Jason Pitsch

Alongside the debut of the 1957 Trilogy Limited Editions, at Baselworld 2017 – including a 38 mm Railmaster model – Omega also launched the all-new Seamaster Aqua Terra Railmaster collection. The Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra “Railmaster” Co-Axial Master Chronometer comes in a stainless steel case measuring 40 mm x 12.65 mm with symmetrical brushing, brushed bezel, and sandblasted crown with embossed Omega horseshoe emblem. A domed sapphire crystal protects the dial. The caseback is solid and features a special (patent pending “NAIAD LOCK” manufacturing technique the keeps the back oriented, which in this instance means the embossed Seahorse medallion stays upright everytime it is screwed-in. Water-resistance is 150 meters. Available in either black or stainless steel, each dial is vertically brushed and features recessed hour markers filled with “vintage” luminous material with blue emission. The hands are in brushed stainless

Similar to the Speedmaster Racing that Omega debuted in 2012, the new Speedmaster 38 Co-Axial is powered by in-house caliber 3300 and offered a price point under five thousand dollars. Distinguished by horizontal oval subdials and a vertical oval date display, the dial takes inspiration from several De Ville timepieces. The steel case measures 38 mm in diameter, with an 18 mm lug width, and features a mixture of brushed and polished surfaces. A box-type sapphire crystal protects the dial and is surrounded by a fixed tachymeter bezel. A seahorse medallion is stamped on the screw-in solid steel caseback. Water-resistance is 100 meters. Inside, is Omega’s entry-level in-house automatic, caliber 3300 which beats at 4Hz and features a Si14 silicon balance spring, free sprung balance wheel, a column wheel, and NIVACHOC shock absorber. The 31 jewels Co-Axial movement has a

The new Heritage Black Bay 41 comes with a slimmer middle case and fixed polished steel bezel for a more dressy look than the standard Black Bay collection. As with all Black Bay watches, this is inspired by past divers’ watches from the 1950s and 1960s. A black lacquer dial with applied rhodium plated luminous indexes, and rhodium plated luminous hands, including the signature snowflake hand. This is a no-date model, and unlike the rest of the Black Bay collection, which is currently powered by manufacture movements, this model has been equipped with a more budget friendly ETA 2824 caliber that is good for 38-hours. To keep the lines clean and maintain the elegant look, the sapphire crystal is flush with the bezel, which along with the thinner case making it easy to slide this watch under a shirt cuff.

Independent Swiss watch manufacture Armin Strom debuted one of the most interesting timepieces of 2016, distinguished by its unique dual regulation system that increases precision through “resonance.” Resonance was studied in the context of watchmaking as early as the 17th century, when Christiaan Huygens (1629-1695), inventor of the pendulum clock, first discovered that two separate pendulum clocks, when hung from a common beam, synchronized, thanks to resonance (two oscillating bodies in close proximity influence each other and eventually synchronize). Abraham-Louis Breguet later also explored resonance and subsequently created a double pendulum resonance clock. According to Armin Strom, there are three main benefits of resonance. First, it creates a stabilizing effect on timekeeping which improves accuracy. Second, it conserves energy. Third, it reduces the negative effects of timekeeping accuracy due to outside disturbances, such as shock to the balance staff, which

Chronopassion Paris, whose owner, Laurent Picciotto, was in the news lately for selling his watch collection via Phillips Watches, has been completely renovated. The watch store has been in business since 1988 and has become famous for doing things their own way. Stocked with a selection of the some of the best watch brands in the world, and presented in an innovative space with a knowledgeable staff, Chronopassion has made a name for themselves worldwide. With that in mind, it is no surprise that Picciotto and his team installed these cool carousel watch displays that rotate in the front windows, mesmerizing passersby, drawing them to the windows, and ultimately into the store. Located at 271 Rue Saint Honoré, 75001 Paris, France, the store continues to set trends in the industry and I am sure we will be seeing these

California-based, Singer Vehicle Designs, a company that specializes in tasteful Porsche 911 restorations – has teamed up with watch designer Marco Borraccino, and watchmaker Jean-Marc Wiederrecht, to create a mechanical chronograph for use at the track. Presented in a tonneau-shaped titanium case that measures 43 mm by 15 mm, the Track 1 exterior features brushed and polished surfaces along with a leather rally-style strap with metal eyelets. Under the hood, is the AgenGraphe movement (that is currently only used in one other watch, the Faberge Visionnaire), produced by Agenhor. Consisting of 477 components and beating at 3Hz the automatic movement (caliber 6361) measures 34.4 mm x 7.18 mm and features a central chronograph display that, as you might expect, focuses on the chronograph, not the time. It is a wristwatch, though, and so while the timekeeping has been deemphasized, it

After setting the stage for the past five years with annual debuts of new variations to the three-hand Black Bay collection, which you can see in our archives, this year, Tudor, dropped their first Black Bay Chronograph. Presented in the same size case, that measures 41 mm in diameter, and is available in stainless steel, the new Chronograph has a thinner fixed bezel, as opposed to the standard Black Bay line which is thicker and rotates unidirectionally. Plus, it is steel, which apart from the new Black Bay Steel, is completely different from all existing Black Bay models which are steel with a colored aluminum insert. One design feature I personally like the most is the engraved tachymeter scale, which is reminiscent of a Rolex Daytona or 1970s Tudor Monte Carlo. The design feature I like the least is the

Originally launched in 2004, the 1815 Chronograph is essentially a Datograph without a date. A model refresh in 2010 saw the 1815 Chronograph receive a new silver dial, without a pulsometer scale, with slightly larger sub-dials, and a redesigned movement that incorporated a larger power reserve of 60-hours and the company’s in-house balance spring (as opposed to a Nivarox sourced spring). Today, the company has announced an 1815 Chronograph with the latest movement, same as the 2010 model, and a new jet-black solid-silver dial, rhodium plated hands, and a pulsometer scale like the original from 2004 (and similar to this boutique edition). But with the new larger sub-dials, like on the 2010 version. The white gold case measures 39.5 mm x 11 mm, like the 2010 version, whereas the 2004 model is slightly thinner at 10.8 mm. Crafted in German

Girard-Perregaux first produced a luxury sports watch with octagonal bezel and integrated bracelet in 1975, during an era known for iconic watch designs. Just last year they relaunched the Laureato, inspired by that 70s model, with a “Clous de Paris” dial, that is akin to the Royal Oak’s “Grand Tapisserie” dial, at Baselworld 2016, in one size. For 2017, Girard-Perregaux followed that one timepiece up with an onslaught Laureato timepieces, in 4 sizes: 34 mm, 38 mm, 42 mm, 45 mm. The 34, 38, and 42 mm models are all basic three-handers with a plethora of variations within each size. The 34 mm model is targeted towards women and comes with strap or bracelet, in steel, two-tone, or rose gold, most of which come with diamonds. Next size up is a 38 mm diameter, targeted at both men and women,

This October, Phillips Watches will host their first ever watch auction in New York, highlighted by a timepiece that will surely garner the attention of the worldwide watch collecting community. Aurel Bacs, in association with Phillips, will be auctioning the most coveted Paul Newman Daytona, possibly of all time: Paul Newman’s actual Ref. 6239 Rolex Daytona. Worn and owned by the actor himself, this incredibly collectible Rolex Daytona was manufactured in 1963, and less than 3,000 were made in this particular combination: white dial, black subdials, red “DAYTONA” text and outer chapter ring. The back even has a special engraving from his wife. Past Rolex Daytonas have been sold by Phillips for record-breaking seven-figure sums, so the fact that this variation is rare, already means it is likely to fetch an enormous sum. Add to that the provenance of being