In the next Watches of the Week round-up, we take a look at a bunch of new goodies from the likes of Panerai, H. Moser & Cie, Omega and Parmigiani Fleurier, along with a very special collaboration between MB&F and L'Epee. Enjoy!
Panerai Introduces Six New Luminor Due References
A whopping six brand new models have been introduced into Panerai's contemporary Luminor Due family. Amongst the new pieces is something for everyone. From the petite and super light 38mm titanium model to the 45mm titanium beast with a power reserve and GMT indicator, there is enough variety in the new Luminor Due references to keep everybody entertained. There is even a 38mm wide Goldtech model with a beautifully clean while dial. Are we seeing a resurgence of the Panerai manufacture? I sure hope so...
Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda 1950 Lune
Parmigiani Fleurier has introduced two new Tonda 1950 Lune models. There is one clad in a rose gold case with a slate grey dial, and another with the same rose gold case, but with the addition of a diamond encrusted bezel and a mother of pearl dial. Both pieces are powered by the in-house PF708 movement and feature a Hermes strap, and both pieces the romanticism of a lunar complication exceptionally well. The slate grey dial model will retail for $26,900USD, while the diamond model will cost $34,400USD (both with options to add a rose gold bracelet).
H. Moser & Cie Pioneer Dual Window Perpetual Calendar
Building on the brand's very popular and very defining perpetual calendar (with a centrally located months indicator), the new Pioneer Dual Window Perpetual Calendar is perhaps an odd direction to take, but it's one that I think needs a bit of time to settle in. Instead of having a central months hand in the centre stack, H. Moser & Cie has removed that hand and replaced it with an aperture next to the date window just next to the 3 o'clock marker. This meant that H. Moser & Cie had to create a brand new movement, in this case it's the HMC 808 manually wound movement, boasting a very respectable seven days with thanks to its twin barrels. Available with either a Burgunday fume or a Funky Blue fume dial both encased in 42.80mm by 11.30mm of stainless steel, the Pioneer Dual Window Perpetual Calendar is priced at $63,150AUD.
Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra Ultra Light
Let's get one thing out of the way, and with that we acknowledge the $48,600USD elephant in the room. Yep, you read that right. Omega's new non-limited production Seamaster Aqua Terra Ultra Light will cost more than a solid white gold Rolex Daytona. But, let's look beyond it's price for now. First off and clad entirely in Gamma titanium, the Seamaster Aqua Terra Ultra Light weighs a measly 55 grams. So yes, it is ridiculously light. It now also lacks a date display and dial that has less weight, again contributing to the Seamaster Aqua Terra Ultra Light's weight loss. The Seamaster Aqua Terra Ultra Light is also powered by a brand new Master Chronometer certified movement made out of titanium and featuring an anti-magnetic resistance to 15,000 gaus. Again, exceptional. The Seamaster Aqua Terra Ultra Light wasn't received entirely well by the watch community at large, but let's consider the pioneering innovations that have gone into the watch. Its design, its engineering, its production and its execution. I think that the Seamaster Aqua Terra Ultra Light will lead the way for the next generation of Omega timepieces, and we're likely to see its innovations trickle down to a lot more of Omega's more affordable watches. Exciting stuff ahead, I'm sure.
MB&F x L’Épée T-Rex
Looking less like a T-Rex and more like Mike Wazowski from Monsters, Inc, the newest collaborative piece between the masterminds of MB&F and L’Épée is the T-Rex, an inventive and highly comical take on some very interesting watchmaking. Standing at just over 26cm in height and featuring a variety of materials like stainless steel, palladium-plated brass and bronze, the T-Rex is a super cool novelty. The T-Rex’s face, also described as a “Time Capsule”, is made of hand-blown Murano glass and is available in three distinct colour variations (bue, green or red). Interestingly enough, the T-Rex’s legs have actually been modelled from 3D scans of real fossilised T-Rex bones. Limited to only 100 pieces in each of its respective colour models, the T-Rex will cost 22,500CHF
G-SHOCK Extra-Thin GA-2100 Carbon Core Guard
A staple amongst both the novelist and the serious collectors out there, G-SHOCK is a name that carries as much weight as does Patek Philippe, Rolex and Audemars Piguet. In its own right, G-SHOCK is a core industry player, and its latest piece not only tests the bounds of how far it is willing to push its foundations but also how capable it is of pulling off trying tasks. The Extra-Thin GA-2100 Carbon Core Guard is just that, thin. At 11.80mm thick, it has a very low profile, but with thanks to its 45.40mm diameter, it still has a lot of wrist presence. The dial is a mixture of analogue and digital, and it comes in a range of colour options. Priced well, as always, and at $99USD it’s a kind of no-brainer.
Corum Admiral AC-One 45 Chronograph
Minor tweaks here and there can often make a world of difference. The face-lifted Corum Admiral AC-One 45 Chronograph now features two distinct models with a panda and a reverse panda dial. Retaining the foundational look of its predecessor, the Admiral AC-One 45 Chronograph is bold, modern and certainly in-keeping with the aesthetic of a desirable contemporary chronograph. The Admiral AC-One 45 Chronograph features a “Grenadier fendu” motif on its dial which is a unique pattern created by a team of designers at Corum. Offered in either titanium or rose gold and with the option of either a white or a black dial, the Admiral AC-One 45 Chronograph does have a lot to offer.