Another week down, another round-up of all the latest watches in our weekly instalment covering everything new in the world of watches. In this week’s article we have the latest watches from the likes of MB&F, Armin Strom, Bell & Ross and Panerai. Enjoy!
MB&F LM2 Red Gold & Blue
One of MB&F’s defining watches is back, better than ever and available in a super exclusive run of only 12 pieces. Clad in a 44mm wide, 19mm high 18k red gold case and featuring a gorgeous blue dial, the LM2 Red Gold & Blue is even more striking than its predecessors. The tried-and-true colour combination of gold and blue is generously applied throughout the watch, and while the new colour palette of the LM2 is a touch more luxurious looking than the other models, what remains constant is the innate qualities of the double “suspended” balance wheels, along with the meticulous levels of finishing throughout. Priced at 148,000CHF.
Armin Strom Minute Repeater Resonance
Armin Strom pulled out all the stops with its latest masterpiece, and the Minute Repeater Resonance certainly delivered on the promise of continued technical excellence and marks the manufacture’s 10th anniversary. The Minute Repeater Resonance is the world’s first and only resonance chiming wristwatch. Featuring a resonance and minute repeater, the Minute Repeater Resonance actually has two vertically-stacked independent movements, two forms of resonance (an oscillator and a sound propagation), two independent mainsprings in one barrel, all created by two development teams, one in Armin Strom for the resonance and one in Le Cercle des Horlogers for the minute repeater. Available in a limited run of only 10 pieces for a cool 380,000CHF.
Bell & Ross BR V2-94 Military Beige Chronograph
Bell & Ross has reinvigorated its V2 chronograph by adjusting some finer elements of its aesthetics. First off, it now features a sand-beige coloured dial with black Arabic numerals and red dial and hand hints. It comes on a satin finished and polished stainless steel bracelet or a canvas strap. It has a slim black bi-directional bezel with exposed mushroom pushers and semi-full crown guards. All in a super wearable package that can easily be dressed up or down. Priced from €4,2000.
Panerai Radiomir Military-Green Additions
Four new additions were introduced into Panerai’s very versatile Radiomir collection, all inspired by military-style watches and all featuring expansive matte green dials. Based on the 1940 model with its solid cushion-case construct and integrated lugs, the new military Radiomir models are very cool. Two time only models, one in a stainless-steel case and one in a black ceramic case, each with a small-seconds counter at 9 o’clock. And two GMT models, both in a stainless-steel case, both featuring an AM/PM indicator, with the only differentiating factor between the two being the model with the 72-hour power reserve displayed dial-side. Priced from €9,900 for the stainless-steel time only model all the way up to €12,900 for the black ceramic variant, with the two GMT models sitting between those price points.
Grand Seiko Spring Drive GMT SBGE248
An audacious attempt at creating something a touch more lavish looking but one that is wholly appreciated on our end, Grand Seiko has introduced the Spring Drive GMT SBGE248, a yellow gold beauty that truly exemplifies the direction that GS seems to be taking in this current market. Featuring a blue dial, blue bezel insert and yellow gold throughout, the Spring Drive GMT SBGE248 looks every bit of its $11,500USD price point. I would like to have seen a two-tone bracelet, but aside from that I’d be a very happy camper with this on my wrist.
Girard-Perregaux 1966 Blue Moon
Featuring a black DLC-coated stainless-steel case, a sun-ray brushed gradient blue dial and an in-house movement, Girard-Perregaux’s 1966 Blue Moon is a contemporary take on the true romanticism of watchmaking. The gradient style of the dial means that looking from the outer areas in, the blue shades change from dark to light. This brilliant look is offset by the cold steel of the leaf-shaped hands and baton hour indices, while the moonphase and date indicator at the bottom of the dial continues to add contrast, and information. The 1966 Blue Moon is priced at 8,950CHF which is actually quite reasonable considering that Girard-Perregaux has opted to use a manufacture movement.
Roger Dubuis Excalibur Spider Carbon Flying Tourbillon
The new Excalibur Spider Carbon Flying Tourbillon from Roger Dubuis features a full carbon structure, including the case, the movement and the bracelet. The skeletonised flying tourbillon is absolute mastery, and with regards to the use of carbon throughout, the Excalibur Spider Carbon Flying Tourbillon is as light as a feather. Full of presence and character, the Excalibur Spider Carbon Flying Tourbillon carries with it the quintessential look that we’ve all come accustomed to seeing from contemporary Roger Dubuis pieces. Pricing is yet to be confirmed, as is availability.
Cartier Santos-Dumont
There are watches that, as a collector, I feel you must at some point acquire. The Submariner. The Speedmaster. The Navitimer. The Portugieser. All are watches that have some kind of historical significance. And the Santos-Dumont from Cartier is another one to add to that list. Featuring a steel case, Cartier’s iconic beaded crown set with a blue synthetic cabochon-shaped spinel, a silvered satin-brushed dial, blued steel hands and a navy blue alligator skin strap, the Santos-Dumont is the archetypal watch, embodying classicism, masculinity and refinement in one very wearable package. This particular Santos-Dumont model is priced at $5,600AUD but there is a large variety of models available, too.
Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch in Platinum with the Caliber 321
How do you make the infamous Speedmaster even better? Clad it in a platinum case and use the legendary Calibre 321 to power it, did you say? Well, that’s exactly what Omega have gone and done. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 lunar landing, Omega has released the latest Speedmaster Moonwatch with a platinum case, platinum buckle, an onyx step dial, 18k white gold indexes and hands, along with three meteorite subdials (using real slices of moon meteorite). To top it all off, powering this new platinum Speedmaster Moonwatch is Omega’s infamous Calibre 321. No words on availability or pricing yet, but we can expect it to be low and high. Watch this space.