The next week is upon us, and while most of us are all still bleary-eyed trying to recover from the long weekend, we’ve put together a list of our favourite watches of the last week in our latest “Week in Review” round-up. In this collection of all things cool and new in the world of luxury watches we’ve got pieced from the likes of Zenith (again), Bremont, Glashütte Original, Audemars Piguet, Bell & Ross and a handful of other fresh goodies.
Zenith Defy El Primero 21 Boutique-Exclusive Limited Edition
An extension of their already very popular Defy El Primero 21, the new blue-themed boutique exclusive midnight black ceramic version provides a striking contrast of blues and blacks in a super stealthy package. Limited to only 250-pieces and available exclusively at Zenith boutiques, Defy El Primero 21 Boutique-Exclusive Limited Edition is fundamentally the same watch as the original Defy El Primero 21, bar the colour changes. It’s available on NATO or leather strap with blue stitching highlights, or on a blue rubber strap.
Bremont Supermarine S300 White
The Supermarine is by far one of Bremont’s most durable watches. The combination of its 300m water resistant rating and 40mm stainless-steel Trip-Tick case makes it the perfect watch for Nirmal “Nmis” Purja, one of Bremont’s ambassadors who recently embarked on a record-breaking attempt, scaling 14 of the world’s highest peaks. Each of these peaks exceeded the 8,000m high mark, and as such the Supermarine S300 that accompanied Nims would have had to withstand some pretty harsh conditions. The S300 White exceeded all expectations and served Nims well, enabling him to finish the expeditions in 7 months (the previous attempt took over 7 years!).
Graham Chronofighter Vintage Overlord
Available in a limited run of only 75 pieces, the Graham Chronofighter Vintage Overlord was made to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the infamous D-Day landing. The Chronofighter Vintage Overlord has a 44mm bronze case with sandblasting and stain-brushed finishing (made using an alloy used by the naval industry). The green dial has also been treated to a sandblasting, and provides a beautiful contrast of earthy colours, very much reminiscent of the army uniforms of that era. The dial also features numerals using the same font as of US Air Force.
Glashütte Original Senator Excellence Perpetual Calendar Bucherer “Blue Editions”
Glashütte Original have jumped on the Bucherer-blue train by adding the Senator Excellence Perpetual Calendar Bucherer “Blue Editions” into the mix. Featuring a gorgeous blue grained dial and a 42mm wide, 12.80mm thick stainless-steel case, the Senator Excellence Perpetual Calendar Bucherer “Blue Editions” works well on many levels of wearability. Low-key enough to wear every day, but more than capable of dressing up, too. Powered by Glashütte Original’s in-house chronometer certified calibre 36-02, the Senator Excellence Perpetual Calendar Bucherer “Blue Editions” is limited to only 50 pieces and is available now for €20,000.
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak RD2
Not an official release as we’re still waiting on Audemars Piguet for full pricing and specifications, but this is the first unofficial unveiling of the new Royal Oak RD2 belonging to @audemarsfamily founder, @horoloupe. Measuring a paper-thin 6.30mm in thickness and featuring a beautiful vertically brushed blue satin dial, the Royal Oak RD2 oddly enough doesn’t have the traditional Grande Tapisserie dial of most of the Royal Oaks, but the smooth satin dial does well to contrast with the high gleam polish of the bezel and vertically brushed case and bracelet. At 12 o’clock you have the moonphase indicator, at 3 o’clock there is the month indicator and the leap year indicator in the smaller register. At 6 o’clock you have the date indicator, and at 9 o’clock you have the day as well as the night/day indicator in the smaller sub-dial. The centre stack of hands display the passing hours and minutes, and while my usual nuance of no sweeping-seconds hand would normally override my compliments, in the case of the Royal Oak RD2 and its incredible slimness, I have no issue with its absence.
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar in White Ceramic
The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar in black ceramic was an overnight success, taking the market by storm, and even to this day it continues to gather momentum, with its price surging well beyond its RRP. Audemars Piguet have released the black ceramic’s polar opposite, in this case a white ceramic variant. Measuring 41mm across and 9.50mm in thickness, the Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar in White Ceramic is one cool cat. It has a blue Grande Tapisserie dial, offset well by the applied white gold and silver-tone printing. A touch of gold on the dial, as like the rotor on the caseback, would have been a nice addition and would have done well to break up a very sterile look. Otherwise, the Royal Oak Perpetual Calendar in White Ceramic can add another fan to its growing list of admirers. Boutique exclusive, not limited and available for $93,900USD.
Bell & Ross BR 03-92 Diver
As part of their instruments collection, the BR 03-92 Diver is quintessentially a Bell & Ross timepiece. From its very simple and direct look to the 42mm by 42mm wide square-shaped case, the BR 03-92 Diver absolutely oozes Bell & Ross’ distinctive style. The touches of orange on the dial and hour hand are a great addition and do well to add a bit of contrast into the mix. The case looks rigid and durable. The rubber strap continues on the BR 03-92 Diver’s theme of robustness, and all in all there isn’t much to complain about. Priced at $5,400AUD the BR 03-92 Diver finds itself smack bang in the middle of some stiff competition, but if you’re one who enjoys going against the grain, then you’re going to find it difficult to ignore the BR 03-92 Diver’s appeal.
Hautlence HL2.3 Punk
Most watches I like, some, well maybe not so much. The Hautlence HL2.3 Punk unfortunately falls in the latter. We often speak of watchmakers making their mark on the industry, taking the not-so-beaten path, doing things their own way, etcetera etcetera. But sometimes it’s a good idea to take a look at your product before you unveil it. Sure, you create something out of passion and often on a moment’s whim (maybe after a couple on a Friday afternoon) but doing something different for the sake of doing something different is rarely a good idea. The HL2.3 Punk seems to fit that bill, and then some. The original HL2.0 was a masterpiece. The HL2.3 Punk is a Frankenstein. 84 studs adorn the case, the “Circle-A” insignia of the Libertarian movement replaces the MOEBIUS symbol and the whole piece oozes tackiness. Definitely not a fan of this “rebellion-inspired” watch.
Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle Harrods Edition
Created exclusively for the Vacheron Constantin corner in Harrod’s Fine Watch Room, Traditionnelle Harrods Editions are each available in a limited run of only 20 pieces. The Traditionelle Self-Winding Harrods features a 38mm wide 18k pink-gold case with a guilloche dial, while the Traditionnelle Moon Phase Harrods sits in a 36mm wide pink-gold case with a bezel full of 82 brilliant-cut diamonds and also features a guilloche dial. The Traditionnelle Self-Winding Harrods is priced at $32,300USD, while the Traditionelle Moon Phase Harrods is priced at $47,500USD.
Hublot Aerofusion Chronograph Cricket World Cup 2019
To celebrate the Cricket World Cup 2019, Hublot have released the Classic Fusion Aerofusion Chronograph Cricket World Cup 2019. Aside from it looking like a typical Aerofusion Chronograph, the Aerofusion Chronograph Cricket World Cup 2019 has a few cricket-inspired additions to it. First is the rubber-backed grey leather strap with bright red stitching, not that dissimilar to a cricket ball. The second is the addition of three hour batons at 12 o’clock, of course representing the three wickets. The shape of the hands resemble cricket bats too, and on the sapphire crystal caseback Hublot have printed the ICC World Cup logo on it. Priced at $22,100AUD and available in a limited run of only 100-pieces, the Aerofusion Chronograph Cricket World Cup 2019 is hot property for all of our horologically inclined cricket fans out there.
Baume et Mercier Classima Collection Additions
Baume et Mercier have added three new complications to their charismatic Classima collection. The first is the brilliant Classima Chronograph Complete Calendar. The second is the super useful Classima Dual Time. And the third is the traditional Classima Small Seconds. I’m a sucker for complications, so the Classima Chronograph Complete Calendar is my pick of the three. Combining a chronograph, a full calendar, a moonphase and a 24 hour day/night indicator, the Classima Chronograph Complete Calendar represents amazing value, especially considering its day-to-day applicability and relevance. The Classima Chronograph Complete Calendar is priced from €4,100, the Classima Dual Time is priced from €2,550 while the Classima Small Seconds is priced from €2,250.
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