Little did she know however, that about a decade later, MB&F would unveil the HM11 Architect, a piece that has truly blurred the lines between watch and home. She’s still proven to be correct – I can’t live inside this watch, but it is the closest that we will ever get to a watch that has been truly designed in an architectural manner.

From jellyfish, to vintage cars, battle axes and bulldogs, Max Busser draws inspiration from all walks of life. As with all Horological Machines, the watches are a representation of Max Busser’s imagination that is firmly set in the 20th Century. Inspired by the architecture of the 1960s with its curvilinear forms, the HM11 features a distinctive movement design that influences the exterior of the watch – with four pods extending out from the centre.

Posing the question of “What if a house was a watch?”, the HM11’s four pods are the ‘rooms’ of the watch, each featuring a distinct display. Three of these pods house the time (hours and minutes), power reserve (which, like the time pod, uses polished aluminium rods and spheres to display information) and an unusual mechanical thermometer that functions through the use of a bimetallic strip.

The fourth pod is the crown, which seals the watch from ingress of dust and water, but due to its size, is made much more functional with a system of 8 gaskets that make it as easy to use as a regular watch, but with a much larger size that fits the “pod” aesthetic of the HM11. Furthermore, the watch uses a total of 19 gaskets to seal the watch, including a three dimensional gasket that follows the distinctive shape of the watch. Even with its curious structure, the watch remains at 42mm in diameter, with its sapphire and titanium construction.

Housed within the watch is a calibre specially designed for the HM11, that contains a central flying tourbillon. Curiously, the watch is wound by turning the entirety of the case – this provides more torque to wind the mainspring, with every 45 degree turn winding the watch for 72 minutes at a time, for a total of 96 hours of power reserve. The watch is completely wound after 10 full revolutions of the case.

The movement is also suspended by custom springs that sit between the movement and the bottom shell of the case, providing a shock dampener for the movement. These springs are specially alloyed steel with a focus on high hardness, which have their origins in the aerospace industry. As mentioned before, the watch also includes a rare mechanical thermometer that works through a bimetallic strip – the strip expands and contracts with the rise and fall in temperature, and is linked with a rack and pinion system to display the temperature (this is also available in Celsius or Fahrenheit variations).

The HM11 continues Max Busser’s work in making watch enthusiasts smile. Whilst the design might be polarising, and indeed, all of MB&F’s work, connoisseurs cannot help but marvel at the process of thought, design and execution that MB&F put into each of their machines. Looking at MB&F’s track record, it is clear then that they truly believe that a creative adult is a child who survived, and the HM11 is the future dream home of that child.

As far as the sports chronograph goes, the industry is filled with so-called icons – some for racing, others are more known for their adventurous natures. Angelus however, has undergone a resurgence in the last few years, and has introduced an icon of its own – the Chronodate. A model that carries the history of Angelus, the modern Chronodate is thoroughly contemporary with a sporty appeal that brings the brand firmly into the present.

The heyday of Angelus can be traced to the early to mid 20th Century, where they created movements for wristwatches, as well as 8-day travel clocks, with their movements being famously adapted into wristwatches for the Italian Navy. In 1942 Angelus released the Chronodate – the first chronograph with a calendar function. These watches would also feature day and month in apertures at 6 and 12 o’clock.

The Chronodate marked the first production chronograph that featured a calendar, and went on to become an iconic chronograph from Angelus – fervent collector appreciation for these original Chronodate watches (renamed Chronodato in 1943) is present in vintage enthusiasts, and it holds a very special place in the hearts of collectors from a historical perspective.

The modern Angelus Chronodate adheres to the codes of the original model, with the calendar displayed on the periphery of the dial, and indicated through a central hand with a red-tipped arrow. It also features a bi-compax chronograph display, with running seconds and minutes at 9 o’clock and 3 o’clock respectively. This however, is where the similarities end with the original 1942 model – gone are the day and month apertures, which cleans up the dial considerably.

The case measures in at 42.5mm and is hewn from titanium or red gold – its modular construction enables a carbon composite container to house the dial and movement. Sporty chronograph pushers made of carbon are also modern in their appearance with engravings of start, stop and reset on the sides and top of the pushers. The watch is available with a rubber strap or a titanium bracelet, which is minimalistic in appearance, yet bold with its strong horizontal lines. 

Housed within the modern titanium and carbon composite case is the A500 chronograph movement. With La-Joux Perret at the helm of manufacturing the movements for Angelus, the brand has a great stable of engineers to draw from to have an exceptional movement. In the case of the Chronodate, the A500 movement is a column wheel controlled chronograph, equipped with a vertical clutch for jitter-free chronograph operations. The movement also beats at 4Hz, and is capable of 60 hours of autonomy.

The Angelus of today is definitely not the Angelus of the mid 20th Century. Whilst this may have some purists shaking their fists at management, it is not always good to be entirely copying from the past. While Angelus has had its moment of vintage re-issues through the collaboration with Massena Lab, its great to see that Angelus is balancing heritage with modernity in its flagship Chronodate model. This is a model that happily straddles this line, and we can only hope that the Chronodate line continues to be modern and contemporary for fans of the brand.

Embarking on a number of projects to highlight their independence, Horage is putting their best foot forward as the youngest movement manufacture in Switzerland. Mission Independence represents the brand’s next step in establishing their position in the rarefied world of luxury watches, with three distinct projects that place Horage squarely in the realm of a sustainable watch manufacture. As part of Mission Independence, the new Yi Diamond Watch is Horage at its most luxurious, but with as much thought given to the origin of its gem-set case, as well as its manufacture movement. 

Nature provides the luxury industry with gold, iron, sapphires, rubies, emeralds, pearls and diamonds for the maisons to produce their exceptional creations. However, mining for these materials can cause significant damage to the environment, with large pit mines pockmarking the landscape. Lab-grown diamonds represent a way to enjoy these gemstones, without the geological damage that comes with it. Horage made their discovery of lab-grown diamonds when they were searching for a company to diamond-coat their movement components, which landed them at the Nano Energy Technology Centre (NETZ in the local German parlance).

Not only was Horage able to work with NETZ in creating a hard-wearing component with a diamond coating, but they were also able to create a gem-quality diamond through Chemical Vapour Deposition. Structurally identical to diamond with its Carbon-based cubic lattice atomic layout, lab-grown diamonds were ruled as real diamonds by the FTC in 2018 – Cubic Zirconias (CZs) differ from these as they use Zirconium Dioxide in the crystalline structure of the stone, making them chemically different. 

The lab-grown diamonds used in the Yi are graded in the same way as naturally-occurring stones, with 17.48 carats of diamonds used, falling within the D-G colour grades, and IF-VVS clarity gradings. In total, 100 of these stones are used, and are invisibly set into a square 18k white gold case. Measuring in at 36mm x 35mm, the square is an unusual choice, but to highlight the baguette cut diamonds, it works for this watch.

The diamond setting also extends down to the lugs, giving the watch an air of Art Deco. 

The dial features applied Arabic numerals and white gold hands that are also set with diamonds 6 diamonds – two for the hour hand, and four for the minutes hand. It also features a nano-rainbow dial accentuated with a vertically brushed finish. The watch is delivered on an interchangeable eel leather strap – another unusual choice for the watch, but one that is rooted in the pursuit of sustainability.

Housed within the diamond and white gold case is the K1 movement, which has been mainstay of the Horage collections since its introduction in 2015. Made visible through the sapphire crystal caseback, the movement has been kept simple in its display – while the K1 movement is capable of 18 different configurations with different combinations of complications, the Yi only displays hours and minutes.

The K1 beats at 3.5 Hz, has a 65 hour power reserve, and houses a silicon escapement for a prolonged service interval and increased reliability of the movement. Its rotor is decorated with the molecular structure of diamond, along with a humpback whale, signifying Horage’s commitment to sustainability. The caseback ring is engraved with the message “With our love, we could save the world.” – fitting for a watch that is aimed at changing the way that watch enthusiasts perceive luxury.

For a watch named after the Chinese Book of Changes, the Yi is certainly a watch that encourages watch enthusiasts to rethink the way they think about luxury watches – from the origin of its gemstones, down to the components of the movement. Whilst unconventional in its presentation, the Yi does signify that Horage has its heart in the right place – to do good whilst creating watches according to their codes and the path they set for themselves as a manufacture. Horage now joins a rarefied stratosphere of brands that have truly put their money where their mouth is in the realm of sustainability by making the jump to lab-grown diamonds with the Yi, which also goes to show where the thoughts of the management team at Horage is at. It’s clear that Horage has the makings of a brand with transparency in mind, and the Yi is certainly a watch that displays this philosophy to the watch community – we hope to see more of this accountability by the brands in the not-so-distant future.

Technical Specifications:

Case: Invisible fancy baguette diamond setting on 18k White Gold

Dimensions: Diameter of 35mm x 36mm

Crown: 18K white gold

Crystal: Domed and beveled sapphire with multiple anti-reflective coatings

Case Back: Sapphire crystal with multiple anti-reflective coatings, printed with „With our love, we could save the world.“

Dial: Vertically brushed with nano-rainbow printing with applied Arabic numerals

Hands: White gold diamond inlay hour and minute hands 

Bracelet/Strap: Interchangeable eel bangle or leather strap with buckle

Movement: K1 automatic, 3.5 Hz / 25,200 VPH, silicon escapement, 65-hour power reserve, 22 Jewels, chronometer accuracy (-4/+6 seconds per day) 

Rotor: Gold rotor finished with a laser design of a diamond‘s molecular structure, oceans and the earth

Water resistance: 3ATM (30 meters)

Built by the Micro Artist Studio, this part of the Shinshu facility was first formed in 2000, with their stated purpose of “uncovering, examining and mastering the technologies and skills passed on by our predecessors for the production of luxury watches, so that world-class Japanese watches could be created. Their creativity and mastery of watchmaking techniques led them to their most notable watches, the Credor Minute Repeater and the Eichi and Eichi II models, showcasing an incredible mastery of finishing techniques and the craft of watchmaking itself. The Micro Artist Studio would then go on to make their first Grand Seiko watch in 2016, and 2019 would be the year that they unveiled the Calibre 9R02, which makes an appearance in this year’s white birch inspired model.

The SBGZ009 features a fully engraved case in 950 platinum, which is hand engraved by artisans of the Micro Artist Studio, inspired by the white birch forests of the Yachiho Plateau near the Kita-Yasugatake mountains.

Echoing the bark from these white birch trees, the engraved pattern on the case is also echoed on the dial of the watch that features engraved font for the Grand Seiko logo and the star indicator above 6 o’clock that denotes that the hour markers and hands are crafted from 14k gold. The watch is remarkably slim, at 38.5mm in diameter, and 9.8mm thick, with a curved sapphire crystal that accentuates the curves of the case.

Housed within the elegant case of the watch is the 9R02 calibre, crafted by the Micro Artist Studio. This differs from many of the Spring Drive watches that come out of the Shinshu Watch Studio, in that the finishing is a number of notches above a standard (if it can even be called that) Spring Drive movement. Featuring rounded chamfers and sharp internal angles, the Micro Artist Studio actually learned these techniques when Philippe Dufour came to visit the studio near the time of its inception. In the early days, this finishing was achieved with branches from an imported Swiss Gentian plant, however, the studio has long since found a local Japanese replacement, thus making this watch even more worthy of the title “Made in Japan”. The watch also features an 18k gold plaque that is hand engraved with “Micro Artist”, however this can be customised, should the owner wish for it. 

The 9R02 calibre features an 84 hour power reserve, thanks to its double barrels and its Torque Return System, which recycles energy that is wasted due to high torque when the mainsprings are at a high state of wind. Regulated by the Spring Drive system, its tri-synchro regulator ensures the power of mechanical, with the precision of quartz, accurate to one second per day. A power reserve indicator can also be seen on the back – an apt placement that does not disturb the harmony of the dial-side symmetry.

Limited to 99 pieces worldwide, Grand Seiko continue to redefine what it means to be a watch made in Japan – pushing the boundaries of what their studios are capable of, and making watches that are distinctively Japanese. The Grand Seiko SBGZ009 is an exemplary model of this philosophy, taking inspiration from Japan and the skills housed within the Micro Artist Studio to the extreme, showcasing a truly Japanese watch. It is always exciting to see what this “cupboard under the stairs” produces out of the Shinshu Watch Studio, and this watch is another piece that demonstrates that this little atelier as part of the Seiko behemoth is capable of showing Japanese watches to the world.

Technical Specifications

Exterior

Movement

Functions

The Team 

For the ART01, the team is led by Didier Bretin, a name that may or may not be familiar to followers of Greubel Forsey. The watchmaker-constructor of the Signature 1, his unique experience in engineering movements as well as incorporating the technical and visual codes of the brand into a watch gave him the right to lead the charge on Artime’s first watch that will set the tone of creations to come. He also comes with watchmaking experience from Philippe Dufour, and Audemars Piguet – brands renowned for their finishing and respect for traditional 

The rest of the team comprises former high-ranking AP Renaud & Papi watchmaking alumni, Stephane Maturel and Manuel Thomas, as well as Audemars Piguet alumni Claude Emenegger and Fabrice Deschanel who have been Creative Director and a board member of the company respectively. Rounding out the team is Emmanuel Jutier who is their sales and marketing specialist, cutting his teeth at the Swatch Group, FP Journe and at Greubel Forsey. 

The six members of Artime have been quietly working behind the scenes of watch brands, and with their powers combined, aim to bring a collegial nature to watchmaking, and to apply watchmaking art practically.

The Watch, and The Manifesto – ART01

The goal of the ART01 is to serve as the foundation of the Artime brand with the desires of freedom and inventiveness being the overall guiding principles behind every Artime watch. It seems that each Artime watch will be unique in its design and expression.

The ART01 is a watch defined by skeletonisation and openworking, with a case that alternates between transparent sapphire crystal and a titanium case middle that incorporates the lugs. The movement is crafted out of white gold that has a one-minute tourbillon located at 6 o’clock, and its skeletonisation enables an educational view of the watch, and how the power from the mainspring flows to the regulator. The bridges are also ever-so-slightly arched, with bases cut like blocks to give the sense of a solid, interlocking structure, whilst maintaining the flowing curved lines.

From a technical perspective, the tourbillon is particularly of interest, with its double-balance spring arrangement. There are a number of theoretical advantages to a double-balance spring: improved moment of inertia, more regular concentric breathing of the balance spring and less stress on the pivots – all of which lead to better precision of the movement. The movement comprises 261 components, with a power reserve of 80 hours, and beating at a frequency of 3Hz. With a number of ex-APRP personnel, it would only make sense that their design sensibilities carried over – in particular, the movement mode selector housed within the crown, with its distinctive Wind (R), Neutral (N) or Time Setting (H) indicator located at 3 o’clock.

The ART01 is the harbinger of things to come out of this dynamic team – this group of people are individuals who have contributed to great watches behind the scenes, but with their talents now fully focused on their own creations and styles, we can truly see the creativity that they have to offer. With this team behind Artime, the brand seems poised to take on the independent watch world, to show what is possible with a strong team of creatives behind a driving force of pushing the boundaries of what is possible technically and aesthetically.

Technical Specifications

ART01

Limited edition of 20 pieces only (in titanium) 

Recommended retail price: CHF 195,000 (excluding VAT)

Dimensions: Diameter 42 mm, height 11.4 mm

Movement: Hand-wound mechanical movement

  White gold bridges and wheels 

Components: 261

Jewels: 25

Semi-brilliant rubies and gold chatons 

Display/functions: Central hours and minutes

Small seconds on the tourbillon cage

Tourbillon

Function selector

Tourbillon: Three-dimensional architecture developed in-house, pillarless, hand-chamfered and decorated (patent pending)

Function selector: Satellite-type, with column wheel and coaxial pinions

Settings: N = neutral; R = remontage (winding), H = heure (setting the time)

Barrel: Barrel with slip springs, hand-chamfered and decorated

Power reserve: 80 hours

Balance: In-house design, variable inertia with regulating screws

Spring: Flat, opposite-facing double spring system by Precision Engineering AG

Frequency: 21,600 vph (3Hz)

Escapement: Right-angle lever escapement, gold escapement wheel

Movement component decorations

A ballet of decorations: straight-grained inner and outer flanks, sandblasted inner and outer flanks, circular-grained or satin-brushed top and bottom faces, polished chamfers, polished countersinks, mirror polishes

Case: Titanium with integrated sapphire case middle

Proprietary 360° panoramic view system (patent pending)

Bezel: Stainless steel, polished bevel, hand-chamfered, satin-brushed top and bottom faces, sapphire crystal

Case back: Titanium with sapphire crystal

Crown: Titanium with pusher to select watch functions

Water resistance: 3 ATM (30 meters, 100 feet)

Hands: Hand-decorated with luminescent Hyceram® ceramic (white by day/blue by night)

Hour track: Luminescent Hyceram® ceramic minute track inlaid in the sapphire crystal

Strap: Black grained calfskin, saddle stitching

Round black hour markers with luminescent Hyceram® ceramic centers

Clasp: Deployant clasp with secure comfort extension

Titanium, hand-chamfered and decorated

To complement this futuristic outlook on watchmaking, Angelus along with Massena LAB have dug into the archives and have revived the Chronographe Medical, a watch inspired by a 1960s original, and a limited edition of 99 pieces that contains some interesting watchmaking.

What really enables the Chronographe Medical to have its vintage charm is the Calibre A5000, which has its roots with a legendary trio of independent watchmakers. A company by the name of THA with Vianney Halter, Denis Flageollet and Francois-Paul Journe at the helm, created the original design of this movement – further refinement would be made by Journe, and the rights of this movement would then be sold to La Joux Perret, the owners and revivers of Angelus.

This particular version of the movement visible through the sapphire crystal caseback features a one-minute monopusher chronograph that has an integrated construction, and a running seconds sundial with no minute counters providing a very clean look.

The Chronographe Medical is constructed from 316L surgical stainless steel – fitting for doctor’s watch, and measures in at 39mm in diameter, and 9.22mm in thickness. This gives the watch great everyday wearability, and a design that is even able to be worn as a dress watch.

The dial is an opaline silver finish, in keeping with its vintage inspiration, and the dial font is even more evocative of vintage watches with its serif styling. The dial also features a pulsometer and asthmometer – scales that measure heart rate and respiration rate respectively. These two scales take pride of place on the watch, to the point where the timekeeping functions of the hour markers and minutes scale are pushed further towards the centre of the dial. The aforementioned movement also increases this focus on the scales by removing the minutes counter that is normally featured on this calibre. Tying it all together in this vintage guise are the dauphine hands that featured on the 1960s original, giving it a sense of refinement. The watch is delivered on a Novonappa calfskin strap, with a pin buckle.

Massena LAB continues to give watch lovers a reason to sit up and look, and William Massena has made us pay attention to a storied manufacturer that has been sleeping on its heritage. With the Chronographe Medical, this heritage is awakened, and although this is clearly disparate to its current collections, it is undoubtedly a good exercise for Angelus to have this historical remake in its catalogue as a point of pride of their past achievements.

As a vintage inspired piece, the Chronographe Medical has made many a watch lover reconsider their position on the brand, and we hope their history will be on full display in the near future.

Technical Specifications:

Functions: Hours, minutes, small seconds at 9 o’clock, one-minute monopusher chronograph, pulsometer and asthmometer scales

Movement

Calibre: A5000, hand-wound mechanical

Jewels: 23

Diameter 29.40mm

Thickness: 4.20mm

Power Reserve: 42 hours

Frequency: 3Hz

Finishes: Mainplate: Circular grained, palladium finish. Bridges: Cotes de Geneve, Palladium finish and chamfered. Wheels: Circular Grained, 2N Gold Plated. Screws: Polished

Dial: Domed, silvered opaline. Medical decals in black, green and red. Black minute circles. Rhodium-finish applique indexes and Arabic numerals. Hour markers in green-emitting Super-Luminova

Case

Material: 316L Stainless steel

Diameter: 39.00mm

Thickness: 9.22mm

Crystal: Box sapphire, anti-reflective coating on both sides

Case back: Flat sapphire, anti-reflective coating

Water resistance: 30 metres

Strap

Material: Golden brown Novonappa calfskin, ecru stitching, hand-stitched

Buckle: Pin buckle, stainless steel

Limited Edition: 99 pieces

US Retail Price: USD 19,900

Pilot Big Date Flyback

Taking centre stage for the Pilots collection this year is a watch containing a complication dedicated for use by pilots. The new Pilot Big Date Flyback incorporates a “retour en vol” system for the chronograph – essentially, while the chronograph is running, pushing the reset button will allow for the chronograph to fly back to zero, and immediately start a new timing event. The two variants measure 42.5mm in diameter and come in stainless steel and black ceramic variants – the latter of which takes its inspiration from the past, whilst the ceramic version is firmly anchored in the present.

The stainless steel version of the two watches takes inspiration from the original Rainbow Flyback that was originally released in 1997. For ease of reading, the minutes subdial had its 5 minute intervals in alternating colours so that it would be easily distinguished – a design trait that carries over to the 2023 model. Another design quirk are the chronograph hands done in bright orange, again to aid in legibility. In contrast, the black ceramic model is monochromatic – the darkness of the corrugated dial against the white Arabic numerals, markers, date indication and chronograph subdials provide stark contrast for the watch, giving it excellent legibility. 

Turning the watch over, we see the El Primero 3652, a movement that incorporates not only a flyback chronograph beating at 5Hz, but also a big date mechanism that is unique to Zenith. Featuring a compliant mechanism for the two date discs, it advances and stabilises the discs within 0.03 seconds, changing the date faster than the blink of an eye. Automatically wound, the watch is powered through a rotor that takes its design inspiration from the artificial horizon readout in modern cockpits.

The watches are delivered on black rubber straps with a cordura effect – the black ceramic version is also delivered with a khaki rubber strap with cordura effect, and the steel version also comes with a brown leather strap. Both also come with a deployant buckle for ease of use, and are also equipped with a strap quick-change system to swap out the look of your watch with ease.

Pilot Automatic

A 40mm case in stainless steel or black ceramic provides the Pilot Automatic a robust platform for an aviator’s instrument for the wrist, and its distinct flat-top bezel is reminiscent of many pilots’ watches of the past. The stainless steel version has flat surfaces that are satin brushed, whilst the surfaces of the black ceramic version are micro beadblasted for a spec-ops style matte finish.

The dial takes its inspiration from vintage Zenith pilots watches, but anchors the design in the present – Arabic numerals make their mark on the dial, clearly defining the hours. These are filled with SuperLuminova for optimal night-time legibility. The date window at 6 is topped with a horizontal marker – this serves to orient the watch to ensure it is read in the correct manner, as well as a design inspiration from the artificial horizon readout in cockpits. The word “pilot” sits above this marker – Zenith is the only watch brand with the right to mark its dials with “pilot”, the sign of a true pilots watch. 

Housed within the stainless steel or black ceramic case is the El Primero 3620 –  a version of the El Primero that still beats at 5Hz, but does away with the chronograph complication. The movement provides a 60 hour power reserve, and is powered by an automatic winding rotor that takes its design inspiration from the artificial horizon readout in the cockpit.

The watches are delivered on a black rubber strap with cordura effect – the black ceramic version also comes with a khaki rubber strap with cordura effect, and the stainless steel version is delivered with a brown calfskin leather strap. Fastening the watch to the wrist is a deployant clasp, and the straps can be swapped around easily thanks to a quick-change mechanism built into the strap. 

The Zenith Pilots Collection for 2023 is firmly anchored in the present, but giving subtle nods to the past – through its “Pilot” designation on the dial, its legendary movement, as well as distinctive Arabic numerals that have been thoroughly modernised.

The chronograph version reflects the utilitarianism of the late 20th Century, for when a pilot needed a complex wrist instrument to time navigation waypoints, and the automatic version harks back to when Louis Bleriot crossed the English Channel. This collection proves to be a refreshing start for this key member of the Zenith family, and continues the tradition of making the one true Pilot’s watch.

Technical Specifications

PILOT AUTOMATIC

Reference: 49.4000.3620/21.I001

Key points: El Primero 3-hands watch. High frequency movement (5Hz). Fully interchangeable strap system.
Movement: El Primero 3620, automatic
Frequency 36,000 VpH (5 Hz)

Power reserve approx. 60 hours
Functions : Hours and minutes in the centre. Central seconds hand. Date indication at 6 o’clock. Finishes: Special “Pilot artificial horizon” black oscillating weight
Price 9500 CHF/SGD 14,000
Material: Black microblasted ceramic
Water resistance: 10 ATM
Case: 40mm
Dial: Black with horizontal grooves
Hour markers: Applied arabic numerals in SuperLuminova SLN C1
Hands : Black & white with SLN C1
Bracelet & Buckle: Comes with 2 straps: Black cordura effect rubber strap and a khaki cordura effect strap. Steel with black PVD coating triple folding clasp. 

PILOT BIG DATE FLYBACK

Reference: 49.4000.3652/21.I001

Key points: Automatic El Primero column-wheel chronograph with flyback function. Patented Big Date at 6 o’clock. Instanteanous Big Date jump in 0.007 sec (0.02 for discs jump & stabilization). Fully Interchangeable strap system
Movement: El Primero 3652, automatic

Frequency 36,000 VpH (5 Hz)
Power reserve approx. 60 hours
Functions : Hours and minutes in the centre. Small seconds at 9 o’clock
Instantaneous Big Date at 6 o’clock. Flyback Chronograph. 30-minute counter at 3 o’clock
Finishes: Special “Pilot artificial horizon” black oscillating weight
Price 13400 CHF/SGD 20,000
Material: Black microblasted ceramic
Water resistance: 10 ATM
Case: 42.5mm
Dial: Black with horizontal grooves
Hour markers: Applied arabic numerals in SuperLuminova SLN C1
Hands : Black & white with SLN C1
Bracelet & Buckle: Comes with 2 straps: Black cordura effect rubber strap and a khaki cordura effect strap. Steel with black PVD coating triple folding clasp. 

PILOT AUTOMATIC

Reference: 03.4000.3620/21.I001

Key points: El Primero 3-hands watch. High frequency movement (5Hz). Fully interchangeable strap system.
Movement: El Primero 3620, automatic
Frequency 36,000 VpH (5 Hz)

Power reserve approx. 60 hours
Functions : Hours and minutes in the centre. Central seconds hand. Date indication at 6 o’clock. Finishes: Special “Pilot artificial horizon” black oscillating weight
Price 7500 CHF/SGD 11,100
Material: Stainless Steel
Water resistance: 10 ATM
Case: 40mm
Dial: Black with horizontal grooves
Hour markers: Applied arabic numerals in SuperLuminova SLN C1
Hands : Black & white with SLN C1
Bracelet & Buckle: Comes with 2 straps: Black cordura effect rubber strap and a Brown calfskin leather strap. Steel triple folding clasp. 

PILOT BIG DATE FLYBACK

Reference: 03.4000.3652/21.I001

Key points: Tribute to the 1997 first El Primero Flyback movement & Model : the Rainbow Automatic El Primero column- wheel chronograph with flyback function. Patented Big Date at 6 o’clock. Instanteanous Big Date jump in
0.007 sec (0.02 for discs jump & stabilization). Fully Interchangeable strap system.
Movement: El Primero 3652, automaticFrequency 36,000 VpH (5 Hz)
Power reserve approx. 60 hours
Functions : Hours and minutes in the centre. Small seconds at 9 o’clock
Instantaneous Big Date at 6 o’clock. Flyback Chronograph. 30-minute counter at 3 o’clock Finishes: Special “Pilot artificial horizon” black oscillating weight
Price 11400 CHF/SGD 17,000
Material: Stainless steel
Water resistance: 10 ATM
Case: 42.5mm
Dial: Black with horizontal grooves
Hour markers: Applied arabic numerals in SuperLuminova SLN C1
Hands : Black & white with SLN C1
Bracelet & Buckle: Comes with 2 straps: Black cordura effect rubber strap and a Brown calfskin leather strap. Steel triple folding clasp.

Independent watchmaking has never been hotter – and what a time it is to see so many flourish! Amongst watch enthusiasts, there is a certain “je ne sais quoi” about independent watchmaking and why enthusiasts love it so – it could be that the creator’s vision for their watch is purely their own, that labour and skill is more easily visualised because the team is so front-and-centre, or where their background influences the creation of the watch. Whatever it may be, to understand independent watchmaking is to delve into the machinations of the mind of the creators and to understand their worldview of horology. Sylvain Pinaud is one such watchmaker who’s watches are a reflection of the man himself, and in collaboration with Massena Lab, has created a new version of the Chronograph Monopoussoir, a watch lauded for its technicality, in more classical guise.

Sylvain Pinaud is a name in independent watchmaking that people should be following very closely. French by birth, he attended watchmaking school in Morteau, and after a brief sabbatical travelling South-East Asia, he landed himself a role at Franck Muller where he would rotate between workshops for complications, before landing in a position in after-sales service. He would later find himself working for Carl F. Bucherer, developing prototypes of new complications, before striking it out on his own. Before his time at Carl F. Bucherer, he worked for a clock restorer that was connected to THA (Techniques Horlogeres Appliquees) – the very same THA with Vianney Halter as one of the key founders. Through Pinaud’s excellent work producing exceptional timepieces, Vianney Halter recommended him to join the AHCI (Academie Horlogere des Createurs Independants), where Pinaud is now a candidate for membership. 

Pinaud’s achievements in watchmaking should be more than enough to qualify him for membership into the AHCI – in 2022, he would win the Horological Revelation prize at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie Geneve (GPHG) for his Origine watch, and in 2019 would be the Laureate of the Meilleurs Ouvriers de France (MOF) for the original version of the Chronograph Monopoussoir. For context, the MOF celebrates the best craftspeople in different categories, most famously for culinary skills (think of the prodigious chefs like Joel Robouchon and Paul Bocuse), but encompasses other categories such as precision techniques, which watchmaking comes under. With all of these achievements, it’s no wonder this up-and-coming watchmaker caught the eye of William Massena of Massena Lab – what originally meant to be a personal commission, has garnered enough attention to be turned into a 10 piece limited edition run.

The Massena Lab version of the Chronograph Monopoussoir is styled to be more classical in its appearance whilst still retaining some of the characteristics that made this watch unique. Classical style meant a more conventional case design with a round shape, with lugs (in comparison to the original Chronograph Monopoussoir that featured a more futuristic style with hidden lugs).

However, the character of the original watch is preserved, with a sapphire crystal caseband that enables viewing of the movement’s three-dimensional architecture. Measuring in at 42mm in diameter and 11mm thick, the rest of the watch is crafted from titanium, and also features a sapphire crystal caseback giving a great view of the frosted bridges and the slow beating balance wheel oscillating at 18,000 vibrations per hour. 

On the dial side, the watch features the hours and minutes at 12 o’clock, running seconds at 8 o’clock, and a 45 minute counter for the chronograph at 4 o’clock, taking inspiration from vintage marine chronometers. The dial in particular is made by Comblemine, the dial factory of none other than Kari Voutilainen. The lower half of the dial is made to exhibit the amazing steel levers of the chronograph that have been expertly straight-grained and bevelled, as well as the countersunk jewels. Hands associated with timekeeping are kept in the natural colour of steel, whereas indications associated with the chronograph have blued hands so that they are easily distinguished. 

Movement-wise, as the name suggests, is the column wheel controlled monopusher chronograph movement that gave Sylvain Pinaud his fame, beating at 2.5Hz, with a 45 hour power reserve, and a chronograph actuated by the pusher set into the crown. All of the haute horlogerie finishes can be observed from all angles, including sharp internal angles for all chamfers, straight graining of all steel parts, and countersunk jewel slots. The watch is delivered on an aged calf leather strap that has been specially made for Massena Lab by Jean Rousseau.

Sylvain Pinaud has only been on the scene as an independent watchmaker for a short time of four years, but he has managed to win two prestigious awards for his craft, and is on his way to being the one to watch in the coming years. It seemed like fate that William Massena and Massena Lab spotted his craft – but like we mentioned earlier, independent watchmaking is labour intensive, with this piece limited to three pieces per year by production and limited to ten in total. Through this version of the Chronograph Monopoussoir, we at ISOCHRONO believe that his appeal has only widened, bringing a greater audience to his works that will hopefully inspire more unbridled creativity from him in the years to come.

Technical Specifications

Chronograph Monopoussoir Sylvain Pinaud x Massena LAB

Movement:
Manual-winding, single pusher column-wheel chronograph with horizontal clutch. 18,000 half oscillations per hour (2.5 Hz).

Functions: Hours, minutes, small seconds, monopusher chronograph with 45-minute counter.

Case: Titanium. Polished bezel with grained lugs for visual contrast. Sapphire crystal window panels on the sides of its titanium case, allow for the dial to be viewed from additional angles.

Dial: A fusion of modern design with vintage aesthetics inspired by marine chronometers. Hand-finished chronograph mechanism is left exposed and can be admired by the wearer.

Crystal: Sapphire crystal. Exhibition caseback also in sapphire crystal.

Bracelet: Aged calfskin, made in France by Jean Rousseau Paris for Massena LAB.

Price: CHF 130,000

The Classic Power Reserve Big Date Manufacture sports four unique guises to celebrate this monumental anniversary – two limited editions in precious metals and two in stainless steel that will be produced regularly. Measuring in at 40mm, the precious metal versions will come in platinum and rose gold, in highly limited numbers of 35 and 350 respectively. The platinum model in particular is made even more equal than its brethren by a navy blue meteorite dial – each of these dials will be unique depending on the way that the meteorite is cut and acid etched to reveal the Widmanstatten pattern (the crystalline structure of the dial that gives it its distinctive appearance). 

The rose gold and stainless steel models come with sunray finished dials – a more sober, yet classical style of dial that lends itself to the classical design of the watch.

The hour markers are diamond cut that give them distinct facets that play with light, and the dial features a complication at 3, 6 and 9 o’clock – a big date at 3 o’clock, moonphase at 6 o’clock and a power reserve indicator at 9 o’clock.

All of the watches are delivered on alligator leather straps, completing the very formal and dressy looks of the Classic Power Reserve Big Date Manufacture. 

The unsung hero of this watch is the Calibre FC-735 – as previously mentioned, it is Frederique Constant’s 31st manufacture movement since 1988. Boasting a power reserve of 50 hours, automatic winding and a beat rate of 4Hz, the movement is cleverly designed with all functions adjustable with the crown – no external pushers disturb the lines of the case, nor do they confuse the wearer as to what function is adjusted by which pusher.

This is a continuation of the Frederique Constant ethos of making affordable watches that don’t require specialist knowledge to operate.

This movement continues the mission of Frederique Constant, following groundbreaking movements like the Monolithic Escapement, Flyback Chronograph and their Connected movement. The new Classic Power Reserve Big Date Manufacture is a watch that is certain to appeal to those searching for value in their watches, without wanting to compromise on a manufacture movement and complications. Frederique Constant continues to offer compelling value for first-time watch buyers and value-seekers, and we are sure to be enthralled by their future manufacture movement endeavours.

Technical Specifications

References: 

FC-735MT3HPT (Platinum, Limited to 35 pieces)

FC-735G3H9 (Rose Gold, Limited to 350 pieces)

FC-735N3H6 (Stainless Steel, Blue Dial, Unlimited)

FC-735S3H6 (Stainless Steel, Silver Dial, Unlimited)

Movement: FC-735 in-house caliber, automatic, all functions adjustable by the crown, perlage & circular Côtes de Genève decorations, 50-hour power reserve, 28’800 alt/h, 32 jewels 

Case: Polished Platinum/18K rose gold/Stainless Steel 3-part case, diameter of 40 mm, height of 12,19 mm, scratch-resistant and anti-reflective convex sapphire crystal see-through case back, water-resistant up to 3 ATM/30m/100ft 

Dial: Navy blue meteorite (platinum model), Grey dial with sunray finishing (rose gold model), Blue or Silver with sunray finishing (stainless steel models), applied diamond cut indexes, hand-polished silver colour hour, minute and second hands, date window between 2 o’clock and 3 o’clock, moonphase at 6 o’clock, power reserve indication at 9 o’clock

Strap: Navy Blue alligator leather strap with matte finishing (platinum model), Dark Brown alligator leather strap with matte finishing (rose gold model), Blue alligator leather strap (stainless steel models)

Creating sports watches for over 140 years, Alpina has been criminally underrated for a number of years now. Their collections encompass Air, Sea and Land themes, built on the principles of impact resistance, non-magnetic, water resistant and a solid construction out of stainless steel. 2023 sees the brand honouring its 1930s heritage with the release of the Alpiner Heritage Caree Automatic 140 Years, a watch that draws on models from their archives, enriching their collections through a tangible connection to their heritage.

This new series of watches not only draws inspiration from a 1938 reference, it also draws inspiration from a tribute made to this model. June 2023 saw the release of just 14 pieces of this re-creation, each housing an authentic period movement – the Calibre 490, housed in silver. Carrying on the spirit of Art Deco, the new Alpiner Heritage Caree Automatic 140 years evolves this aesthetic, keeping its design rooted in the past, but updating the functionality and wearability for today’s taste.

Taking this inspiration from the 1938 model, and the recently created tribute, the Alpiner Heritage Caree presents in an Art Deco style with a sector dial that was commonly seen in dial design in this era. Its rectangular stainless steel case measures in at 32.5mm in width, and 39mm in length, with a thickness of only 9.71mm, giving it elegant proportions.

Two dial variants are available, a black dial with gilt-look Arabic numerals, a circular sub-seconds track, and beige hands, as well as a two-toned silver dial variant, with black Arabic numerals featuring a serif font, and a more Art-Deco style square sub-seconds track. 

Both are powered by what Alpina calls the AL-530 calibre (a Sellita base movement) that is visible through a see-through case-back, with 38 hours of power reserve, and automatic winding, running at 4Hz. Both watches are delivered on a tan ostrich strap with white stitching, and is fastened by a pin buckle.

Taking inspiration from the past and the present, the new Alpina Alpiner Heritage Caree Automatic 140 Years is a natural evolution of a model that connects Alpina to its history, with two models faithfully harkening back to the days of Art-Deco. With these two models, the echoes of the Roaring Twenties come full swing, with elegance in form and function being the key elements of this watch. With these models, Alpina defines itself as not just a sports watch maker, and successfully draws upon its heritage to show that it is capable of diverse creations, and is worthy of the attention of any watch enthusiast.

Technical Specifications

References: AL-530BA3C6 (Black), AL-530SAC3C6 (Silver)

Functions: Hours, Minutes, Small Seconds

Movement: AL-530 Caliber, Automatic, 38 Hour Power Reserve, 28,800 alt/h, 31 Jewels

Case: Polished stainless steel 2-part case, Dimensions of 32.50×39 mm, Height of 9,71 mm, Anti-reflective convex sapphire crystal, Water-resistant up to 3 ATM/30m/100ft Engraved and see-through screwed case-back 

Dial (Black): Black dial with matt finishing, Beige printed Arabic numerals and beige graduation, Beige hour and minute hands, Small second counter at 6 o’clock with beige hand.

Dial (Silver): Silver dial with matt finishing, Black printed Arabic numerals and black graduation, Black hour and minute hands, Small second counter at 6 o’clock with black hand Strap: Light brown Ostrich leather strap with off-white stitching, Pin buckle