Another week down, another round-up of all the newest watches in the past seven days in the next Week in Review instalment. The last week has been pretty interesting with the likes of Vacheron Constantin, Breitling, Omega and Chopard all releasing new pieces. Let’s get stuck in!
Vacheron Constantin Overseas Dual Time Prototype
Vacheron Constantin have just unveiled a one-of-a-kind Overseas Dual Time model, made of titanium and tantalum which has made the watch community drop to their collective needs. Created for Cory Richards, a Vacheron Constantin ambassador and well known photographer and alpinist, the Overseas Dual Time Prototype is a very functional, very utilitarian timepiece. The Overseas Dual Time Prototype features a titanium case with tantalum reinforcement sitting under the bezel. This rugged look extends to the highly texturized dial, whose blue-grey colour palette is offset by the orange dual time and AM/PM indicator hands. The Overseas Dual Time Prototype comes on a titanium bracelet and a Ventile cotton strap with orange accents, both made specifically for this watch. Fingers crossed we see a production version of it soon.
Breitling Premier B01 Chronograph 42 Wheels and Waves Limited Edition
Breitling recently celebrated its links to with the motorcycling and surfing world with their latest piece, the Premier B01 Chronograph 42 Wheels and Waves Limited Edition. Embodying the dynamic and refreshed look of the new B01 Chronograph line, the Premier B01 Chronograph 42 Wheels and Waves Limited Edition features a horizontally oriented chronograph layout with an anthracite dial, golden hour markers, hour and minute hands, along with a red central seconds hand. Surrounding the dial is a black tachymeter scale and sitting within the dial is a red seconds scale. The two black sub-dials are indicative of Breitling’s new Manufacture Calibre 01 movement which is COSC certified. The Premier B01 Chronograph 42 Wheels and Waves Limited Edition comes in two versions, one in stainless-steel and the other in red-gold. The stainless steel is made in a limited run of 500 pieces and costs 7,700CHF while the red-gold version will be available in a limited run of only 100 pieces and will cost 22,500CHF.
Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean Ultra Deep Professional
Omega’s affinity with diver’s watches is deep, no pun intended. And their latest venture into the depths proved to be a winner, absolutely annihilating the previous world record for the deepest dive set by the legendary Rolex Deepsea Special. Omega’s Seamaster Planet Ocean Ultra Deep Professional, whilst strapped to adventurer Victor Vescovo’s submersible, the Limiting Factor, managed to reach a depth of 10,916 meters down to in the Mariana Trench, beating the Rolex Deepsea Special by a whopping 12 meters. This record was set in as part of a cluster of deep-diving record-breaking missions, dubbed the “Five Deeps”, where Victor Vecovo will attempt to set five record-breaking dives in each of the world’s five oceans. Interestingly enough, the Seamaster Planet Ocean Ultra Deep Professional is actually rated to a mind-boggling depth of 15,000 meters, so I think it’s safe to say that it cruised through those depths comfortably.
Chopard L.U.C XPS 1860 Officer Royal Arms of England
To celebrate Chopard’s reopening of its iconic Bond Street flagship store in London, Chopard have released a limited-edition L.U.C XPS 1860, aptly named the L.U.C XPS 1860 Officer Royal Arms of England. Available in a limited run of only 8 pieces and exclusively available to Chopard’s UK boutiques, the L.U.C XPS 1860 Officer Royal Arms of England features a satin-brushed and high-grade polished 40mm wide white-gold case, contrasted by the darkness of its gold dial, finished with an anthracite galvanic treatment. The centre of the dial features a guilloche honeycomb pattern, the small-seconds sub-dial is snailed, and the Dauphine hands have been gilded. All in all, the look is really quite beautiful. The L.U.C XPS 1860 Officer Royal Arms of England also features a hinged officer-style caseback that’s been decorated appropriately for the occasion. Flick that open and you’ll see one of horology’s best time-only movements, the L.U.C 96.01-L micro-rotor powered automatic movement. Stunning.
Bulgari Octo Roma Monete Skeleton Tourbillon
What do you get when you shove a 2000-year-old coin into a super high-end timepiece? Well, in the case of Bulgari, you get the Octo Roma Monete Skeleton Tourbillon. Released in Capri last week, the Octo Roma Monete Skeleton Tourbillon is definitely one for the connoisseurs. The Octo Roma Monete Skeleton Tourbillon has an openworked dial that is covered by a hinged cover which accommodates the two-millennia-old coin. Bulgari have released two unique pieces in this collection, each of which portray the said coin tremendously well. I love the thought that went into this watch and combining a coin of such historic value and age within a platform that is so fundamentally complex really speaks volumes of Bulgari’s watchmaking capabilities. Two pieces, one made in rose-gold and the other in platinum, each costing 530,000CHF and 550,000CHF, respectively.
Ball Roadmaster Marine GMT
Available now for pre-order and set to be delivered from November of this year, Ball has introduced the Roadmaster Marine GMT, a Pepsi-themed GMT chronometer. Made of titanium, the Roadmaster Marine GMT’s 40mm case is exactly what you would want in a daily wearer: robust, rugged and looking like it can take a beating or two. Lots of sharp edges, rivets and precise lines, the case in itself is super impressive. The Roadmaster Marine GMT has two dial options, one in blue and the other in black, and to improve legibility in low-light situations, Ball uses tritium tubes as opposed to Luminova. The bold hour numerals, red dial accents and very “in” Pepsi-coloured bezel combined together make for a very impressive aesthetic. The Roadmaster Marine GMT is powered by an ébauche movement that actually features an in-house GMT module, so for that I applaud Ball. Priced at $2,495USD, the Roadmaster Marine GMT is available on a variety of bracelet and strap options and can be pre-ordered now.
Habring2 Perpetual Doppel
Combining a mono-pusher rattrapante (or split-seconds chronograph) with a full perpetual calendar, the Perpetual Doppel is the latest piece from the Austrian watchmaker. Habring2 has ensured that the Perpetual Doppel excelled but still retained the quintessential identity that makes all Habring2 watches as amazing as they are. The Perpetual Doppel is highly legible, super wearable and can easily be dressed up or down. Measuring 43mm across and featuring a vertically brushed silvered dial, the Perpetual Doppel is quite conservative looking, but it does pack a punch. Powering the Perpetual Doppel is the A11P, Habring2’s split-seconds chronograph topped off with the Dubois-Depraz perpetual calendar module. Well finished and tended to, the A11P isn’t going to turn heads, but there’s enough attention to detail to appease any potential buyer. The Perpetual Doppel is available on request and costs €21,500.
Rolex Celebrates Five New Laureates
Under the banner of a Perpetual Planet, Rolex is joining forces with key individuals and organizations to help find solutions to environmental challenges. Since the 1930s, Rolex has equipped pioneering explorers on expeditions to the world’s most remote places, the oceans and the highest peaks. As the 21st century unfolds, the era of pure discovery is changing to one of exploration as a means to preserve the natural world. Earlier this week, Rolex announced the 10 finalists of the 2019 Rolex Awards for Enterprise, which were launched more than 40 years ago to support pioneering men and women advancing knowledge of the world, improving human well-being and protecting our natural heritage. The five new Laureates are: João Campos-Silva, for his work in the sustainability of the resources in the Amazon; Grégoire Courtine, for his work in the field of spinal medicine; Brian Gitta, for his work on combatting malaria; Krithi Karanth, for her conservative work between animals and humans; and finally Miranda Wang, for her work on solving the issue of plastic pollution.