All Entries in the "Continuation Pages" Category

Inside Basel/Geneva 2011, NYC and SF, page 2

The second event in this report took place at the Grand Hyatt hotel in San Francisco.

At the IWC table with Michael Friedberg (foreground, back to camera).

Kari Voutilainen (right) and Romain Gauthier (background, second from right) visit with guests.

A guest chats with Peter Speake-Marin (right).

WatchTime’s Amy Bernstein does an amazing job putting these events together every year.

The crowd enjoys Jeff Kingston’s presentation.

Click here to see a sample of the amazing watches on display in San Francisco.

Inside Basel/Geneva 2011 NYC & SF, page 3

Here is a tiny sample of the hundreds of watches that were on display in San Francisco. Each image may be enlarged with a click.

That’s it for 2011. Thanks to everyone who attended, and to the participating brands. We’ll be back next year, better than ever!

Visiting Vacheron: A Photo and Video Essay, Part II

Vacheron’s instantly-recognizable headquarters is located in Plan-les-Ouates in the canton of Geneva, just a few miles outside the city. This beautiful building is where Vacheron designs and assembles its timepieces, using parts manufactured in Le Sentier and those provided by specialty suppliers.

In the ateliers, movements are assembled to ensure quality and precise fits, then each movement is disassembled, cleaned, and assembled a second time.

Assembled movements then go to the réglage atelier where the escapements are installed and the movements are regulated for timekeeping accuracy using Witschi machines. Movements are adjusted until the meet Vacheron’s standard of 0 to +5 seconds per day average in five positions.

An assortment of finished movements on display.

Our next stop is the complications atelier. Each high complication, such as minute repeaters and perpetual calendars, is assembled, regulated and cased entirely by a single watchmaker.

High complications on display. At the top right is the Patrimony Traditionelle Calibre 2755 Boutique New York unique piece with tourbillon, a perpetual calendar, and a minute repeater. In the video that accompanies this section of the story, you can hear the minute repeater.

Hugues de Pins examines the Traditionelle Calibre 2755 Boutique New York.

Our final stop is the Atelier des Métiers d’Art, where skilled artisans create miniature works of art using enameling, guilloché, engraving, hand skeletonizing, and diamond-setting.

An enamel dial in process.

Sample dials and techniques.

Intricate and complex dragon dials, created for the Hong Kong boutique.

Rose engines for creating guilloché.

An engraver’s bench.

Hugues de Pins admires the work.

On Hugues’ wrist, the Patrimony Traditionelle World Time.

Engraving and skeletonization samples.

Take a video tour of the Vacheron Constantin headquarters (4:18).

IBG 2011: Chicago and Miami, Part 2

Following the watch fair, it’s off to dinner and Jeff Kingston’s presentation, covering more than 45 brands from SIHH, Baselworld and the Geneva Time Exhibition.

Jeff Kingston (left) at the podium with WatchTime editor in chief Joe Thompson. Joe will also be at every show!

Joe introduces Jeff…

…and the presentation gets under way.

The watch talk continues over dinner.

Surrounded by gift bags as the evening comes to a close.

Remember, there are still 4 remaining shows that are sure to sell out:

- September 22: Philadelphia
- September 27: New York City
- October 4: San Francisco
- October 6: Los Angeles

Click here to secure your spot, and we’ll see you there!

Look – Up in the Sky!
Many brands make pilot’s watches. Tutima makes pilots, too.

Who has the best job in the world? I recently spent some time with an elite group whose members have a strong claim to that title. They are some of the best in the world at what they do. What they do is great fun, very cool, and it saves lives. They’re the instructors at the Tutima Academy for Aviation Safety. Let’s go flying.

RM 011 DLC Titanium Black 50-Piece Limited Edition for the Richard Mille Boutique Beverly Hills

In recognition of the grand opening of the first Richard Mille boutique in the Americas, Richard Mille introduces a limited edition RM 011 created exclusively for sale in the flagship store. The RM 011–the iconic chronograph that Richard Mille designed in conjunction with Formula 1 racecar driver Felipe Massa—shows its dark side in the new RM 011 DLC Titanium BLACK.

The new timepiece features the flyback chronograph functions that are essential to athletes and sports fans alike. Some of the RM 011’s main features, which include major technical innovations, are its skeletonized automatic winding movement with adjustable rotor geometry; 60-minute countdown timer; 12-hour totalizer; annual calendar; and oversize date and month. With deepest black numerals, crown, inner bezel and black DLC titanium tripartite case, this limited edition of the RM 011 embodies the chicest shade of the season.

Only 50 pieces of the new RM 011 DLC Titanium BLACK will be made. The limited edition will be sold at the new Richard Mille Boutique Beverly Hills at 222 North Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills, California, 90210.

Technical specifications appear below the image, which may be enlarged with a click.

Technical Specifications of the RM 011 DLC Titanium BLACK

- Skeletonized automatic winding movement
- Dimensions: 50.00 mm X 40.00 mm X 16.15 mm
- Functions: hours, minutes, seconds, month display between 4 and 5 o’clock, oversize date display at 12 o’clock, flyback chronograph, annual calendar, 60-minute countdown timer, 12-hour totalizer.
- Rotor with variable geometry
- Power reserve: 55 hours (without chronograph running)
- Water resistant to 50 meters
- Limited edition of 50 pieces
- U.S. retail price: $90,000

Bugatti at The Quail, Pebble Beach, and Laguna Seca

Bugatti officially introduced the Veyron Super Sport at The Quail Motorsport Gathering, and the brand was strongly represented at both The Quail and Pebble Beach. The Laguna Seca Historic Races featured a Bugatti Grand Prix. WatchTime was there to capture the action. You may enlarge these images with a click.

The lovely setting at The Quail.

Bugatti President Dr.-Ing. Franz-Josef Paefgen presents the new Veyron Super Sport.

Bugatti test driver Pierre-Henri Raphanel drives the Super Sport onto the stage. In June, Pierre drove the Super Sport much faster, setting a new world land speed record for a production car at 267 mph.

A new Veyron Super Sport in bare carbon fiber, sans orange trim, was also on display.

A large number of vintage Bugattis participated at The Quail.

Bugatti was also well represented at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.

A special guest stopped by at Pebble Beach to admire the Bugattis and other treasures on display.

Bugattis were everywhere at Laguna Seca, where they ran a special Bugatti Grand Prix. Many of the multi-million dollar cars on display at The Quail participated in this race.

Images From the Parmigiani Bugatti Super Sport Official Launch

Parmigiani held the official launch party for the Bugatti Super Sport at a private residence in Monterey, California, near the scene of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. WatchTime attended and captured these images, which may be enlarged with a click.

Guests arrive for the event.

Michel Parmigiani and a guest admire a Veyron.

Arrangements are made for poolside dining.

Michel Parmigiani with guests.

Parmigiani Fleurier CEO Jean-Marc Jacot opens the press conference.

Michel Parmigiani explains technical challenges and achievements in the new Super Sport. Parmigiani’s Catia Hofmann translates.

A light moment. On the left is Bugatti’s International Sales Director, Alasdair Stewart.

Michel Parmigiani models the Bugatti Super sport.

Also attending was Bugatti test driver Pierre-Henri Raphanel, who recently set a new world land speed record for a production car in the Veyron Super Sport at 267 mph. Of course Pierre was wearing Parmigiani’s Bugatti Super Sport when he set the record. When Pierre finished his runs, Top Gear had a crack. James May, aka Captain Slow, managed “only” 259 mph.

Inside Basel/Geneva 2010 West Coast, page 2

Our next stop is the tables, where guests can talk to brand executives and representatives and see and try on the newest models from Basel and Geneva. This part of the show is better than Basel and Geneva, because at the Swiss shows, the watches are locked away in glass cases, and the rule is look, but don’t touch. At the WatchTime shows, you can look, touch, examine with a loupe, try on, and get expert answers direct from the manufacturers. And remember, many of the watches at Inside Basel/Geneva are not yet in the stores, so you’ll get the first chance to try them on.

You may click the images to view larger versions.

Click here to continue to page 3 to see some of the dazzling watches that were on display…

Inside Basel/Geneva West Coast, page 3

We’ve finally arrived at the reason we do this…the watches.

You may click the images to view larger versions.

Click here to continue to page 4 to see several more watches and Jeff Kingston’s presentation.