New York Giants fans hoping their team goes deep into the NFL playoffs this year can only sit on the sidelines (or couch, or recliner, or high-priced stadium seat) and cheer their star quarterback Eli Manning to victory. However, a lucky few of them can do so while wearing a Citizen watch made specifically for Manning himself.

Manning has been a fan and paid endorser of the Japanese watch brand for several years, even appearing on TV commercials that you may have seen during NFL games. But it was only this year that the Giants’ Super Bowl-winning QB has lent his name and jersey number to a timepiece, the Eli Manning Limited Edition Perpetual Chrono A.T, which features a dial in Giants blue and is limited to 2,000 pieces total (1,000 with a steel bracelet, 1,000 with a blue polyurethane strap).

The watch has a 42-mm case and a quartz movement that features Citizen’s signature Eco-Drive technology, which uses sunlight to recharge the battery. It also uses radio-controlled electronic timekeeping technology over five time zones. Its numerous functions include a 60-minute chronograph, perpetual calendar, alarm, and power reserve and AM/PM indicators. The steel caseback is engraved with a big number “10,” Manning’s jersey number for the Giants.

Manning and Citizen CEO Jeffrey Cohen unveiled the watch in November at an exclusive press event at Macy’s in midtown Manhattan, where the two posed for photos with both the watch and a giant check for $30,000 made out to the March of Dimes. Citizen is donating a portion of the proceeds from sales of the watch to the charitable organization, for which Manning acts as New York’s celebrity chairman. “We’re pleased to bring together a premier athlete such as Eli Manning with a premier retailer such as Macy’s to introduce a world-class watch,” Cohen said at the launch event. “Eli’s unstoppable approach to both his career and his life ideally reflect the ‘unstoppable’ theme of our Citizen Eco-Drive campaign. We also admire Eli’s leadership style, not only in sports, but also in his role as Celebrity chairperson for the New York Chapter of the March of Dimes.”

At the Macy’s launch event for Citizen’s Eli Manning Limited Edition Perpetual Chrono A.T (l-r): Jeffrey Cohen, President, Citizen Watch Company of America, Inc.; Eli Manning; Addison Saji, March of Dimes NY Division Ambassador Child; Shelley Siegel, Executive Director, March of Dimes New York Division.

The Giants’ Pro Bowl signal caller, who collaborated on the design, describes the Eli Manning Perpetual Chrono A.T as “my ideal watch” and even told WatchTime how it may help him stay in good graces of his notoriously punctuality-minded coach, Tom Coughlin. “I like to be able to look down and see the time and the date easily on the watch and I don’t like having to wind it,” he said. “Because it’s powered by light, a Citizen watch won’t ever stop or be slow or fast. It’s always going to be on time, which is important because Coach Coughlin makes us come to team meetings five minutes early. Wearing this, I know I won’t be a minute late!”

The model with stainless-steel bracelet costs $675 and the version with blue polyurethane strap is $599. Each watch comes in a box with a limited-edition card.

In November, shortly before the end of the NBA lockout, Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade joined Hublot at the opening of the Swiss brand’s new boutique in Bal Harbor, Florida to introduce his own Hublot watch, the King Power Dwyane Wade, to the U.S. market. Wade is donating part of the proceeds from sales of the watch — a limited edition of 500 pieces — to his children’s charity, the Wade World Foundation.

Wade, a seven-time All-Star who has won both an NBA Championship and an Olympic gold medal, took a few moments to speak with WatchTime about his contributions to the new timepiece, his appreciation of watches as a fashion accessory, and his off-court competition with other watch-loving hoopsters.

WT: How long have you been into watches and what is it you look for in a watch?
DW: I’ve always been a fan, but I think when I was younger I didn’t really get into “timeless” pieces, I was looking more for bling. But as I got older I started to understand more how much these watches really mean, how if you buy the right ones they can appreciate in value. [Collecting quality watches] became a thing that I wanted to do and now the opportunity to have my own watch is something I can’t even describe; it’s surpasses my dreams. So, I’m having fun with it.

WT: When did you first discover the Hublot brand?
DW: Around 2008 it just kind of came up in conversations, about how Hublot was an up-and-coming brand, how it was starting to make a splash over here in the U.S. I took a look at some of the product, like the Big Bangs, and said, “Ooh, I like it!” Eventually we got to the point where my team took a meeting with [Hublot CEO] Jean-Claude Biver and his team, and it was as if we’d known each other for years and we had some of the same things we believe in, especially with our foundations. Obviously, Jean-Claude is the man who took Hublot to where it is, in the sense of re-creating the brand. So I have actually been a part of the company for a few years behind the scenes before I came out with my own watch.

WT: Did Hublot approach you about the idea of having a Dwyane Wade-branded watch?
DW: It was something that both sides agreed on immediately when our teams sat down together in Miami. Probably, the hardest thing was thinking up a name. Finally, after so many different ideas, we settled on “Hublot King Power by Dwyane Wade.” The excitement of having a watch named after you, that you helped create, is just amazing.

WT: You said you used to be into bling and you’ve kind of moved on from that. What is it that you look for in a watch now, and how did those preferences influence the design of this watch?
DW: I think for me, as someone who puts on a jersey and also as someone who dresses up in a suit a lot of the time, I wanted a watch that was versatile. I think of myself as a versatile player, versatile when it comes to my personality and in the things that I’ve been associated with. So I wanted a watch that I could wear with shorts and a t-shirt and also something that, as a businessman, I could put on every day to go to work and feel just as comfortable with it.

WT: This watch has some really cool details: it’s got your jersey number (3), a basketball pattern on the watch face and another a basketball-net pattern on the strap; how many of those design touches came from you?
DW: We wanted to put some Miami Heat, some basketball, and some Dwyane Wade into this watch, but we also wanted to keep it classy. So we just added little bits like on the strap, which you see has that pattern like a basketball net. On the watch itself, we decided to put my number on the dial and then someone came up with making the whole dial look like a basketball, and I was good with that. The one thing a lot of people will see for the first time on it is my new logo, the Dwyane Wade brand logo. This was the first place that it’s been used [on a product], and it’s inside the watch as well, so there are a lot of different components.

The Hublot King Power “D-Wade” features a 48-mm black micro-blasted ceramic case, and sports the color scheme of Wade’s team, the Miami Heat.

WT: Have you ever been to the Hublot factory in Switzerland, and did you see any of the design or the production process?
DW: The conversations actually started when I was visiting the Hublot boutiques, first in Miami then in places like New York and Paris. When I did get over to Switzerland I didn’t go to the factory, but it was a back and forth process, with me looking at different designs and discussing them. I’m looking forward to being even more involved in the next watch; at least, that’s the plan right now. I’m very interested in that watchmaking process.

WT: You’re regarded as one of the more stylish guys in the NBA. Do you put a lot of thought into pairing certain watches with certain outfits, or do you keep it kind of casual?
DW: I definitely put thought into it. I’m the kind of person who always needs to coordinate, but not “all the way” coordinate. So when I put on an outfit, I make sure that the watch that I wear — and I have quite a few Hublots, as well as some others of different sizes and colors, so I don’t have to wear mine every day — stands out in the right way. The watch is one of the last things I put on, and it can make or break the outfit. I want to make sure the outfit is completed.

WT: I know that your teammate LeBron James is an Audemars Piguet ambassador and there are other NBA players who are into watches, as well. Do you guys ever talk or compare watches in the locker room?
DW: Yeah, we do! A lot of guys are into watches, always talking about pieces from different brands. Obviously, with LeBron and I being the faces of two different brands, it’s almost like being competitors, in a sense. It’s good to have those conversations, because we have a chance to check out each other’s watches and see what other brands are up to. Sometimes you’ll get “Oh, man, my watch is better than yours,” and stuff like that, but mostly we just respect each other’s choices.

WT: Do other players come to you for watch advice?
DW: I don’t think so. If anything, they mostly want to look and see what’s on my wrist. We all do that. I’ll look at people who I respect, and who I know are fashionable, and check out what watch they’re wearing.

WT: Jean-Claude Biver is a huge soccer fan. Have you managed to convert him to a hoops fan?
DW: That’s going to take a lot of work! You should see how excited he gets when he talks about soccer and the watches that Hublot has done [with soccer players]. We’ve gotten him to watch a few games, come out to a few events. If you know him, you know it’s easy to get him excited, but soccer is still his number one sport.

WT: Thanks for your time and good luck with the season.
DW: Thanks… I appreciate it.

Wade wanted a watch that he could wear with both a business suit and workout clothes.

Still seeking the right gift for the watch aficionados and other men of discerning taste on your shopping list? Check out WatchTime’s lineup of luxurious items and accessories for some last-minute ideas.

Orbita’s elegant Avanti 3 watch winder ($2,995) sports a redesign this year. In addition to its three rotators, it now includes three built-in storage drawers, perfect for stashing pens, cuff links, jewelry, and other watches not mounted on the rotators above. The veneers are constructed of fine Brazilian Rosewood (replacing the original’s Macassar) and the panels have real carbon-fiber trim. The three winder modules are self-programming and powered by five-year Lithium batteries. And, of course, the modules use Orbita’s patented Rotorwind system, which gently rotates the watches in a rocking, oscillating motion once every ten minutes. This motion ensures constant mainspring torque by replenishing the tension that the mainspring lost in the previous 10 minutes. www.orbita.com.

All images may be enlarged with a click.

Released as a companion accessory to its Répétition Minutes TriRetrograde watch, Milus’s cleverly designed key holder chimes the correct time — in the same distinctive tones as the watch — at the press of a button. The Milus Répétition Minutes Key Holder ($580) is available in either black anodized or silver-colored, glossed aluminum and includes a logo-engraved watch-movement rotor that is visible through a round, sapphire viewing window. Simply press the button (engraved with a Milus logo) to activate the chiming of hours (deep tone), minutes (high tone), and quarter hours (double-strike of high and deep tone). The sound, which is operated by a button-cell battery, is amplified to an ideal level by a built-in, integrated loudspeaker. The device also includes a USB socket on the side, and comes with a 50-cm USV cable, so the owner can synchronize the time by interfacing it with a computer. www.milus.com.

This year, Romain Jerome introduced its Moon Invader watch, which incorporated metal from the Apollo 11 moon-landing vehicle. It extends the lunar theme with this high-end writing instrument, the Moon Fighter fountain pen (price on request). The pen is made of Romain Jerome’s proprietary Moon Silver, an alloy of silver and officially certified moon dust, and also includes authentic traces of Apollo 11 metal. The sleek, curved barrel has 48 tiny rivets, and is topped by a cap with three small blades, giving the pen the look of a fighter aircraft or a rocket ship. Its tip is made of lightweight titanium. The aerodynamic look is enhanced by the pen’s docking station, which stands on fighter-plane-inspired curved wings. The Moon Fighter is a limited edition, with 888 pieces offered in all of its three versions: Black Metal, Vintage, and Heavy Metal. www.romainjerome.com.

Tequilas have joined Scotches and Cognacs as sophisticated sipping spirits. Among the worthy choices are Avión, distilled from blue Weber agave, grown in the highest elevations of Mexico’s Jalisco region and slow roasted in brick ovens to achieve a distinct richness of flavor. The Avión Añejo ($60, www.tequilaavion.com) is aged for two years and delivers a smooth, woody flavor interlaced with pepper, spice and hints of sweetness. Casa Noble is a certified-organic tequila produced on a family-owned distillery that dates to 1776. Its Casa Noble Crystal ($39.99, www.casanoble.com), bottled straight from the still with no additional aging, offers a clean, citrusy taste that leaves a buttery finish along with the sweet aroma of the agave from which it is distilled. Epsolón, a cult-favorite in its native Mexico, celebrates 200 years of Mexican independence with its artistic packaging, inspired by historical events and featuring the iconic rooster that symbolizes the country. Epsolón Reposado ($24.95, www.tequilaepsolon.com), aged six months in American oak barrels, is a bold-full-bodied, amber-colored spirit with pepper and spice overtones.

Sold at high-end jewelers and its own boutiques, Vertu creates luxury mobile phones aimed squarely at watch connoisseurs. This year it introduced its first smart phone, the Vertu Constellation Quest. Each phone is made by one technician and tailored specifically to the user’s needs. The uncluttered home screen displays essentials chosen by the customer (e-mail notifications, calendar, news feeds) plus the brand’s signature analog clock display. The Constellation supports multiple mailboxes and also includes the new vertu.me system, which offers the user a Vertu e-mail account. It features the Vertu Concierge service, a global network providing lifestyle assistance, in the user’s chosen language, 24 hours a day at the push of a button; and Vertu City Brief, a bank of information on 140 cities worldwide, offering advice, tips, and recommendations for world travelers. It’s got 40 GB of memory for plenty of document and image storage and works with multi-band GSM, 3G and HSPA coverage. Watch lovers will appreciate the sapphire crystal used in the high-resolution screen and keys, and the engine-turned pattern on the interior casing. Like a fine luxury watch, the Constellation is available in either surgical stainless steel ($7,900) or 18K yellow gold ($23,900) versions. www.vertu.com.

Underwood of London has been renowned for the high-quality craftsmanship of its Italian leather goods since its founding in Florence in 1926. In the 1990s, the company began making watch winders outfitted with its own “Underwood Modular Winding System.” The system uses patented motors from the Swiss company Maxon Motor AG, one of the world leaders in that type of motor technology, which ensure low noise and high-efficiency power consumption. Underwood’s Rotobox is available in briarwood, maple wood or leather finishes and has rotating modules for a single watch or two, three, six, eight, or 12 watches, depending on the model desired. Various models also include additional jewelry cases or drawers for additional watches. The model pictured, the Rotobox Six Module Unit, is 12 5/8 x 11 1/4 x 6 1/8 and retails for $6,750 ($5,750 in leather). www.underwood-london.com.

There’s nothing like a vintage Scotch whisky to warm the winter nights. Just in time for the holidays, the Glenrothes has released its latest single-vintage edition, the Glenrothes Vintage 1994 ($79.99, www.theglenrothes.com), blended from carefully chosen casks by malt master John Ramsay. It has an attractive golden-amber color, and combines the trademark Glenrothes flavors of vanilla, spice, and ripe fruits with soft, toffee notes and a zesty citrus hint on the finish. As with all the vintage releases of this Speyside malt whisky, it is bottled when it reaches its optimum maturity in the cask, and its well-balanced flavors make it ideal for after dinner. Another well-aged Highland malt, the Dalmore Clan McKenzie ($175, www.thedalmore.com), which is limited to just 200 bottles in the U.S.A., was distilled back in 1992 and rested in American oak barrels for 12 years before maturing an additional six years in port wine butts. The result is a rich, mahogany color and palate-warming flavors of almond, honey, and dried fruits, topped off by a hint of smoke and citrus and a long, plummy finish.

Linley, the British maker of luxury bespoke furniture founded by master cabinet-maker David Linley, son of the late Princess Margaret, has produced a series of cigar humidors sold exclusively by Nat Sherman, the famous midtown Manhattan-based tobacconist. The Linley Stars and Stripes Humidor for Nat Sherman not only displays patriotic pride; it’s also an ideal place to store and age between 50 and 100 of your best cigars. It uses ripple sycamore, satin walnut, santos rosewood and walnut woods to elegantly create the light and dark areas of the American flag motif on the lid. The humidor is available in both flat ($4,200) and wavy ($9,100) versions. For more information on the company: www.davidlinley.com.

Hublot has extended the design philosophy of its Big Bang All-Black watches — sleek, monochromatic black color scheme and the fusion of unorthodox, innovative materials — to its Hublot All Black Skis. The company has collaborated with Zai, a ski manufacturer based in the village of Disentis in the Swiss canton of Grabunden, to produce this limited edition of 111 pairs, priced at $8,900 a pair. The skis combine steel, carbon fiber, rubber and fiberglass with gneiss stone native to Grabunden, and are designed for fluid movement and easy handling. Their upper coating is made from the same soft rubber as the straps on Hublot watches. Each pair is accompanied by bindings, poles and a special ski bag. www.hublot.com.

If your friend’s vast watch collection doesn’t make him feel enough like James Bond, the aptly named X-007 Collector ($151,455) from Austria’s Buben & Zorweg provides the perfect high-tech luxury storage for his treasured timepieces. It incorporates a sophisticated electronic elevating system that, at the push of a button, opens the lid of the high-security safe (which uses the same Paxos security locking system used in bank vaults) and brings the elegant, interior presentation case holding your collection to the top. The interior holds 25 watches on the “TimeMover” modules and also includes two side drawers to present an additional 16 watches and a front drawer for other valuables. The case has Italian leather appointments, state-of-the-art LED lighting, and lockable doors made of shatterproof glass. Finishes available include maccasar and stainless steel exterior, with interior in cognac leather; and deer leather, macassar and stainless steel exterior with diabolo leather interior. www.buben-zorweg.com.

The list of watch brands to which entire auctions have been devoted is short — Rolex, Patek Philippe, Omega, and a handful of others come to mind. TAG Heuer joins that elite group this year, just in time for the brand’s 150th anniversary. WatchTime previews the sale.

On December 15, the British auction house Bonhams presents the Haslinger Collection, made up of vintage Heuer chronographs accumulated by Arno Haslinger, an automobile and motorsports enthusiast and renowned Heuer collector based in Austria. The collection was unveiled at a VIP reception in Bonham’s New York City showroom on October 18.

There will be 100 lots up for bid, which include 81 watches along with other accessories and memorabilia, all from the 1960s through the early 1980s, most from the era before Heuer became TAG Heuer. The accessories include such novel items as Heuer racing-helmet alarm clocks, with quartz-driven clocks inside miniature Formula 1 racing helmets adorned with period advertising and drivers’ names. There are also watch display boxes in the racing-helmet motif, as well as vintage catalogs, signs and brochures. Other non-watch timing devices from Heuer include one of the brand’s famous Microsplit timers from 1979, a dashboard stopwatch, and even a pedometer.

The wristwatches up for bid include, as one would expect, numerous examples of Heuer’s iconic chronograph watches, the Carrera and the Monaco, along with several examples of models from Heuer’s 1970s archives that few today, outside of serious collectors, might be aware of, most of which are also associated with auto racing.

These watches include several from the popular but now discontinued Autavia family. The Autavia was produced between 1962 and 1986, and derived its name from “automobile” and “aviation,” because it was used for timing events for both. Among the Autavias in the Haslinger Collection are an extremely rare, manual-wind GMT model (Ref. 746103) from 1974 and a 1963 chronograph (Ref. 2446, shown below) with a manual-wind Valjoux 72 movement, inscribed on its bridge with a serial number and inside its caseback with the firm’s old name, “Ed. Heuer & Co. Swiss”. The serial numbers would soon be discontinued and the company name would become Heuer-Leonidas the following year.

The popular Carrera design inspired another model, the Monza. It was released as a limited-edition watch to celebrate the Formula 1 racing title won by driver Niki Lauda in 1975. The Monza had its model name above the Heuer logo at 12 o’clock, contrasting with the Carrera’s name at 9 o’clock, and it included a tachymeter and a pulsometer scale around the dial. One of the Monzas up for auction, shown below, includes the original racing-helmet watch case in which it was packaged.

The big slide rule scale on the wide bezel is the first thing you notice about the vintage Calculator model, an eye-catching early-1970s timepiece that combined an automatic chronograph with a slide rule function. The Ref. 110633 model up for auction (shown below), outfitted with automatic Caliber 12, has an interesting feature: the crown on the left side of the case and a sealed drill-hole between the pushers on the right side, indicating that the piece could have been a test watch for a manual-wind conversion.

Another model that will be new to many modern-day TAG Heuer fans is the Montreal, a watch launched in 1972 as Heuer expanded into the Canadian market and became the official timer for the 1976 Olympic games in Montreal as well as the 1978 Montreal Grand Prix. The Montreal models were automatic chronographs with pulsometer and tachymeter scales, chrono pushers on the right and crown on the left. Both Ref. 110503 B models in the collection have big, luminous blue dials and red chronograph hands, and come with their original perforated-leather racing straps.

A Heuer Montreal ref. 110503 B

Apparently, auto racing was not the only sport that inspired the 1970s Heuer watches. The Haslinger Collection also includes two timepieces associated with yachting and sailing, the Solunar and the Skipper. The Solunar (Ref. 279603, deriving its name from “sol” for sun and “lunar” for moon – shown below) has an outer bezel with high-tide and low-tide markings and a bilingual weekday function that can be set to French or English. It is the first tides watch with an automatic movement. The 1976 model up for bid is a very rare collectors’s item. The Skipper (Ref. 7764 MHm, also below) from 1970, with its Valjoux 7730 manual-wind movement, is a “nautical stopwatch” with a large 15-minute subdial, divided into red, white, and blue segments at 3 o’clock, and a regatta minute-countdown function.

The Heuer Solunar

A Heuer Skipper

Known for its sporty-look timepieces, Heuer released the dressier Verona chronograph, with a black dial and polished steel or gold bezel, in 1978 and 1979. Not on the market very long, today it is a true rarity. The watch used automatic Caliber 12, with 30-minute and 12-hour counters, and the dial had thin, elegant hands and indices. The Verona in the auction (Ref. 110213 N, below) comes with its original leather strap and its original box and papers.

And of course, the other iconic 1970s racing watch that has recently been reissued by TAG Heuer, the Silverstone, is also represented. Known for its cushion-shaped case, the Silverstone came out in 1974. It was named for the racetrack near London that is home to the British Grand Prix and was worn by such Formula 1 stars as Clay Regazzoni and Emerson Fittipaldi. In addition to the vintage models up for bid, including a very rare blue-dial Silverstone with steel bracelet (Ref. 110313 B, below) and a similar piece with a smoky brown dial, there is a special one-of-a-kind model made by TAG Heuer this year to celebrate its 150th anniversary. The Silverstone Calibre 11 Chronograph Jack Heuer Unique Piece features the red dial last used on the Silverstone in 1977, and has a matching red leather perforated strap. At 12 o’clock, the dial shows the original Heuer logo; at 6 o’clock, above the date aperture, is the signature of Jack Heuer, great-grandson of the brand’s founder and creator of the Carrera and other famous models. An engraving on the caseback indicates the watch’s unique status. Proceeds from the sale of this piece will benefit Green Cross International, an environmental charity supported by one of TAG Heuer’s celebrity “ambassadors,” actor Leonardo DiCaprio.

More info on all 100 lots, including opening bids and details on the various Carrera references that make up the greatest share of the watches offered, are available at www.bonhams.com.

It started with the figure-eight-inspired central tourbillon HM1. Then came HM2, with flying buttresses and porthole dials. HM3 followed with rotating cones providing the time. Earlier this year came a redesigned HM3 with cones resembling the bulging eyes of a frog. Now, MB&F rolls out its latest model, the HM4, which makes its predecessors look downright conventional by comparison.

The HM4 is nicknamed the Thunderbolt, and its sleek, jet-engine-inspired design comes from the childhood passion for model aircraft of MB&F founder and creative force, Maximillian Busser. MB&F considers itself more a horological concept laboratory than a typical brand, and this timepiece, like those that preceded it, is the result of a collaboration between Busser and a small group of watch-industry specialists personally selected for the project.

In designing the HM4, MB&F founder Maximillian Busser was inspired by the model airplanes of his youth.

The movement, unveiled as a teaser at this year’s Baselworld watch fair in March, was made entirely from scratch, including its screws and regulator, according to MB&F, and is comprised of 311 components in total. The two parallel mainspring barrels hold 72 hours of power, which they transfer to the two pods, reminiscent of jet turbines, on either side through vertical gear trains. There are two small dials at the front ends of each pod, one displaying the hour and minute in a classic pilots’-watch style, and the other indicating the power reserve in the manner of a fuel gauge. At the rear end of each pod are the appropriate individual crowns, one to set the time and the other to “fill the fuel tank” — that is, wind the watch.

The Thunderbolt’s movement uses no outside parts. Two mainspring barrels in the top view receive their energy from the balance in the center and transfer energy to the two parallel pods. On the bottom, the centered battleaxe-shaped bridge looks like a microrotor.

The dial on the right displays the time; the one on the left indicates the power reserve. The case is designed for both these indicators to be perpendicular to the wrist for easy legibility.

In the center of the top side of the movement, and visible under a sapphire display panel, is the balance, supported by a streamlined cock and showing off its oscillating wheel. The bottom side of the movement, much of which is also revealed in sapphire windows, includes meticulous finishing and a bridge, molded in MB&F’s trademark “battleaxe” shape, which at first glance appears to be a microrotor. (The shape also pops up in the skeletonized hand for the power-reserve indicator.)

The middle part of the case is made of a single block of sapphire, and a sapphire window in the rear of the case displays the “kinetic art” of the moving balance.

The distinctive case combines Grade 5 titanium and sapphire in its three-part structure. The titanium rear section frames the balance and tapers into the two crowns at the end of the aerodynamically shaped pods. The middle section — milled from a solid piece of opaque sapphire and requiring more than 100 hours of machining and polishing — provides a 360-degree view of the movement (or “engine,” if you will). The front titanium section features the dual dials and articulated front lugs for comfort on the wrist. (Yes, despite being primarily a “kinetic sculpture,” according to MB&F, this watch is meant to be worn and used for practical purposes, as evidenced by the dials, which are perpendicular to the wrist for easy reading of the time and remaining power while driving or piloting a plane. The hour and minute hands are coated with SuperLumiNova for legibility in low light. In fact, despite its highly unorthodox design, this is the first MB&F “horological machine” that features a classic two-handed dial to indicate the time.)

The shape of the indicator pods are reminiscent of jet turbines. The articulated lugs are designed to add comfort on the wrist.

The watch — which boasts satin finishing and contrasting matte and polished surfaces — has other aviation-inspired touches, like the external screws that hold the case sections solidly together and keep the watch rigid. It measures 54 mm wide by 52 mm long and is 24 mm high. On the wrist, it is surprisingly lightweight (owing to the titanium parts); the movable, comfort-enhancing lugs are attached to a black, hand-stitched calfskin leather strap with a titanium-and-white-gold deployant buckle. The price you’ll pay for owning one of these “kinetic sculptures” is $158,000, and a total of only 100 pieces will be made, to be released over the course of three years. You may not be wearing the Thunderbolt in the cockpit of your own plane, but owning one of these will certainly put you in rarefied air.

Case details are visible from the back.

At Baselworld, a small group of watch publications, including WatchTime – the only U.S. representative, was granted an interview with Dr. George Daniels, the legendary British watchmaker and creator of the co-axial escapement. At 84, Daniels still plies his trade, developing technology for Omega and creating his own watches, most recently with his former apprentice, British watchmaker Roger Smith. What follows are excerpts from the interview.

Q: Did you ever foresee that your idea, the co-axial escapement, would become the heart of a major brand [Omega], as it is today?
A: I always hoped so, because it was the result of a great deal of hard work over many years.

Q: As an English watchmaker, do you take any particular pride in creating an escapement that has been so significant in the Swiss watch industry?
A: It shouldn’t surprise that it’s an English invention. The English have always been concerned with timekeeping because they’re surrounded by water, and they have to navigate. To do this, they need accurate timekeepers, and the most accurate timekeepers were invented by the English. We’re very proud of that and we try to keep up the tradition. My duty is to make sure that expertise doesn’t [fade away]; it’s got to increase. I am concerned not with watchmaking but with horology, which is a specific type of timekeeping, and with chronometry. The people who worked in the early days of the development of mechanical timekeeping were all artists as well as inventors, and many were born in Britain, I’m pleased to say.

Q: Do you still make watches under your own name with the co-axial escapement?
A: Of course, and I use only co-axial escapements in them. It makes all other escapements old-fashioned. I have also invented two other escapements that are now coming onto the market, so there should be plenty of horological activity in the next 10 years.

A Daniels wristwatch

Q: Do you see any British watchmakers today who are particularly inventive, or looking toward the future as you did with your invention?
A: It’s always a short list but there are several young men who are brilliant. And they are carrying on the tradition of British watchmaking. So there is an obvious future, but how [large a role they will have in the watch world], we don’t know.

Q: As one of the most famous British watchmakers, what have you done to keep the tradition alive in your country?
A: Well I invented three new escapements and 105 watches, all without any assistance. Now we have a new young team coming on, and I think they will do great things. We [the British] haven’t done too badly.

A Daniels pocketwatch

Q: What can you tell us about these two new escapements?
A: They are conceived essentially to run without lubrication, because lubricant is very bad for the escapement. It’s all about progress. I’ve been wearing this watch [shows the watch on his wrist], with the co-axial, for 20 years. I have a Patek Philippe, even thinner than this, that I fitted with it 35 years ago, and it’s still working perfectly. The only thing that’s worn out is the winding gear. I call that progress. I’ve stayed in horology because I wanted to see progress and I am getting what I want.

Q: Do you believe that innovations and new technologies like silicon can bring something to watchmaking?
A: I don’t believe they’re necessary, no. There is no evidence that they are. Clocks and watches have been made of brass and steel for a thousand years, and they’re still running perfectly. We don’t need these things. I don’t accept these materials as being the least bit useful in haute horologie. In fact, you only have to look at the drawings, see the shapes of the components and how they engage with each other and you’ll realize that they [will not last] for long periods. Of course, manufacturers use such materials to improve the performance of a watch, but it doesn’t matter how much attention you give [to the material], if the escapement doesn’t work without lubricant, it isn’t going to get you anywhere at all. You might as well stay with the old-fashioned.

Q: Aside from your own inventions, do you feel there has been anything developed in horology since your career started that has improved the art of making watches?
A: It depends on the date… there are tourbillon watches that will keep better time than non-tourbillon watches. But here I’m talking about pocketwatches. Tourbillons in wristwatches aren’t very useful for anything, really. [The accuracy is] all dependent on the hairspring and the escapement. Breguet invented the tourbillon, and you can’t criticize him, because Breguet was a genius.

Q: Are there other inventions that you would still like to develop for the watch industry?
A: I think I’m a broken reed, a spent force; I can’t think of anything new to invent. It’s a very tight field and it’s not easy to think of new ideas. One always tries, of course. My chronograph is one of the novelties this year; it’s very simple. It works well, but it’s not significant. The real question is, how does one now amuse oneself?

Q: What are your opinions on some of the modern, innovative but odd timepieces, some of which don’t actually show the time? Are they watches or just machines?
A: I’ve never really thought about it. I don’t know, really. If it keeps time, it’s a watch, I suppose. Congratulations… that’s a question I’ve never heard before. I’ll have to give it some thought.

The watch world calendar year kicks off with the SIHH and Baselworld spectacles, where the great majority of new releases or “novelties” are introduced to the press and the public. The early summer watch and jewelry shows in Las Vegas – JCK and Couture – typically pale in comparison, at least when it comes to new watch introductions. But that is not always the case.

Occasionally, a watch that either wasn’t ready in time for Basel or Geneva — or whose maker for whatever reason did not attend either show — will debut to the watch press in Sin City. Such is the case with Bovet’s newest limited-edition haute horlogerie piece commemorating the 80th anniversary of the prestigious Italian design firm Pininfarina. Founded in 1930 by automobile designer Battista “Pinin” Farina, the firm, based in Turin and today headed by Battista’s grandson Paolo Pininfarina, is well known to car enthusiasts. The classic and modern automobiles it has designed include the Alfa Romeo Spider, Maserati GranTurismo, Cadillac Allante, Volvo P70 and numerous coveted Ferraris, including the 612 Scaglietti, the 550 Maranello and the new California.

Bovet owner Pascal Raffy and his watchmaking team in Fleurier, Switzerland, collaborated with Paolo Pininfarina on the watch, which marries some of the Italian company’s signature design elements with those of the watch brand, which is known for its pocketwatch-like crowns at 12 o’clock. The result is the Bovet Tourbillon Ottanta by Pininfarina, of which only 80 pieces (and only 80 movements) will be made.

The watch is powered by a rarity: an automatic movement with a tourbillon. The movement, Calibre 16BA01, has 514 total components and uses an off-center, bidirectional microrotor milled from a single block of platinum. The tourbillon also has a feature never before seen: instead of making its revolution in the typical 60 seconds, it makes it in 80 seconds, a technological feat that is a nod to the 80 years of Pininfarina. To accomplish this, Bovet’s engineers created an intersection in the going train, effectively dividing it into two separate reduction trains after the third wheel, one of which transmits energy to the seconds crown and the other to the tourbillon cage. The latter showcases a hand that traverses points representing eight decades in Pininfarina’s history rather than counting off the seconds per minute. A lacquered crown at 3 o’clock, concentric with the tourbillon cage, indicates the seconds.

The Tourbillon Ottanta also incorporates one of Bovet’s newer developments: its 46-mm case — made of brushed titanium and steel with black DLC — is in the brand’s Amadeo style, which means the case can be rotated to show either the “dial side” or “movement side” in the front. (The case is also available with a bezel and caseback in white or rose gold.) The dial side displays hours and minutes by central hands and has a power reserve indicator at 9 o’clock and a big date display, made up of two concentric disks, at 6 o’clock. An instantaneous date-change system was developed specially for this watch. The movement side offers a view of the microrotor as well as a subdial at 12 o’clock with a single hand that indicates hours, half-hours and quarter hours, in the style of some of the earliest pocketwatches. The moving tourbillon cage is easily visible from both sides.

Pininfarina’s influence is notable in the monochromatic gray/anthracite color scheme; in the eight engraved phrases (each reflecting one decade) on the case’s middle section, expressing Pininfarina’s design philosophies; and in the “alcantara-style” velour lining inside the rubber strap, which evokes the luxurious feel of a Ferrari’s interior leather. There is no shortage of other decorative elements, either, including clous de Paris patterns on the bridges of the tourbillon cage as well as sandblasted, chamfered and hand-polished surfaces and circular graining on various elements throughout the movement. Screws, the power reserve hand, and the balance are in a blue PVD that matches the color of the Pininfarina logo. The rim of the balance wheel evokes the shape of an “8” inside a ring representing a “0” — another nod to the anniversary, as is the 80-hour power reserve offered by the two barrels.

The other feature of the Amadeo case is that the wristwatch easily converts into a pocketwatch or freestanding miniature table clock. The wearer simply presses the two pieces on either side of the bow above the winding crown to release the upper section of the strap, and then uses a minute-repeater-like slide to release the lower section. Atitanium chain that comes with the watch can be attached to the upper part for use as a pocketwatch and the pivoting lower bezel at 6 o’clock forms a stable support for use as a clock. No tools are necessary, and the straps can be just as easily replaced

With two faces on the reversible case and the two additional formats, Bovet claims, the Tourbillon Ottanta can be regarded as four timepieces in one — which is good, because only a few of these watches will make it to U.S. shores, and at a price of around $300,000, they are likely to become as exclusive as some of the classic sportscars on which Pininfarina made its name.

The fourth season of AMC TV’s Emmy-award-winning drama series Mad Men premieres in late July, and the show’s fans have the date circled. The series, which follows the lives and careers of Madison Avenue advertising executives in 1960s New York, has not only wowed critics and fueled revivals of that era’s fashions and classic cocktails — its famous attention to period details has provided substantial fodder for watch enthusiasts.

Some examples of the ongoing discussions and debates:

• The show’s use of real companies as clients for the fictional Sterling Cooper advertising agency is well established, even in throwaway lines of dialogue. A Season Two episode shows young copywriter Peggy Olson (Elisabeth Moss) on a blind date in a restaurant. When Peggy and Carl, her date, discuss what their families do, he remarks that his sister works as a secretary for Bulova in Flushing, Queens. As pointed out on the International Movie Database (www.imdb.com), this is a gaffe: Bulova was indeed based in Queens in 1962 when the scene takes place, but not in Flushing: it was in Jackson Heights (specifically, 72-20 Astoria Boulevard). The headquarters moved to Woodside, Queens in 1982.

• In a Season Three episode, which takes place in 1963, account executive Ken Cosgrove (Aaron Staton) struts into his colleague’s office beaming about the gifts he has just received from a satisfied client: tickets to the Mets game (the Mets were, of course, a very new team in 1963) and the new watch that he is wearing, which he proudly refers to as a “Hamilton Electric.” The first Hamilton Electric watch was released in 1957, and remained popular until the first quartz models rendered them obsolete in 1969. Ken’s Hamilton watch only makes a brief appearance onscreen, but some believe it may be a Hamilton Ventura, which at the time would have been a very hot item, as it had been seen on the wrist of Elvis Presley.

Ken Cosgrove shows off his new Hamilton Electric, a gift from a satisfied client.

• Of course, the most popular topics involve the series’ leading man, the dashing, enigmatic Don Draper, played by Jon Hamm. The foremost question on the minds of TV watch watchers is, “What is Don wearing?” In fact, the character has worn two distinctly different watches since the series began. In the first season, Don sports a watch in a round steel case, with a white or silver dial surrounded by a black outer ring. Speculation has abounded about this watch, with various Internet sources guessing its identity: an Omega (either a Seamaster or a Suveran), a Rolex Cellini, a Universal Genève Polerouter, even an Elgin. Since there has been no definitive word from anyone associated with the show, this discussion continues.

An Omega? An Elgin? A Rolex Cellini? The manufacturer of Don Draper’s watch from the first season has not yet been definitively identified.

• In Season Two, sharp-eyed viewers have noted that Don begins wearing a noticeably different watch, with a rectangular case that appears to be yellow-gold. While this one also sparked some debates, its identity is easier to definitively discern. In an interview with AMCtv.com, the show’s prop master, Gay Perello, reveals that she and Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner wanted to give Don a new timepiece during that season (presumably, for storyline reasons, one that would reflect the big raise that Don gets when he makes partner at Sterling Cooper). They chose a Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso, which Hamm at first didn’t care for, calling himself “more of a round watch face guy.” However, when Perello showed him the Reverso’s features and he started flipping and playing with the two-sided case, he began to really like it. The watch (by most accounts, a Reverso Classique) also proved an appropriate model for Don’s wife Betty (January Jones) to have his initials engraved on the caseback, a scene written into a later episode. The only controversy left here is whether or not it was even possible to purchase a Reverso in the U.S. in the early 1960s. Despite the fact that the watch was introduced in 1931, the question of when JLC watches were distributed in the States seems to be a subject of some debate.

Don upgrades to a Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso after making partner in the series’ second season.

• Betty’s own watch — a gift from Don in the Season One, which took place in 1960 — has also sparked a fair amount of speculation, with several sources guessing that it is a ladies’ Benrus, and other Mad Men fans saying that the Benrus was far too inexpensive a watch for a classy, affluent guy like Don to give his wife as a present. Most significantly, the watch may be an anachronism: the sticklers on IMDB.com are certain that it is a quartz watch, which obviously would not have existed in 1960. How does one identify it as a quartz model without being sure about the brand? Another mystery for the watch community to unravel. Perhaps Season Four will provide some answers, or at the very least, some more helpful, close-up camera angles.

What sets Jean Dunand apart from other luxury watch brands — aside from its extremely limited production and lofty price points — is the fact that each collection has a totally different look, with no “house style” and very few unifying brand characteristics. The only common principle behind each Jean Dunand model, as voiced by the brand’s owners, Thierry Oulevay and Christophe Claret, is that duo’s love of the Art Deco era and its distinctive design principles.

The Jean Dunand Palace, the new model that made its debut at Baselworld, lives up to those principles in a decidedly new and direct way. It is the first Jean Dunand watch in a square case and it takes its name from London’s Crystal Palace, the steel-and-glass architectural marvel built for the Great Exhibition of 1851. The watch takes its design cues from the Industrial Revolution era of 1880 to 1930 — a half-century that gave birth to automobiles, airplanes, skyscrapers, jazz and, of course, the wristwatch. The era also saw the rise of Art Nouveau and the most iconic structure built in that architectural style, France’s Eiffel Tower, whose recognizable latticework is among the many aesthetic tributes to the Industrial Revolution found in the Palace, in both its case and manufacture movement. (Needless to say, the period also coincides with the life of Jean Dunand, the Art Deco pioneer for whom the brand is named.)

Claret and Oulevay were inspired by numerous sources in their development of the watch. One was the Charlie Chaplin film Modern Times, with its classic scene of the Little Tramp literally caught up in the gears of industry. The arrangement of the gears, wheels and bridges, viewed through the transparent caseback, is an homage to that famous factory scene. Another influence was the oval-shaped “Milwaukee Mile” racetrack, which hosted the pioneers of auto racing in the early 1900s. The oval shape is used on the linear GMT indicator on the lower left of the watch and the linear power-reserve indicator on the lower right. The arrow indicator of the former makes two passes through the two vertical 12-hour scales on either side of the oval: when it reaches bottom, the arrow snaps back to the top and reverses itself 180 degrees to chart the 12 hours on the opposite side.

Vintage motorcycles, particularly those made by Indian, inspired the unusual winding mechanism, which transmits power to the barrel by means of a tiny linked chain reminiscent of that on a motorbike. The movement plates are designed to evoke a reinforced cast-iron structure, supported by little pillars. Through the sapphire viewing apertures in the sides of the case, the side-view of the movement resembles a city skyline, or perhaps the foundations of a skyscraper. The apertures are framed by arches that echo those at the base of the Eiffel Tower; the machined, engraved pattern on all four sides of the case suggests the cross-pieces used in the Tower’s construction and in that of other engineering marvels such as the Grand Canyon’s Navajo Bridge. Flourishes inspired by the pistons, nuts, bolts, and gears of locomotives and early submarines, and by the imagery of Fritz Lang’s Metropolis, are also evident in the movement design. The type font used in the nameplates is from the Art Deco era. Simply put, this is a watch that begs for close examination under a loupe.

The Palace movement and an Indian motorcycle

The Palace movement viewed through the side of the case

Palace case detail, and the inspiration

At 38 mm x 36.4 mm and 12.42 mm thick, the movement, Calibre CLA02CMP, made at Claret’s ultra-modern atelier in Le Locle, Switzerland, is as big as some wristwatch cases. It’s manual-wound, with a one-minute flying tourbillon and a monopusher chronograph (operated by a pusher in the crown at 3 o’clock) that counts up to 60 minutes. It’s made up of over 700 individual parts, including 53 jewels. The massive case is 48.2 mm x 49.9 mm, with a titanium caseband and lugs. The bezel, and caseback are available in either rose gold or white gold. The power reserve is 72 hours and the watch is water-resistant to 30 meters. This ticking touchstone to a bygone era — price yet to decided but sure to be in the six figures — is slated for a fall release.

The Palace crown with coaxial chronograph pusher

Every year, Richemont Group’s luxury watch brands, plus a handful of large, independent brands, exhibit their new watches at SIHH in Geneva’s labyrinthine Palexpo Center. This year, 38 small, independent watch brands put on their own show called the Geneva Time Exhibition (GTE) at the International Geneva Conference Center, in the heart of downtown, near the famed Place des Nations.

On my final day in Geneva for this year’s shows, I visited the GTE and was pleased to find a number of truly creative pieces, and some downright fascinating horological inventions, among the offerings. The spirit of experimental watchmaking appears to be alive and well, despite the rough economy, and not only at the more established luxury brands. What follows are a few of the watches that caught my eye. Prices were not yet available, so I’ve included links to the manufacturers’ sites for further information.

CLERC

The Hydroscaph, the new divers’ model from Clerc, incorporates the brand’s trademark locking system, where a knob at 10 o’clock turns the bezel to the desired position and then locks it into place to prevent unintended changing of the setting for a timed dive. Its case, made of grade-5 titanium and composed of more than 75 parts, has Clerc’s distinctive octagonal shape and measures nearly 50 mm in diameter. The watch has an automatic movement with hours, minutes, seconds, power-reserve display and either a large date or second time zone. A serious diver’s watch, it is water-resistant to 1,000 meters and has a helium-release valve. Clerc also introduced a limited-edition tourbillon version of the Hydroscaph in a rose-gold/black titanium case. That one has a retrograde seconds function at 1:30 and a power-reserve indicator at 5 o’clock, along with its central attraction, an S-shaped, skeletonized, vertical tourbillon bridge, visible through the openworked dial. It is water-resistant to 500 meters and has two barrels holding a power reserve of 120 hours. (www.clercwatches.com)

Clerc Hydroscaph

Clerc Hydroscaph Gold Tourbillon

RITMO MUNDO

Ritmo has finally introduced an automatic version of its dual-time-zone, swiveling-case Persepolis model. The Persepolis Automatique has the same patented orbital case (a colossal 54 mm in diameter and 18.5 mm thick) as its predecessor, which was equipped with two quartz movements, but now includes two Swiss-made mechanical movements to display two distinct time zones, one on each side of the Reverso-like two-sided dial. On each dial, the time and date are positioned in the upper right segment, allowing a view of the mechanical movement behind it. The case is available in five versions, including a new titanium version and some with diamonds. (www.ritmomvndo.com)

Ritmo Mundo Persepolis Automatique

HD3

Combining design touches from historic pirate vessels with a modern “steampunk” sensibility, the new Bi-Axial Black Pearl model is the newest showcase for the bi-axial tourbillon concept first used by watch designer Fabrice Gonet in HD3’s Vulcania line. The large square, multi-part case combines titanium and black PVD. A nautical-cannon-style hatch at 9 o’clock opens up to show off the tourbillon cage in side view as well as a nameplate engraved with the owner’s name. The tourbillon does a full rotation every minute on its first axis and every 30 seconds on its second. A skull-and-crossbones flag adorns the titanium PVD plate that covers the hatch. On the other side of the case is a specially designed crown reminiscent of a frigate’s tiller. The sapphire caseback is decorated with a compass rose motif. The unconventional time display consists of the hours on the “treads” of a wheel at 9 o’clock and minutes on a disk at 12 o’clock. The power-reserve display is in the form of a sextant; the watch holds 80 hours of energy. Only 11 pieces of the Black Pearl are available, each with three strap options: rubber, black alligator leather or black vintage leather with red stitching. (www.hd3complication.com)

HD3 Black Pearl

LOUIS MOINET

Louis Moinet’s new Meteoris collection consists of four tourbillon watches — each a unique piece — with rare meteorite dials. The Mars model is the first to use Martian rock from outer space in a watch dial; it has an 18k white-gold case with 56 baguette-cut diamonds. The Rosetta Stone’s dial is from the oldest known meteorite ever found on earth, estimated to be over four billion years old; it comes in an 18k rose-gold case. The mineral used for the Asteroid is from Itqiy, a mysterious asteroid found near the sun; the case is of white gold with diamonds. And the final model, Moon, which has a rose-gold case, is the first tourbillon watch equipped with a dial of authentic lunar rock. All include Louis Moinet’s exclusive manual-wound tourbillon movement, which connects the carriage to the barrel with a hand-drawn, beveled vertical bar. The barrel is openworked, allowing the watch’s owner to see the motion of the barrel spring and thus keep track of the power reserve. The 47-mm case is made up of 50 parts and is water resistant to 30 meters. The exhibition caseback offers a view of the “octopus-spring” winding mechanism, wherein a single spring activates the pull-out pieces, levers, and clicks. (www.louismoinet.com)

Rosetta Stone model from Louis Moinet’s Meteoris collection

VOLNA

The design of this brand, launched in 2006, is inspired by the look of Soviet-era Russian submarines. Its new limited-edition models, called Typhoon Siberia, are the brand’s first to use grade-5 titanium — known for its exceptional shock resistance, light weight and anti-allergenic qualities — for its cases. The Siberia’s masculine, 46.5-mm case contains a chronograph movement, with hours on a subdial at 12 o’clock and minutes on a subdial at 3 o’clock. The date is indicated in a window at 8 o’clock. The watch includes Volna’s signature feature, a “safety indicator” window that confirms whether or not the double crown has been securely screwed down to make the watch water-resistant. Another brand trademark is the red Super-LumiNova used on the dial’s hands, applied numerals and oversized indices. Two versions of the Typhoon Siberia are available, one with a polished satin finish, the other with two layers of black carbon finish over the titanium for a higher degree of hardness. Each is limited to 125 pieces. (www.volnawatches.ch)

Volna Typhoon Siberia with titanium/black carbon case

LOUIS CHEVROLET

Unbeknownst to most, the man for whom today’s Chevrolet cars are named was not only a pioneer in auto racing and automotive design: he also had watches in his blood, born to a watchmaking family in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland in 1878. Today, Louis’s name graces this young Swiss watch brand, whose models are influenced by automobile aesthetics and incorporate Chevrolet’s lucky number “8” in their designs. Its most eye-catching piece at the fair was the Driver 1911 Concept Watch, a space-age timepiece with sleek curves, sculpted to evoke the silhouette of a vintage Chevy Corvette. The watch contains two movements, visible through the “hood” of the watch in the style of an eight-cylinder racecar engine. The “dashboard” elements, built to be viewed at a 45-degree incline in the manner of a so-called driving watch, include the main dial with hours and minutes flanked by a power-reserve indicator and service indicator (with a hand counting down from 20,000 hours to the watch’s next servicing), designed in the style of odometers. The company intends to release the Driver 1911 in a limited edition of 100 pieces at the beginning of 2011 to mark the 100th anniversary of the Chevrolet Motor Car company founded by the brand’s namesake. (www.louischevrolet.ch)

Louis Chevrolet’s Driver 1911 Concept Watch

ROBERT ET FILS 1630

A young brand named for a legendary Swiss watch family (Abram Robert, one of Switzerland’s first known horologists, was keeper of the town clock in Le Locle in 1630 and his descendant, Josué Robert, was official watchmaker to the King of Prussia in 1725), Robert & Fils makes watches with restored, historic movements and intricately crafted, artistic dials, using traditional artisan techniques like hand-painting, lacquered engraving and grand feu enameling. Among its featured attractions were the three unique pieces of the “Au Fil de l’Air” collection, each showcasing a hand-painted, grand feu enameled bird scene on an 18k-gold dial: the golden oriole, the kingfisher and the duck. The automatic Robert et Cie movements in the watches were originally made in the 1960s and decorated and restored in 2009; each is equipped with a 22k rose-gold, hand-engraved oscillating weight. The cases are 39 mm in diameter, fluted, and made of rose gold. (www.robertfils1630.com)

Robert et Fils 1639 Au Fil de l’Air collection

LINDE WERDELIN

Linde Werdelin expands its SpidoLite SA family with the addition of two new models, one in all-black titanium with DLC coating and another in rose gold with black DLC details, each a limited edition of 88 pieces. These watches feature a 1970s-vintage NOS automatic movement modified in the Andersen Genève atelier of Danish watchmaker and AHCI founding member Svend Andersen (hence the “SA” initials in the model’s name). The SpidoLite is recognizable by its drilled-out case with polygonal facets, based on the notion of removing all the case’s nonessential areas. The result is a large watch (46 x 49 mm) that is nevertheless very lightweight. The design also allows for the movement to be seen through the partially skeletonized dial. An even clearer view of the retouched vintage caliber (renamed AS 1876), with its blue-gold rotor plate inscribed with the logos of Linde Werdelin and Andersen Genève, is available through the sapphire exhibition caseback. (www.lindewerdelin.com)