the Black Caviar Bang, the Big Bang Unico Haute Joaillerie collection, the $3 million Hublot Big Bang Tourbillon and the $5 million watch, Hublot has consistently created some of the brand’s most collectible, entirely diamond-set timepieces. The Big Bang Impact One Million carries this legacy forward, fusing technical boldness, gemsetting mastery and daring design into a masterful statement. The setting technique alternates baguette and fancy-cut diamonds in dynamic, radiating patterns centered on the tourbillon, combining invisible and closed set techniques to create a three-dimensional effect. A bold statement made possible only by Hublot’s mastery of materials and relentless innovation.

IMPACT IN EVERY SENSE
For the second time in Hublot history (after the 2024 Murakami edition), the central flying tourbillon takes center stage. Skeletonized and supported from one side only, with no upper bridge, its “flying” construction intensifies both technical complexity and visual effect. Powered by hand-wound Caliber HUB9015, it boasts a 120-hour (5-day) power reserve.

The 45 mm Big Bang Impact One Million is crafted in polished 18K white gold, water-resistant to 30 m, with 323 baguette-cut diamonds adorning the case and case-back, a bezel set with 72 baguette-cut diamonds and a dial featuring 75 fancy-cut diamonds bringing the signature Impact motif to a total of 470 diamonds. Its black alligator and rubber strap is paired with an 18K white gold and black-plated titanium folding clasp set with 30 baguette-cut diamonds.

The Big Bang Impact One Million required hundreds of hours of setting and extensive research to determine the precise combination of diamond shapes and sizes, ensuring perfect alignment within the complex Impact architecture.

Hublot diamonds are Top Wesselton (F – G) with VVS or VS clarity, ethically sourced and fully traceable. Hublot adheres to the Kimberley Process and Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC).

The Big Bang Impact One Million is available at selected Hublot points of sale and benefits from Hublot’s 5+5 warranty, extending international coverage to 10 years.

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“Working on this watch with Hublot allowed me to rewind and replay my race journey, every second, every stride, every finish line. To do it with a partner who’s been with me since 2010, even after I hung up my spikes, makes it more than a watch. It conveys meanings and beliefs such as trusting yourself, sprinting beyond limits, pushing every boundary. The lightning-bolt hand? My pose. A green and yellow pulse with Jamaica in my heart. The soil in the case-back? The ground that made me. Wear it, own it and make your own history. Time waits for no one, but you can beat it!” said Usain Bolt, Hublot Ambassador since 2010.

“Usain changed the way people look at track and field. In 2009, in 9.58 seconds, he changed history. In 2026, Hublot captures it forever. Usain embodies mastery, pinpoint-accurate moves and the courage to push beyond limits. His 9.58 seconds were not just a world record, they were a statement of belief. Through our long-standing partnership, we tell a story of ambition, discipline and the relentless pursuit of greatness. This timepiece represents the mindset of champions, but also of entrepreneurs, self-made men and women who dare, trust themselves and constantly surpass their own boundaries,” said Julien Tornare, CEO of Hublot
2026 not only marks 15 years of partnership between Usain Bolt and Hublot, it also marks 10 years since his Rio 2016 Olympic double, sealing his seventh and eighth gold medals. Today, we celebrate the champion with the launch of the Big Bang Reloaded Usain Bolt: legacies converging with renewed energy and impact.

The Big Bang Reloaded Usain Bolt fuses Hublot’s uncompromising watchmaking credibility with Usain’s legendary speed and fearless self-belief. One of the most advanced integrated chronographs of its generation, the Unico now reveals four of its five patented innovations through the architecture of the watch. The Big Bang Reloaded performs with Hublot’s mechanical authority and moves with Usain’s unstoppable momentum.

The Big Bang Reloaded Usain Bolt rewrites time in Bolt codes. Between 6 and 8 o’clock, the numerals read 6-5-8. Flip the perspective and they reveal 9.58, his 100m world record set in 2009. The lightning bolt-shaped chronograph second hand echoes the athlete’s emblematic pose, while the polished 18K yellow gold bezel bears his mantra: “Anything is Possible, Don’t Think Limits.” On the case-back, suspended between two sapphire crystals inside a lightning bolt, lies authentic soil from Bolt’s childhood training ground in Jamaica, the one that shaped the fastest man alive. Encapsulated and compressed within sapphire, it anchors the watch where his destiny began. Distinctive details connecting the watch directly to Usain’s roots, journey and record-breaking legacy. The model is strapped to the wrist by a

choice of two interchangeable One Click wristbands: one in yellow gold-toned Velcro fabric and the other in black, yellow and green camouflage rubber. Inside beats the HUB1280 Unico Manufacture flyback chronograph caliber with dial-side column wheel, endowed with a 72-hour power reserve. The Unico caliber takes center stage, with its column wheel, oscillating clutch and flyback now more visible than ever. Jamaica’s green and yellow highlight these key elements: the lightning bolt-shaped chronograph hand, column wheel and flyback markings. Made of 18K yellow gold and frosted carbon, the bezel is secured by six H-shaped gold screws, a tribute to Bolt’s podiums and lasting legacy.

The Big Bang Reloaded Usain Bolt, a 200-piece limited edition, is available at selected Hublot points of sale as well as online at hublot.com and benefits from Hublot’s 5+5 warranty, extending international coverage to ten years.

The post THE BIG BANG RELOADED USAIN BOLT: A MANIFESTO IN MOTION, DRIVEN BY BELIEF appeared first on Arab Watch Guide.

In Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s popular novel, “The Little Prince,” the young prince leaves his home asteroid, B-612, to explore the universe. During his journey, he visits various planets and meets their inhabitants, learning profound lessons about love, loss, and friendship. IWC Schaffhausen has been celebrating this timeless story with special-edition watches. Their signature feature is their deep blue dial with a sunray finish, reminiscent of the vastness of space. The Swiss luxury watch manufacturer is now introducing its first “Le Petit Prince” edition made from white ceramic.

The Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Le Petit Prince (Ref. IW389410) features a 41-millimetre case made from white zirconium oxide ceramic. This advanced material is lighter and harder than steel, scratch-proof, and has a smooth, velvety surface, making it an excellent choice for wristwatches. The white ceramic case beautifully contrasts with the deep blue dial, which has a sunburst finish and a distinctive colour gradient. The emblematic bold indices and numerals are printed in white. The hands in the subdials, as well as the hour and minute hands, are rhodium-plated and filled with Super-LumiNova®

to enhance legibility. The titanium case back is adorned with an engraving depicting the Little Prince. Additionally, the watch is equipped with the practical EasX-CHANGE® strap change system, allowing the white rubber strap to be changed at the touch of a button.

HI G H – P E R F OR M A NC E C H R ONO G R A P H MOV E M E N T IN S ID E

The Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Le Petit Prince is powered by the IWC-manufactured 69381 calibre. Engineered with a focus on performance, reliability, and precision, this mechanical chronograph in a classic column-wheel design allows the wearer to accurately measure stop times of up to 12 hours. The hours and minutes are displayed in two totalisers at the 9 o’clock and 12 o’clock positions. According to the IWC-typical vertical dial layout, the stopped minutes are placed directly at 12 o’clock, enhancing readability. The movement features a bidirectional pawl-winding system, which reliably builds a power reserve of 46 hours in the mainspring.

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Patek Philippe has revisited the Reference 5396 with its timeless design in a refined version endowed with a rose-gold case and a sand-beige sunburst dial. Already a 20-year success in the Manufacture’s regular collection, which it joined in 2006, the Reference 5396 Annual Calendar model stands out by its classically styled case, inspired by that of the original Calatrava Reference 96, and by its dual day/month aperture at 12 o’clock and date aperture at 6 o’clock, along with a 24-hour subsidiary dial incorporating a moon-phase display.

This new model combines the classic Calatrava design with the warm sheen of a fully polished 38.5 mm rose-gold case and an incomparably radiant sand-beige sunburst dial. The dial presents faceted obus-style applied hour markers and faceted dauphine-style hands, all in rose gold, and a slender seconds hand from the center. The snailed finish on the 24-hour sub-dial incorporating the moon-phase display also facilitates time readings by providing a subtle contrast. An alligator-leather strap in shiny dark chestnut brown secured by a fold-over clasp in rose gold underscores the classic elegance of this timepiece.

This model is powered by the Caliber 26-330 S QA LU 24 self-winding movement, equipped with the ingenious Annual Calendar mechanism, patented by Patek Philippe in 1996. This movement displays the day, the month and the date for months with 30 and 31 days, thus requiring only one manual correction per year at the end of February. This user friendliness is combined with the extreme precision of the moon-phase mechanism, which deviates by only one day in 122 years. The 24-hour display simplifies calendar adjustment, while the corrector push-pieces on the flanks of the case enable easy adjustment of the Annual Calendar displays and the moon phases. The refined finishes lavished on the 339-part movement may be admired through a transparent sapphire crystal case-back.

The post 1996–2026: Celebrating a patented invention’s 30th year Annual Calendar Reference 5396R-016 appeared first on Arab Watch Guide.

– Bvlgari debuts at Watches & Wonders with an exhibition space that embodies its dual identity and Roman origins and DNA.
– Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon sets a 10th world record for ultra-thin watchmaking confirming its status of icon of the 21st century as well as an unrivalled watchmaking expertise.
– Serpenti Aeterna reimagines the Maison’s iconic reptile in a bold, avant-garde jewellery creation.

“We are thrilled to join Watches & Wonders for the first time, especially in a space designed to fully express our DNA as both a jewellery and watchmaking Maison. Over the past decade, we have cemented our position at the forefront of horology, seamlessly blending Swiss innovation with Italian creativity and design genius.
As we celebrate 25 years of exceptional watchmaking innovation under LVMH impulse, and the “creative passion” motto, we reflect on the innovation, and craftsmanship that define our vision. Watches & Wonders offers the perfect stage to showcase the journey that started in 2014– one that led us to set 10 world records on Octo Finissimo and to unveil our 13th revolutionary movement in just 11 years, with Bvlgari Piccolissimo, Bvlgari Micro Tourbillon Lady and Bvlgari Lady Solo Tempo all 3 innovating ladies jewelry and regular watches.
With the Octo Finissimo and Serpenti watches, we continue to explore new territories, to push the boundaries of design and fine watchmaking, and open new perspectives in horology.” – Jean-Christophe Babin, CEO of Bvlgari.

This debut also marks an evolution. Bvlgari, Master of the Art of Time, asserts its unmistakable identity: that of a Roman jeweller evolved into a Swiss watchmaker. By drawing on its rich heritage, the Maison continues to break new ground and shape the future.

A Breath of Italy at Watches & Wonders

Bvlgari presents exceptional timepieces while highlighting its dual expertise in fine jewellery and high watchmaking.
Channelling Bvlgari’s deeply Roman soul, the exhibition space invites visitors to immerse themselves in the Maison’s Italian culture, distinctive elegance, and avant-garde creative vision – through the most beautiful marble hues and a blend of precious materials. The experience begins at the façade, which features elements of the Razionalista Roman architectural style, making an immediate impact. Inside, seven curated showcases – inspired by Beyond Time, the definitive chronicle of the Maison’s horological history – guide visitors through the universe of Bvlgari. Each display is a chapter that tells the story of an iconic creation. Archival photographs provide historical context for the most avant-garde pieces, creating a dialogue between past and present.

Within this carefully crafted setting, Bvlgari reveals its capacity to evolve and redefine elegance in watchmaking. Here, the Maison unveils two significant new releases, two visions of time: the Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon and the Serpenti Aeterna.

BVLGARI Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon Finesse in Every Dimension

Beyond setting a new thinness record, the new Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon stands as a manifesto. By integrating a skeleton tourbillon into the movement of a watch with a total thickness of just 1.85 mm, the Roman jeweller’s Swiss watchmaking division demonstrates its horological expertise with watchmaking’s most emblematic complication.

The tourbillon holds a special place in Bvlgari’s heart: it was the Octo Finissimo Tourbillon that launched the Maison’s pursuit of extreme thinness in 2014, setting in motion a decade-long odyssey that has led to ten world records and more than 60 international awards including the prestigious and highly coveted Geneva Watchmaking Grand Prix “Aiguille d’Or”. Octo Finissimo has been by far the most awarded timepiece and collection of the 21st century so far.

Since its invention in the 18th century, the tourbillon has stood as the pinnacle of watchmaking precision. Aesthetically fascinating, its perpetual motion echoes the rhythm of a beating heart, giving soul to the timepiece. It is no coincidence that Bvlgari’s journey toward ultra-thinness began with the Octo Finissimo Tourbillon. In 2014, its hand-wound movement, just 1.95 mm thick, was the world’s thinnest flying tourbillon at the time.

Skeletonisation – The Art of Sculpting Transparency

Today, Bvlgari has taken skeletonisation to the next level on the new Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon – to maximise light diffusion throughout the movement. This approach creates striking contrasts through contemporary decorative techniques applied to key visible components: the bezel flange’s polished slope, the finely rhodium-plated tourbillon balance and inertia blocks, and the sunburst-finished, rhodium-plated tourbillon bridge – refined modern finishes that subtly enhance the watch’s mechanical artistry. Each skeletonised component must have the right balance between efficiency and aesthetics, between resistance, reliability, and ornamentation. It means the margin for error is even smaller. The exposed nature of a skeleton movement demands absolute perfection in design, execution, and finishing.

The World’s Thinnest Flying Tourbillon

Drawing its power from its Roman heritage, the Octo collection by Bvlgari is part of a long architectural tradition. The octagonal shape was inspired by the coffered ceilings of the Basilica of Maxentius and Constantine. Since its foundation in 1884, the Eternal City and the splendor of its monuments have always played a central role in the creative identity of the Maison. The Octo extracts a pure, modernist vision from this heritage, through a contemporary lens. This vision is reinforced by the monochromatic grey aesthetic of the ultra-thin Octo models. This stylistic signature underlines the desire to strive for purity and the quintessence of fine watchmaking. It forms a cohesive whole that enables Bvlgari to elevate ultra-thinness to the status of a watchmaking complication.
It is a fact: Bvlgari’s new Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon is now the thinnest tourbillon watch ever. Measuring 40 mm in diameter and just 1.85 mm in thickness, it is powered by the BVF 900 tourbillon calibre. This manually wound mechanical movement beats at 28,800 vibrations per hour (4 Hz) and offers a 42-hour power reserve. Such specifications and the records they set showcase the exceptional prowess of the watchmakers and engineers at the Bvlgari Manufacture.

By applying its expertise in finesse to the tourbillon – its most emblematic precision complication – Bvlgari expresses the essence of its watchmaking philosophy. “The idea was to create a watch that encapsulates all our expertise. It’s not just about having the finest design but achieving a precise execution that tells the story of the Octo Finissimo series, while respecting the integrity of its distinctive aesthetic codes. Every detail, from the indexes to the tourbillon skeleton, bears witness to our commitment to excellence,” explains Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani, Executive Director of Watch Design at Bvlgari.

A Human Engineering Journey

The hallmark of the Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon is its tungsten carbide main plate that houses the mechanical movement. Watches usually consist of a case containing the movement. For centuries, watchmakers pursued flatter profiles primarily for aesthetic elegance. Traditionally, watchmakers pursued thinness for greater elegance. This objective introduced unique challenges related to structure and stiffness. To solve this complex equation, the teams at Bvlgari developed a blend of advanced materials.

The new Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon features a bezel, case middle, and lugs crafted from microbead-frosted titanium, while the main plate is constructed from tungsten carbide. The two planar ‘crowns’ – each protruding ever so slightly from the side of the case, at left (8 o’clock) to wind the mechanism and at right (3 o’clock) to set the time – are fashioned from stainless steel and circular-grained; likewise, the ratchet, adorned with engraved geometric decorations, is rendered in circular-grained steel. For optimal legibility, the hour dial features rhodium-plated hour and minute hands set against a sand-blasted brass surface with an DLC anthracite coating – unlike its predecessors, the Octo Finissimo Ultra and Octo Finissimo Ultra COSC, which were regulators with two decorrelated hour and minute dials.
Perfectly complementing the watch, the integrated microbead-frosted titanium bracelet mirrors its ultra-thin aesthetic, measuring just 1.5mm thick—including the folding clasp. Once again, Bvlgari has masterfully fused complexity and elegance to create a timepiece of exceptional finesse.

Pushing Boundaries Since 2014: The Quest for Ultra-Thin Watchmaking in 10 World Records

A masterful demonstration of extreme finesse, the new Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon showcases Bvlgari’s mastery of extreme thinness and represents another breakthrough in their innovative approach to watchmaking. “Each record has been a stepping stone. Setting a record isn’t just about crossing barriers – it’s about redefining what’s possible in mechanical watchmaking. With each challenge, we’ve had to rethink not only traditional techniques but also how watches are designed and developed,” explains Jean-Christophe Babin, CEO of Bvlgari.

Mobilising all the expertise of the Bvlgari Manufacture, this particularly complex project involved revisiting the traditional fundamentals of the profession to design a watch in two dimensions rather than three. This bold approach sparked fresh energy within Bvlgari’s teams, fostering unprecedented creative collaboration to tackle a challenge of this scale. Perfecting and rethinking techniques—such as returning to a two-hand display—added a deeply human touch to the entire endeavour.

To meet these challenges, Bvlgari’s R&D teams created new processes and techniques, securing eight specific patents covering innovations like the differential display, the integrated case middle and plate design, the bi-material case back, a new crystal mounting method, a novel barrel structure, the oscillator module, the modular construction, and the bracelet design.

Bvlgari’s pursuit of ultra-thinness began in 2014 with the hand-wound Octo Tourbillon. Since then, it has produced record-breaking innovations across multiple categories—the world’s thinnest minute repeater (3.12mm in 2016), the Octo Finissimo Automatic (2.23mm in 2017), and the thinnest perpetual calendar ever (2.75mm in 2021), which earned the prestigious Aiguille d’Or at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG). Launched in 2012, the Octo quickly became an iconic design in modern watchmaking. Just ten years after the debut of the Octo saga, the Octo Finissimo Ultra set an absolute record with a total thickness of just 1.8 mm. The launch was celebrated with style and joy in the heart of Rome, on the Piazza della Rotonda, in front of the Pantheon. The Octo Finissimo Ultra was then awarded the Prix de l’Audace (the Audacity Prize) at the GPHG. Eight patents have been registered on the Octo Finissimo Ultra since 2022.
With the new Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon, Bvlgari continues its pursuit of finesse and refinement in every sense of the word.

Serpenti Aeterna A daring and visionary evolution of a timeless icon

The iconic Serpenti undergoes its boldest transformation yet: Aeterna. Modern. Avant-garde. Bvlgari’s legendary serpent, stylized to the extreme, distilled to its quintessential form. The pure, powerful geometry of an original bracelet. The dawn of a new era.

– A statement of style and modernity, inspired by the heritage of Bvlgari and Serpenti, transformed by a futuristic aesthetic.
– The pure essence of Serpenti captured – an eternal symbol of rebirth.
– A bangle joins the Serpenti collection, designed to pair seamlessly with Bvlgari jewellery.
– A sculptural masterpiece of timelessness, fluidity, elegance, and precision.

The year 2025, under the sign of the snake in the Chinese calendar, heralds a profound transformation for Serpenti. With Aeterna, Bvlgari brings the reptile back to life in exquisite high jewellery, conducive to sublime creativity. Diamonds illuminate the gold of the precious animal, whose new skin expresses more than ever the foundations of Bvlgari, its inimitable Italian style and its profoundly pioneering identity. The reinvented icon captures the rich heritage that precedes it and extends it into the future, free from fashion and time. The snake becomes a language in itself: fluid and free of the superfluous.
“Aeterna is more than a timepiece or jewellery—it is the ultimate expression of Bvlgari’s avant-garde vision. I wanted to capture Serpenti’s DNA, distil it to its essence, and project it into the future.” – Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani, Product Creation Executive Director, Bvlgari.
No eyes, no scales, no artifice. Only the serpent’s most elemental form remains – hypnotic and commanding. Crafted in precious gold and meticulously set with diamonds, Serpenti embraces the skin as an elegant bangle.

The Creative Metamorphoses of an Icon

Since 1948, Serpenti has continually reinvented itself, embodying the essence of perpetual rebirth. It seduces, enchants, captivates, and inspires desire. As Tubogas, supple and sensually coiled around the wrist. As Infiniti, graphic and sculptural. As Seduttori, created for everyday elegance yet capable of housing an exceptional tourbillon (2020). As Misteriosi, the precious guardian of a technical feat: the Piccolissimo BVL 100 calibre – with its extremely reduced dimensions, a record in miniaturization (2022). Now, Lady Solotempo, a fully in-house automatic calibre, beats at the heart of new interpretations of Seduttori and Tubogas, and another revelation of this milestone year 2025 – a tribute to the Serpent, reviving the rich tradition of mechanical watches for women.

Today, Aeterna pushes boundaries even further. Its design, far more than merely evoking the serpent, mirrors its very soul.

The Art of the Essential

“I like to design in a pure, contemporary style, with few decorative elements – to draw lines that speak the language of eternity. Octo Finissimo is a perfect expression of this quest for the absolute through form, which now transforms Serpenti. Only a few strokes were needed to sketch Aeterna. The serpent is distilled to its essence, its own dynamic, refined to its most powerful form… with visionary modernity.” – Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani, Product Creation Executive Director, Bvlgari.

In a single gesture, Aeterna embraces the wrist, highlighting it. A fluid movement. The sensuality of gold against skin. A geometric ring of light. Tapered, intense. Serpenti Aeterna doesn’t just define itself – it asserts its distinctive character in an elegantly refined bangle. Versatile by design, it effortlessly adapts to personal style and pairs seamlessly with other Bvlgari creations. This unprecedented design daringly wraps itself around the wrist thanks to an ingenious clasp mechanism. A truly exceptional piece, it demanded two years of development to achieve perfect aesthetic integration and comfort. The iconic hexagonal scales, a hallmark of past Serpenti designs, are subtly etched into the inner contour. Invisible from the outside, this sublimely crafted detail reinforces Aeterna’s intimate connection to Serpenti’s extraordinary heritage.

An Eternal Elegance
Bvlgari unveils Serpenti Aeterna in rose gold, adorned with diamonds, as well as a high-jewellery interpretation in fully pavé-set white gold. Precious gemstones illuminate the snow-set dial, extending along the spine to the very tip of the tail. On the white gold version, oversized gems create a striking three-dimensional effect, enhancing the object’s mesmerizing volumes.

Serpenti Aeterna is born of a single, visionary gesture. The quintessence of Serpenti, this avant-garde icon is meant to be experienced today, tomorrow, and for eternity. Time itself lingers, seemingly suspended.

The post Bvlgari debuts at Watches & Wonders 2025 Two Visionary Icons – Octo Finissimo and Serpenti – further innovated in a Spectacular Temple appeared first on Arab Watch Guide.

“Working on this watch with Hublot gave me the chance to reflect on my journey, every match, every goal, every big moment. Building it with a partner who has believed in me since 2018 makes it even more special. This is more than a watch. It carries a message I live by: trust yourself, take your chance, create your own path. The number 10 is my lucky number, my identity on the pitch. The white and gold symbolize clarity and ambition. And with ‘Trust Yourself’ engraved at 6 o’clock, this piece is a reminder of how I’ve always played, with confidence, freedom and passion. It’s about chasing dreams, pushing limits and inspiring the next generation to believe in themselves and pursue success with heart. That’s the power of dreams. That’s what drives me,” said Kylian Mbappé, Hublot Ambassador.
“In one strike, Kylian can change the course of a game. He embodies explosive acceleration, precision in decision-making and the courage to take responsibility when it matters most. World Champion at 19. Scoring in two World Cup Finals. Delivering a hat-trick on football’s biggest stage. His goals are statements of belief under ultimate pressure. Through our partnership since 2018 and with this first watch developed alongside him, we capture his mindset: ‘Trust Yourself’. Words that speak to a generation, to challengers who dare to step forward and take the shot,” said Julien Tornare, CEO Hublot.

2026 not only marks 10 years since Kylian Mbappé’s first professional goal, it also celebrates his double-digit Champions League milestone reached in January, eight years of partnership with Hublot, and the launch of the first watch created in collaboration between the two: the Big Bang Reloaded Kylian Mbappé.

Legacies converge, precision is engineered, speed is celebrated, and ambition remains unstoppable. His self-confidence fuels every action, turning potential into performance and vision into success. On and off the pitch, Kylian embodies modern boldness and mastery, a style and mindset that define him as much as his football, and that resonates perfectly with Hublot.

The Big Bang Reloaded Kylian Mbappé fuses Hublot’s uncompromising watchmaking credibility with Kylian’s fearless self-expression. One of the most advanced integrated chronographs of its generation, the Unico now reveals four of its five patented innovations through the architecture of the watch. The Big Bang Reloaded performs with Hublot’s mechanical authority and speaks with Kylian’s confidence.

The Big Bang Reloaded Kylian Mbappé rewrites time in Mbappé codes. The bezel is engraved at 6 o’clock with the inscription “Trust Yourself”: his playbook, his ethos. The King Gold-toned number 10 shines bright and clear, celebrating his iconic squad number, player identity and overall lucky number. The case combines polished 18K King Gold and microblasted white ceramic. White for clarity, King Gold for ambition. The skeletonized dial is matte anthracite ruthenium-plated with white accents, giving the chronograph a contemporary look with a sharp, technical edge. The model is strapped to the wrist by a choice of two interchangeable One Click wristbands: a King-gold-toned fabric Velcro strap and a black-and-white rubber strap lined with the KM logo, discreetly engraved along the inner strap. On the case-back, the sapphire crystal reveals the HUB1280 Unico Manufacture flyback chronograph caliber with dial-side column wheel and a 72-hour power reserve. The Unico caliber takes center stage, with column wheel, oscillating clutch and flyback now more visible than ever. Yellow and King Gold-toned details highlight key elements that are nods to Kylian’s record-breaking milestones and electrifying style on the pitch. The twin-level bezel in 18K King Gold and white ceramic is secured by six H-shaped King Gold screws. The Big Bang Reloaded Kylian Mbappé is for those who take the shot.

The Big Bang Reloaded Kylian Mbappé, limited to 200 pieces, is available at selected Hublot points of sale as well as online at hublot.com and benefits from Hublot’s 5+5 warranty, extending international coverage to ten years.

The post BIG BANG RELOADED KYLIAN MBAPPE: A STATEMENT OF UNSTOPPABLE AMBITION appeared first on Arab Watch Guide.

In the new Reference 7129, the fully polished case in yellow gold, 36 mm in diameter, combines its warm luster with a bold, red-lacquered dial, centering delicate hand-executed guilloché work in a basket-weave pattern, framed by arrow-shaped hour markers, also in yellow gold. The 24-hour disk is divided into a day zone and a night zone, identified by their backgrounds in carmine red and rhodium-plated gray respectively, as well as by their Sun and Moon symbols. Yellow-gold lozenge-shaped hands indicate local time in the selected time zone at 12 o’clock, while the names of the 24 cities are transfer-printed in white on the carmine-red disk. The striking allure of this watch is enhanced by its curved lugs holding an alligator leather strap in shiny carmine red, secured by a prong buckle in yellow gold.

This timepiece is powered by the caliber 240 HU ultra-thin self-winding movement. Equipped with a mini-rotor, this movement keeps the case to a super-slim 8.83 mm thickness despite its 239 parts.

In 2000, the Geneva workshops took the functionality of this watch a step further by integrating a single-button mechanism to advance all the displays collectively when moving from one time zone to another – without affecting the rate accuracy of the movement by even one second. It took four years to develop this mechanism, patented in 1999, which bolstered the popularity of the World Time watch on all continents.
The new Reference 7129J-001 joins the current collection alongside Reference 7130G-016 in white gold with a gem-set bezel and blue-gray dial.

The post World Time Reference 7129J-001, first version in plain yellow gold, featuring a carmine-red dial appeared first on Arab Watch Guide.

Titanium is characterised by its low weight, high strength and excellent corrosion resistance. Its matte grey colour also makes it an attractive material for use in wristwatches. Over more than four decades, IWC Schaffhausen has acquired comprehensive expertise in machining and finishing this metal. With the introduction of the Gérald Genta-inspired Ingenieur in 2023, the Swiss luxury watch manufacturer also presented an automatic model with a case and bracelet crafted from grade 5 titanium. This year, IWC launches a new model that blends this signature case material with a complication equally emblematic of the brand: the crown-controlled perpetual calendar from Kurt Klaus.

The Ingenieur Perpetual Calendar 41 (Ref. IW344904) combines the Gérald Genta-derived integrated bracelet design with an execution in titanium for the first time. It features a grade 5 titanium case measuring
41 millimetres in diameter and an integrated titanium bracelet. The bracelet is attached to the case via its middle links, offering excellent ergonomics. As titanium is about 45 percent lighter than steel, the watch feels very comfortable on the wrist. The characteristic round bezel, a hallmark feature of the Ingenieur, is secured to the case ring with five functional screws. This titanium

watch is further distinguished by its high-end finishing. The case, bezel, crown protection, and bracelet links are sandblasted, with their edges lightly polished, while the crown is sandblasted. A satin finish on the sides of the case and the bracelet accentuates the intricate lines and angles of the Gérald Genta-inspired Ingenieur design.

E L ABO R AT E LY F I N I S H E D D I AL C O MP L E ME N T S T HE T I TA N IU M L O O K

The matte grey dial blends harmoniously with the titanium case and bracelet. Having the same colour as the metal, it lends the watch a strikingly monolithic look, almost as if it had been carved out of a solid block of titanium. The dial features the characteristic “Grid” structure, consisting of small lines and squares, adding depth and texture to it. The subdials displaying the calendar information are treated with a circular satin finish and feature a refined azurage on their edges. In the subdial at 6 o’clock, the single moon disc boasts a detailed azurage background. Both the applied metal markers and the hands are filled with Super-LumiNova®, ensuring excellent legibility.

T H E P E R P E T U A L C A L E N DA R O F F E R S A HI G H D E G R E E OF AU T ONOM Y

Developed in the early 1980s by IWC’s former head watchmaker, Kurt Klaus, the perpetual calendar is mechanically programmed to account for many of the Gregorian calendar’s irregularities. It will automatically recognize the different lengths of the months and also insert a leap day every four years at the end of February. The date is displayed in the subdial at 3 o’clock, the month at 6 o’clock, while the day of the week is shown at the 9 o’clock position. The moon phase has been integrated into the subdial at 6 o’clock. Thanks to a special reduction gear train, it will only deviate from the moon’s actual orbit by one day after 577.5 years. The counter at 9 o’clock also features a small leap-year indicator that counts down the years to the next leap year.

A M E C HAN I C AL P OW E R H O U S E W I T H C E R A M I C C O M P O N E N T S

Inside the titanium case, the IWC-manufactured 82600 calibre is at work. This high-end automatic movement features a Pellaton winding system, which uses movements of the oscillating mass in both directions to wind the watch. The mainspring stores a power reserve of 60 hours. Components of the movement that are subject to high stress are crafted from zirconium oxide ceramic. Ceramic is, like titanium, a signature IWC material. It is hard and virtually wear-free, making it a suitable choice for the automatic wheel and the clicks. The balance wheel oscillates at 28,800 vibrations per hour (4 Hz), ensuring accurate timekeeping. Visible through the sapphire glass case back, the movement is decorated with Geneva stripes, circular graining and blued screws.

The post THE IWC SCHAFFHAUSEN INGENIEUR PERPETUAL CALENDAR 41 CR AFTED WITH A LIGHT WEIGHT TITANIUM CASE AND BR ACELET appeared first on Arab Watch Guide.

The spirit of the 21st Century Collection

When Piaget introduced its 21st Century Collection in 1969, composed of cuff watches and sautoirs, it redefined what a watch could be. These were not mere timepieces, but wearable works of art. A watch transformed into a swinging expression of time, blending Piaget’s heritage of gold craftsmanship, ornamental stones, and daring design into a revolution which has since changed the face of watchmaking.

Throughout the 1970s, Valentin Piaget worked closely with visionary designers such as Jean-Claude Gueit to bring this artistry to life in a spontaneous way. Piaget crafted extraordinary, one-of-a-kind pieces for a clientele that valued this distinction, joyful creativity and audacity. Watches were not only to be seen, but also to be felt, with shapes, colors and textures forming an emotional connection with their wearer. These Swinging Sautoirs were the perfect embodiment of Piaget’s free spirit, infused with the energy and optimism of the 1970s. Time became movement, flowing gracefully across ornamental stone dials, suspended from luminous gold chains that draped, twisted, and danced with every gesture. With these fluid gold chains, ornamental stone dials, and tactile design, the Swinging Sautoir became a Piaget signature. As Yves Piaget used to say : “A watch is first and foremost a piece of jewellery”.

In this same spirit, Piaget’s artisans explored new forms throughout the decade, crafting for instance some Kimono pocket watches in 1974, sculpted from malachite and defined by their soft, asymmetrical shapes. Smooth and organic, this pebble shape fit naturally in the hand, a sensorial expression of Piaget’s organic, yet forward-looking design language. Piaget continued to explore other shapes and expressions—coins, ingots, envelopes—transforming everyday motifs into precious creations.

A new generation of Swinging Sautoirs

Today for Watches and Wonders 2026, Piaget channels that same creative energy into a new collection of modern Swinging Sautoirs, named Swinging Pebbles, seamlessly carved from a trio of ornamental stones: tiger’s eye, verdite, or pietersite. Each pendant watch is sculpted from a single slice of stone, delicately hollowed out to house a Manufacture movement before being closed to form a smooth, pebble case. Each pendant hangs from a sinuous, twisted gold chain, tribute to Piaget’s expertise in goldsmithing and chainmaking for the daily life. Reinterpreted with a modern sensibility, these new Swinging Sautoirs offer a refined entry into Piaget’s world of artistry and movement. Together, they represent the continuation of Piaget’s legacy of innovation: bold, tactile, and joyfully unconventional.

Mastery igniting artistry

For Piaget, time has always been more than a measure, it’s also a movement, a rhythm, a dance. The Swinging Pebbles embody this philosophy once again : watches which celebrate shapes, craftsmanship, and freedom. The seamless harmony of gold, ornamental stones, and timekeeping reflects Piaget’s unrivaled mastery of each.

Across jewellery, cuffs, and sautoirs, Piaget’s signature spirit remains unmistakable. Bold yet refined, playful yet precise. Always unusual. Always unexpected. The new pebble-shaped Swinging Sautoirs capture this spirit in a contemporary timepiece. True to its heritage yet resolutely contemporary, Piaget continues to blur the boundaries between jewellery and watchmaking—honoring its past while shaping the art of time for today.

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Heart of Stone
While the 1970s saw the advent of a wave of sport-chic watches chiselled in steel, Piaget made history with a watch launched in 1979, which stood out for its unique style and its model name (a first for the Maison): the Piaget Polo. Fully forged in gold, this timepiece quickly made a name for itself as an avant-garde icon, defying the prevailing style codes of its time. A keen horse rider, Yves G. Piaget fused his love of polo and of high society into a watch that came to define 80s glamour, which could be worn just as easily in Palm Beach clubs as at Chez Régine in New York. “The entire philosophy behind the Piaget Polo can be summed up in a single sentence: it is a bracelet featuring a watch, not a watch featuring a bracelet…”, as Yves G. Piaget liked to say. With its hundreds of grams of gold, its distinctive design and its elegance, it won over the general public and the jet set of the era, from Ursula Andress to Andy Warhol.

Highly versatile, the Piaget Polo 79 has taken on multiple variations over the years, right up until this season, when it returns in a two-tone version, still in 38 mm, powered by the ultra-thin self-winding movement 1200P1. Following on from the success of the Piaget Polo 79 in yellow gold, white gold and now in two golds, the Piaget Polo 79 is now being adorned with another of the Maison’s signatures: ornamental stone. Previously, the model showcased onyx and lapis lazuli; today, for the very first time, ornamental stone features in the contemporary range on a precious sodalite version. The contrasting mineral dial highlights the uniqueness of the gadroons so beloved by Maison Piaget.

An Elevated Duo
In 2024, Maison Piaget celebrated its 150th anniversary, a historic milestone that was the perfect opportunity to revive a tradition cherished by Mr Yves Piaget himself: the couple’s watch, the same creation designed for him and for her in an endlessly versatile form. Two years later, this iconic approach continues with a new highly desirable edition replicating the signature gadroons of the Piaget Polo 79, which elevate the timepieces in this Piaget Polo collection adapted for everyday wear. Combining the brilliant gadroons that brought fame to the historic Piaget Polo with the sport-chic allure of the iconic Piaget Polo Date, this duo is enhanced by a silver-coloured dial – a nod to the Maison’s timeless elegance. The interchangeable rubber strap (available in beige for the 36 mm version adorned with 96 brilliant-cut diamonds, or in khaki green for the 42 mm variation) and the subtle nod to the codes of the 1979 Piaget Polo firmly root this offering in the here and now, while thoroughly complying with the style codes that have forged Piaget’s identity for decades.

A New Face
To mark the 2026 edition of Watches and Wonders, the Maison has therefore applied the charm of its signature gadroons to a new white gold Piaget Polo 79 with a sodalite dial and to a stylish couple’s watch. It is also offering a new take on the spirit of its beloved Piaget Polo Signature Date. The interplay of hypnotic graphic lines created by the Piaget Polo 79’s signature gadroons now features on the entire range of blue Piaget Polo dials, joined by two new gold creations in the 42 mm case size (steel or rose gold case, interchangeable rubber strap or steel bracelet, gem-set or non-set dial), as well as by three 36 mm versions: steel case and gem-set indexes, gem-set bezel and indexes, as well as a precious version in rose gold with a bezel and indexes set with diamonds. This new face showcases Piaget’s iconic blue, elevating the Piaget Polo Signature collection’s harmonious blend of shapes – a round case with a cushion cut.
Forever defined by its finesse, another of the Maison’s historic signatures, the 2026 Piaget Polo collection demonstrates, now more than ever, its unique ability to transcend time. A cultural style icon created in the late 1970s for a new aristocracy that was revolutionising the codes of elegance and distinction, it still continues to embody quintessential casual chic. Now more than ever, it is staying true to its roots.

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Now, for 2026, as Piaget delves even deeper into its heritage, connecting past and present times, to renew its creative spirit of timeless modernity, the Art of Colour is reignited, through an exploration of new and intriguing varieties of ornamental stones, set in characteristically audacious style throughout the year’s new timepieces.

The story of colour
Piaget’s fascination with ornamental stones began in 1963, when Gérald and Valentin Piaget, grandsons of the founder, Georges-Édouard Piaget, were in the process of transforming the Swiss company into an international Maison, with a modern, fashion-forward approach, specialising in both jewellery and watchmaking. A process made possible by the decision taken in 1957 to work only in precious metals and materials, and the invention of the groundbreaking 9P ultra-thin movement, which liberated design and creativity. This revolutionary movement meant that dials could be larger and then adorned with ornamental stones while maintaining the watch (legendary) thinness. The dial became the decorative focal point of the design, claimed by Piaget as the new territory of creative expression.

In 1963, Piaget launched a series of gold jewellery watches with dials of ornamental stones, for both men and women, at a time when fashion was alive with colour, with youth-fuelled exuberance and the influence of art was everywhere. This was a bold pioneering move, especially as at the time most watchmakers were turning to steel, to democratise and broaden their markets, and Piaget was elevating the timepiece into a jewelled object of desire. The gold bracelets of the new watches, jewels in their own right, were meticulously hand-crafted by the skilled artisans of the House of Gold, as Piaget came to be known. They could be intricately woven from gold strands, becoming as supple as silk, or textured with hand-engraving, particularly of the one now named Decor Palace, in harmony with the ornamental stones.

Gold, glamour and the cult of distinction
As it turned out, Piaget’s timing was perfect; the new watches captured the mood of the moment, anticipating and responding to the dramatic social and cultural shifts that were to define the 1960s and 70s. The casual opulence of the watches, their nonchalant richness, the freedom from formality, all catered to the tastes of a younger, newly-wealthy, luxury-loving clientele, including the media, art and movie-world celebrities who were to become members of the Piaget Society, Yves Piaget’s international circle of famous jet-set friends. At the same time, ornamental stones, with their natural markings, exuded an earthiness that chimed with the prevailing interest in the natural world. There was a touch too of the otherworldly or supernatural about their wondrous primal beauty that resonated with the futurism of the ‘60s.

The success of these models encouraged Piaget to pursue their pioneering path of innovation and ingenuity. The variety of ornamental stones enabled the Maison to open the door to personalisation, once again anticipating the cult of individuality that dominated the late 20th century design world. The Style Selector, introduced in the mid-1960s, offered a demi-bespoke service, allowing the client to compose her own jewellery watch, from a choice of gold bracelet, a dial either in gold or in one of the ornamental stones – tiger’s eye, lapis lazuli, malachite, opal, mother-of-pearl, coral, rhodonite or ruby root – and different styles of roman or Arabic numerals. Finally, there was a choice of cut and size of the diamonds for the bezel encircling the case and dial.

Since then, Piaget’s art of colour has continued to gather momentum, along with its mastery of skills, of cutting, slicing, polishing ornamental stones. Exceptional skill and mastery of material and technique are required to cut the stones to the required thinness (down to 0.4 mm) and precision of form, and then polish them to a glossy sheen, to bring out the individual markings; the jeopardy in the process means there is a high risk of breakage.

2026, a living legacy
Today, Piaget’s Art of Colour shines out through three striking colourways that connect to the Maison’s history. On one side, the shades of blue, a tribute to Piaget’s signature colour, which now adorn the Sixtie on a strap, the Piaget Polo 36mm in pink gold or the Andy Warhol watch with a set of blue quartz dials. Another Andy Warhol model, sought-after collector’s item, offers a choice of dial and case: a warm, reddish brown bull’s eye, with shimmering chatoyancy, in a studded Clou de Paris case, launched in 2024 in a white gold version.

Following the reintroduction of the cuff watches and Swinging Sautoirs in 2023, a new High Jewellery adaptation of the Sixtie reinvents the iconic 1970s cuff watch using one of Yves Piaget’s favourite stone to echo the Piaget Society, the opal with its many hues, within the softly contoured trapezoid form of the Sixtie. The playful asymmetry hand-engraved with Piaget’s famous Decor Palace. Reigniting this spark of self-expression, Piaget also reinvents the 1972 Kimono pocket watch as three Swinging Pebbles necklaces. Each of the three sculptural, asymmetrical, pebble-shaped watches, swinging on hand-made twisted gold chain, is expertly carved from an ornamental stone, golden tiger’s eye, grass green verdite or pietersite, the case and dial fully integrated into the stone, turning the watch into a tactile, personal treasure.

But Maison Piaget also celebrates its High Watchmaking by introducing The Altiplano Ultimate Concept Tourbillon, now integrating an ornamental stone into its record-breaking 2mm profile. The stones are mounted on components integral to the movement, necessitating a cleaning process to remove residues without causing any damage to the stones. An operation performed using a 0.15mm needle (the finest utilized by Piaget), which demands exceptionally careful handling and meticulous assembly. The rich mellow brown model, with pink gold, incorporates honey-hued tiger’s eye, and reprising the 1960s Style Selector, the Maison also offers a choice of case, of four colours, and a choice of four ornamental stones, tiger’s eye, blue sodalite, jade, and onyx, along with other personalised details. A fittingly thrilling, characteristically audacious finale to Piaget’s 2026 rich legacy of ornamental stones.

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SHAPE SHIFTER

The unveiling of Piaget’s 21st Century collection in Basel in 1969 was a watershed moment for both watches and jewellery, a moment when the distinction between a watch and a piece of jewellery bent like a mirage, shimmering in perpetual movement, the two disciplines no longer disparate. Under the eye of designer Jean-Claude Gueit, Piaget timepieces throughout the 60s and 70s became jewellery pieces without limits, their faces wrought in ornamental stones of dazzling colour, their shapes exaggerated as ovals, rounds, and cushion, and that now iconic trapeze. Their homes? Long, naval-skimming sautoirs, forearm spanning cuffs, golden cages or engraved bracelets for daily life, softly resting on the wrist. The era became defined by the play of shapes, colours, and textures, the gold intricately tooled to evoke the sparkle of light on water, the texture of wood, the graphic shapes of architectural building blocks. The expression of telling the time was no longer stagnant, but static and ever-changing. The rigour of a timepiece met the fluidity of a jewel – at once constant in its role, yet ethereal in its form. Time telling in the hands of Piaget had thrown off all constraints, and danced into a new, avant garde world of time-telling jewels.

ADORNED TIMES

The brand new Sixtie, launched in 2025, celebrated its origins : a jewel to grace the wrist, no longer defined purely by its role as a timepiece but its position in the pantheon of Piaget’s iconic jewellery watches as conceived in the 1960s – a timepiece as fluid as a jewel, its lines unmistakeably feminine yet with a wink to its masculine counterpart also adorned with gadroons, the more symmetrical cushion-shaped Andy Warhol watch.

Forgoing the precious metal bracelet of the original, these two new versions see the Sixtie anchor itself in the most maritime of hues, on deep blue alligator straps calibrated for all times. Chicly unembellished, the gently gleaming, dark blue strap accentuates he minutely detailed gadroons that swoop around the bezel, each one individually etched into soft, satiny pink gold, the perfect foil to the strap’s depth of colour. Linked by the new ardillon buckle, also trapeze shaped and decorated with the same sweeping gadroons, the blue straps encase two variations of dial; the first, a silvered solar satin brushed dial, sprinkled with golden roman numeral markers. A bright light against a deeper, darker hue. The second, in keeping with Piaget’s prowess with ornamental stone dials, unveils a face in blue quartz. Exceptionally hard to maximise longevity, the material is also distinct in its markings – a rich, marbled blue veined with darker streaks, each one entirely unique and perfectly in tune with the blue alligator strap. A new blue dial to echo the vibrant turquoise dial which was unveiled in 2025, marking again the fusion between the best of both worlds: dressing the jewellery watch in a magnetic ornamental stone dial. The result? Chic, distinctive, and effortless.

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