SIHH

This is the newest version of the Richard Mille RM 011 Automatic Flyback Chronograph “Felipe Massa.” It is now available in an ultra-light carbon composite case. It is powered be a caliber RM 011-S skeletonized automatic movement with adjustable rotor geometry. The functions include hours, minutes seconds, flyback chronograph, 60-minute countdown timer and annual calendar with date and month. The case measures 50 mm x 40 mm x 16.5 mm.

The chronograph allows the wearer to start or stop the chronograph via the pusher located between 1 and 2 o’clock, and its flyback complication allows it to be continuously reset — without stopping the chronograph like is required on standard chronographs — by pushing the second button located between 4 and 5 o’clock.

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Just last year, A. Lange & Söhne added a thin model to their Saxonia collection. Not just another thin model — at 5.9 mm in height — it is the thinnest watch ever created by the Glashütte based watchmaker. And now, the Saxonia Thin, which was originally available only in pink gold, is also available in a beautiful white gold case.

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Unveiled during SIHH, the Parmigiani Fleurier Pershing Tourbillon Abyss features a light weight titanium middle case, with a rose gold bezel and dynamometric screw-down crown (a patented mechanism which prevents overwinding).

Powering the Pershing Tourbillon Abyss is caliber PF 510, an in-house manufactured hand-wound 30-second tourbillon movement. It beats at 3Hz (or 21,600 vph) and thanks to two series-coupled power barrels, it has a huge one-week power reserve (168-hours). It has consists of 237 total components, 30 of which are jewels. The bridges feature Côtes de Genève decoration and are hand-chamfered.

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Introduced in January at SIHH, the Jules Audemars Extra-Thin now comes with a beautiful new silvered guilloché dial. The 18K pink gold case is 41 mm in diameter and a mere 6.7 mm thick with alternating brushed and polished finishes. It is an elegant time only dress watch, with just hours and minutes displayed by pink gold facetted hour markers and hands. The movement is only 2.45 mm thick — it has 36 jewels, 212 total parts a 40-hour power reserve and a frequency of 19,800 (2.75Hz). The bridges are hand finished with Côtes de Genève and the mainplate has perlage (circular graining). The oscillating weight is skeletonized in 22K rose gold, with a brushed finish.

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Beautiful

Oscar Wilde once wrote; “no object is so beautiful that, under certain conditions, it will not look ugly”. However, the Irishman clearly never saw this latest creation from Vacheron Constantin.

I could never envisage any condition where the graceful form of the Patrimony Traditionnelle Lady manual-winding could ever look anything other than beauteous. The Genevan brand made a bold statement to the assembled journalists at SIHH 2013. With only a couple of exceptions, all the novelties were aimed at female purchasers. Models were presented in both round and tonneau shaped cases, with mechanical and quartz movements and in some instances with lustrous enamelled dials.

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Piaget introduced the world’s thinnest Minute Repeater at SIHH this past January. They also added to their Altiplano line with the world’s thinnest automatic watch and movement with a date. Not only did they add a date, but they also reduced the case diameter from 43 mm to 40 mm for this particular model. In comparison to the larger 43 mm Altiplanos, the 40 mm model seems just right on my wrist (see below).

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Introduced in Geneva last month, the Greubel Forsey Art Piece 1 is an amazing collaboration between watchmaker and artist. It features a 30° inclined double tourbillion, combined with a micro-scultpture, created by renowned artist Willard Wigan. The sculptures that Wigan creates are so small they are not even visible to the naked eye. So, Greubel Forsey had to build a microscope into the timepiece. This is unchartered territory, so it was no easy task to produce a microscope that has a large opening and enough light for a human eye to see in, without making the optic too big that it would ruin the proportions of the timepiece.

By closing one eye and looking through the optical opening in the crown, one can enjoy a magnified view of the one-of-a-kind micro-sculpture through the 23x microscope.

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