Welcome to another instalment of our regular series where we cover all of the new watches released over the past seven days, Watches of the Week. In this week's instalment we'll be featuring new watches from Breguet, Glashütte Original, Tudor and Blancpain. Enjoy!
Breguet Classique Double Tourbillon 5345 Quai De l’Horloge
New from Breguet is the Classique Double Tourbillon 5345 Quai De l’Horloge. Encased in 46mm by 16.80mm of platinum with a coin-edged case middle and box crystal, the Classique Double Tourbillon 5345 Quai De l’Horloge is as spectacular as it is intricate. One of the most complex mechanisms ever developed by Breguet, the Classique Double Tourbillon 5345 Quai De l’Horloge features two tourbillons connected by a central differential, meaning that the interconnected organs are able to perform a double revolution while simultaneously driving the tourbillon bar which is also the hours hand. The back of the watch is solid gold and engraved with the building at 39 Quai d'Horloge, where Breguet's maison was located for so many years. One of the finest, most complex watches to be unveiled this year, the Classique Double Tourbillon 5345 Quai De l’Horloge is a brilliant example of true haute horlogerie from one of the kings of watchmaking. The Breguet Classique Double Tourbillon 5345 Quai De l’Horloge is priced at $631,000USD.
Glashütte Original Alfred Helwig Tourbillon 1920
From Glashütte Original is the classical Alfred Helwig Tourbillon 1920. Drawing inspiration from the historic models built by Helwig and his students, the Alfred Helwig Tourbillon 1920 does away with the typical theatrics of a tourbillon movement by placing it at the rear of the watch. The rose gold case measures 40mm across and features an onion-shaped crown that further accentuates its classical look and feel. The only give away that there is something more than it seems is the inscription of "TOURBILLON" in the small-seconds sub-dial. The tourbillon is finely crafted and draws all the attention, especially against the somewhat restrained finishing of the three-quarter plate. The Glashütte Original Alfred Helwig Tourbillon 1920 is limited to only 25 pieces and is priced at $183,050AUD.
Tudor Royal Collection
Featuring an integrated bracelet and a crenelated bezel, the new Tudor Royal Collection is a step into the world of all-metal sports watches. There are a variety of models and sizes, but my focus here is on the Royal Day-Date. Available in three dial variations and two metal variations, the Tudor Royal Day-Date offers quite a bit for what is, relatively speaking, very little. It features a day-date complication in two separate window apertures with a railway minute track and Roman hour numerals. The blue dial model is my pick of the collection, and I actually really like the oddly patterned bezel. The Tudor Royal Day-Date is powered by the ebauche ETA 2834 movement, enabling Tudor to price the piece from a very approachable 2,200CHF.
Blancpain Bathyscaphe Additions
Blancpain has added two new additions to its Bathyscaphe stable. The first is the Bathyscaphe Day Date Desert Edition. Designed to evoke the Nevada Desert in the USA, the Bathyscaphe Day Date Desert Edition features a sunburst sandy brown dial with all the tell-tale signs of a typical Fifty Fathoms timepiece, including those blocky rectangular hands, oversized crown and sharp lugs. The second piece is the Bathyscaphe Flyback Chronograph in a unique green version which extends from the dial to the bezel and to the stitching of the strap. Its metallic look is accentuated in different lighting environments, and like the Bathyscaphe Day Date Desert Edition, the Bathyscaphe Flyback Chronograph has all the tell-tale signs of a traditional Fifty Fathoms timepiece.
Richard Mille RM 27-04 Tourbillon Rafael Nadal
To celebrate a partnership with tennis megastar Rafael Nadal that spans over a decade, Richard Mille has unveiled the RM 27-04 Tourbillon Rafael Nadal. Made out of an alloy called "TitaCarb", the RM 27-04 Tourbillon Rafael Nadal is actually comprised of a movement that weighs 3.4 grams. The total weight of the RM 27-04 Tourbillon Rafael Nadal is 30 gram. Featherweight indeed. The cable-suspended movement is a sight to behold and with respect to the RM 27-04 Tourbillon Rafael Nadal's ultra light mass, the movement is the main reason for that. The weave of the cable-suspended movement is actually inspired by the tennis racket but still retains Richard Mille's innate ability to handle insane accelerative forces (the RM 27-04 Tourbillon Rafael Nadal can tolerate in excess of 12,000 Gs!). The skeletonised movement also gives a full and uninterrupted view of the manually wound tourbillion which in itself is a marvel. All up, the Richard Mille RM 27-04 Tourbillon Rafael Nadal will cost an eye-watering $1,050,000USD and will be limited to only 50 pieces.
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