Housing an ultra-exclusive movement - the very first made entirely in the Armin Strom workshop and boasting a 7-day power reserve - the One Week collection embodies the brand's high level of excellence. The movement is partially engraved, chamfered and hand-polished in the purest Armin Strom tradition to highlight the richness of its mechanism. The visible crown wheels and hand-setting mechanism, the main elements of the three-part dial, give this highly recognizable timepiece its technical and innovative style. The series is available in four versions - Earth, Water, Air and Fire - and limited to 100 of each.

Maximilian Busser, the founder of MB&F, has just sent me the first photos of the newest MB&F watch engine which will power the Horological Machine No4 (HM4). It will be available for viewing, next week, during Baselworld 2010. The MB&F HM4 Thunderbolt timepiece is scheduled to officially be released July 2010. "As this image of the Engine of Thunderbolt reveals, Horological Machine No4 will feature a calibre that is a complete departure from any watch movement known today." The design of the piece appears to be inspired by a Star Wars or Star Trek ship. Whatever the inspiration, as usual, the design is anything but usual.

The 103 collection is celebrating its 7th and final anniversary as Urwerk will be shutting down its production at the end of the year. As Martin Frei says, "Our 103 collection is entering its seventh year. It has reached its maturity and fullness. It was Urwerk's first masterpiece, one of audacity and challenge. In my opinion, it is the one that symbolises to this day the perfect balance between elegance and technicity. A fragile balance, but one which we have succeeded in preserving. This emblematic model deserves an end commensurate with its life." The "Tarantula" is back in a final attack that takes the form of the "Mexican Fireleg". This is a UR-103T that has returned to the animal stage - aggressive and venomous - and that is racy with its orange luminescent markers. It comes in a limited edition of 60 timepieces and, for the Shining T version, inspired by the world of Manga, a limited edition of 33.

Altanus will be releasing this quartz chronograph with slide rule bezel at Baseworld next week. I was really surprised when I saw the price on this one. It looks like a great entry-level watch.

A sporty model guaranteed to make an impact has now been added to Altanus' emblematic Elite collection. The generously-sized case features a very contemporary bezel and pushpieces, offering a perfect setting for the animated dial. An extremely dynamic ensemble that is given impressive depth by the slide rule on the flange.

The year 2010 marks the 125th anniversary of Saint Honoré. What could be more appropriate to celebrate this event than launching a limited series of watches embodying the brand's history and savoir-faire?

Six exclusive pieces are the result of Saint Honoré's passionate pursuit of this purpose, guided by two principal ideas: to revisit certain aspects of the watchmaker's classics - Orsay, Monceau, Haussman - and to add a generous dose of the best of Saint Honoré spirit. This spirit is summed up in four qualities: Parisian style, Swiss watchmaking tradition, innovation, and audacious design.

Xetum is a hybrid Swiss watch brand, designed and incorporated in California, with all timepieces being produced in Switzerland. Like so many recently launched small watch brands, they sell to their clientele exclusively via the web. This network-based organizational structure is a great way to offer customers quality products, at more reasonable prices than many of the bigger brands.

Christophe Claret's Dual Tow timepiece is one of my favorite ultra complicated watches. It has so many unique features and is just so fun to look at, as it performs its many timekeeping functions. Check out this 3D Dual-Tow video which he released last year.

Christophe Claret will be exhibiting at Baselworld this year, and I will be getting some close-up images of one or more of the new DualTow watches. And my friend Bastien Roger will be getting some HD video of the DualTow for inclusion in a short film, sponsored by ProfessionalWatches.com, that he is producing during Baselworld 2010 (expected to be released near the end of March).

Lisa Roman, Marketing Director at Breitling, just sent me this:

"We are happy to bring you a sneak preview of the new Bentley Masterpiece
being unveiled at Baselworld 2010. Please see the attached release
which details the unique features of this one-of-a kind pocket-watch.

In the past, our unique pocket watches have been sold at auction or to
private clients in the range of $250, 000 to $300,000."

I have not confirmed the details on this new Chanel timepiece, the J12 Retrograde Mysterieuse. But apparently Giulio Papi (of AP Reaud & Papi) headed the team that created this unique watch to celebrate the anniversary of Chanel's iconic J12 collection. The resulting limited edition timepiece is surely the most desirable J12 watch ever. And most complicated. The case is made of ceramic (a signature of the J12 collection), but the open-worked dial, tourbillon and retractable vertical crown are the standout features of this watch.

In a deliberate departure from the traditional principles of horological design, the L.U.C Engine One Tourbillon houses an exceptional movement designed and made from A to Z at the Chopard Manufacture, machined like an engine block and mounted on silent blocks. To celebrate the brand's 150th anniversary, this mechanical titanium thoroughbred has been produced in a limited series of 150.

Just received this press release from the TX Global Brand Director, Stephen Scholz. This is the soon to be released TX 650 Series GT Fly-back Chronograph. It will be officially unveiled at Baselworld in about two weeks. This will surely be one of the feature introductions at the TX Baselworld booth this year.

For Immediate Release-- Design couples with technology. In stores Spring 2010, the new TX GT fly-Back Chronograph series revolutionizes the world of premium quartz analog timepieces. Inspired by the world of luxury motor sports, the TX GT Fly-back Chronograph is the convergence of high-performance engineering and superior craftsmanship. Intuitive technology is housed in dynamic, sleek design, creating a benchmark for the TX watch collection. Protected by a premium sapphire crystal, the TX 650 Series introduces an intricate multi-layered dial; with finely crafted hands, exposed date display and bold color statements, every aspect of the design serves a purpose. The proprietary TX fly-back chronograph movement allows for the measurement of successive timing intervals at the push of a button, accurate within one fifth of a second. The 24-hour second time zone option is a necessity for the adventurous spirit. Embracing the TX heritage for forward-thinking watch making, the 650 Series GT Fly-back Chronograph is designed for speed and engineered with passion.

These are preview images of some of the new watches TX will introduce at Baselworld 2010. Many of the timepieces look even more refined than last year's offerings. In fact, this year for the first time, TX will be introducing a premium clasp on some of their models with straps. Even with what appears to be a further step up in quality and features, prices are still very reasonable ($750 or less). The quality-value ratio is extremely high. Best of all, though, TX watches have a distinctive look that is refreshingly appealing.

LINDE WERDELIN, the leading sports watches and attachable instruments manufacturer, is proud to present a new addition to the Oktopus family, the Oktopus Moonphase complication. Powered by a Frédéric Piguet movement (caliber 1150) and with a moonphase complication built by Danish-born Svend Andersen, this is a unique combination of design and craftsmanship, which depicts the moon phases with photorealistic luminous discs and gives a countdown to the next half or full moon.

With a titanium case and a rose gold bezel and details on the dial, the new Oktopus Moonphase has been designed in a classic yet innovative way to show seven phases of the moon from new to half and full. The moon phases are entirely made out of Super LumiNova enhancing the effect and placed along 4 and 8 o'clock to maximize dial legibility.

I constantly read and learn about some of the oldest writstwatch companies in the world, companies from the seventeen and eighteen hundreds, but I never would have guessed that Invicta was a company with such heritage. Invicta was actually founded in 1837 in La Chaux-de-fonds, Switzerland by Raphael Picard, who had the radical notion that fine Swiss timepieces could be offered at modest prices. For more than 100 years, Invicta has created affordable manual and automatic mechanical timepieces. However, the brand almost disappeared during the quartz crisis in the early 70's. In 1991, like so many current brands, descendants of the original founders re-established the brand.

Oris will be launching this cool new military inspired and tested watch at Baselworld 2010. Not sure why it is so big, but it does look pretty rugged. And it is made of titanium, so at least it is fairly light.

The Col Moschin Italian Special Forces tested a vital tool on their challenging training missions: the Col Moschin Limited Edition from Oris. These elite troops wore this new instrument, with its ProDiver base, on their parachute jumps from 9,000 metres and their dives to 40 metres. And when tested on marches and missions in hostile territory, it successfully met every challenge. Anti-magnetic properties guarantee precision in the air, while water-resistance is ensured down to 1,000 metres. The patented "Rotation Safety System" provides an additional element of security under water, while the titanium case with its tungsten ring provides total resistance in all circumstances.