Monday, September 1, 2014

GRIEB & BENZINGER – Blue Dragon Imperial













GRIEB & BENZINGERBlue DRAGON Imperial Limited Edition

GRIEB & BENZINGER’s bespoke timepieces that reflect the highest pinnacle of customisation are widely appreciated by elite and affluent people all over the world. These highly expensive and one of a kind mechanical timepieces are produced by incorporating rich traditional methods, precious materials, hand crafting and cutting edge technologies.

This time, GRIEB & BENZINGER unveils a special bespoke wrist watch commissioned for a Chinese client. August 8th 2014 (08.08.2014) was a lucky day for a passionate Chinese watch collector who was born in the year of the dragon and therefore addicted to dragon collectables. After 8 months of waiting, a very special BLUE DRAGON IMPERIAL has been handed over to his lucky owner. A personal bespoke (time) piece of art, made with the best materials and full of personal meanings for the owner. The dragon has always been the symbol of imperial power – a symbol for happiness, peace, protection and destiny. And since 8 is the Chinese lucky number, this dragon project was blessed with triple luck.

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The BLUE DRAGON IMPERIAL alludes to and combines Chinese mythology with the craftsmanship of GRIEB & BENZINGER, for which the workshop is famed. This outstanding watch impresses by its amazing skeleton dragon which is fully skeletonized out of the movement itself and majestically floats within the case. Historical handicrafts and fine skills are exhibited by GRIEB & BENZINGER within this BLUE DRAGON IMPERIAL watch: hand-skeletonization, hand-guilloché, hand-engraving and of course fine watchmaking.

 The blue platinum coated movement is tribute to very rare historical Swiss watch making roots: Blue movements have mainly been built for the Chinese market in imperial China of the Qing Dynasty under Emperors Jia Qing and Dao Guang. GRIEB & BENZINGER is lucky enough to own one of these very rare original blue watch movements (made by Charles Oudin in about 1820) - the historical roots comes full circle.

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This bespoke BLUE DRAGON IMPERIAL comes in a solid 18K palladium-white gold case and a bezel set 66 finest Princess cut diamonds. The price tag hit the US $ six digit region, but this is not a big surprise realizing it’s again a bespoke handmade GRIEB & BENZINGER.

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Fully hand-skeletonized manually wound movement, also guilloché and engraved by hand.
Solid 18K palladium white gold case, bezel set with 66 high-grade Princess cut diamonds, 43 mm in diameter, blue alligator-skin strap with solid 18K buckle.

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Saturday, August 30, 2014

VACHERON CONSTANTIN – EXCELLENCE PLATINE Traditionnelle Date-Day and Power Reserve & World Time Limited Edition















VACHERON CONSTANTIN EXCELLENCE PLATINE Traditionnelle Date-Day and Power Reserve & World Time Limited Edition NEW


PLATINUM KEEPS TIME TO THE TUNE OF USEFUL COMPLICATIONS

Celebrating a pure, rare and eternal material, the Collection Excellence Platine by Vacheron Constantin welcomes two new models that will delight all those with a taste for pure, understated dials, as well as keen long-distance travellers. This noble line of preciously attired watches highlights the full extent of the expertise cultivated by the Geneva-based Manufacture in the creation of mechanical movements ranging from the simplest to the most complex. Designed, developed and produced by the Vacheron Constantin Manufacture, the two calibres powering the Traditionnelle Day-Date and Power Reserve and Traditionnelle World Time watches thereby consolidate the brand’s range of useful complications.

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The Collection Excellence Platine reinforces the unique character of the watches that have joined the ranks of this prestigious range since its creation in 2006. In developing this exclusive line of timepieces, Vacheron Constantin wished to highlight the distinctive qualities of platinum. The material was first used by the Geneva-based Manufacture in 1820 and has since been featured in a number of its creations. 95% pure as against 75% for 18-carat gold, platinum is sourced from an extremely limited number of deposits worldwide. Its purity and its rarity make it the ultimate material for the most exclusive timepieces. Its density and its weight explain its resistance that is far higher than that of other metals. The imperishable, high-performance properties of platinum render it synonymous with durability and ensure its enduring appeal among an elite circle of connoisseurs and collectors.

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Through its elitist identity codes, the Collection Excellence Platine by Vacheron Constantin pays a marked tribute to the most prestigious of all metals. In addition to a case and crown in 950 platinum, each model belonging to this collection features a dial with a sandblasted finish bearing the discreet inscription “PT950” between 4 and 5 o’clock. Secured by a 950 platinum folding clasp, the strap in dark blue alligator leather is graced with a saddle-stitched finish, hand-sewn with silk and 950 platinum thread lending an ultimate touch of perfection. Each model is produced in individually numbered series never exceeding 150. The latest additions to this collection, the Traditionnelle Date-Day and Power Reserve and the Traditionnelle World Time, are no exception to the rule, since only 100 of each will be released. They naturally carry the same external tokens of distinction as the preceding models: a case, crown, dial and buckle in 950 platinum. Both stemming from the Traditionnelle collection, the two models equipped with useful complications draw upon the constantly enriched watchmaking heritage of Vacheron Constantin, while further strengthening a “medium complication” segment in which the Manufacture excels as much as in that of extremely sophisticated horological complications.

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Traditionnelle Collection: timeless classicism and elegant understatement

The timeless classicism of the two Traditionnelle Date-Day and Power Reserve and Traditionnelle World Time models confirm their kinship with the horological traditions of the collection from which they have arisen. Inspired by the aesthetic codes that have distinguished some of Vacheron Constantin’s most beautiful historical models, this collection remains true to the fundamental values appreciated by genuine connoisseurs. A slender bezel, a knurled motif around the screw-down back fitted with a sapphire crystal, facetted trapeze-shaped hour-markers – double at 12 o’clock and 6 o’clock – “dauphine” hands, a dial in various tones and a case middle with straight, clear-cut lines: the signature features of the Traditionnelle collection serve as a reminder that tradition and modernity rub shoulders quite naturally at Vacheron Constantin. Endowed with these clearly displayed qualities, Traditionnelle spans a watchmaking universe ranging from the simplest to the most complicated: it is indeed a perfect embodiment of the inventive nature of Vacheron Constantin and a tribute to two and a half centuries of uninterrupted history.

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Traditionnelle Day-Date and Power Reserve Collection
Excellence Platine:
Useful complications in daily life

The Traditionnelle Day-Date and Power Reserve model now joining the Collection Excellence Platine is entirely in keeping with the aesthetic codes of all the models that have found their place in this prestigious collection since 2006. In addition to a 39.5 mm-diameter case and crown in 950 platinum, this timepiece features an uncluttered 950 platinum dial with a finely grained sandblasted finish, discreetly bearing the inscription “Pt 950” between 4 and 5 o’clock. The face provides a central display of the hours, minutes and seconds, as well as providing pointer-type indications of the power reserve, the date and the day of the week. The strap in dark blue Mississippiensis alligator leather is hand-sewn with silk and 950 platinum thread. This combination is made possible by the remarkable malleability of this precious metal, of which a single gram can be drawn out to form an almost two kilometre-long thread. The folding clasp is also made of 950 platinum.

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At its heart beats a mechanical self-winding movement developed and produced by Vacheron ConstantinCalibre 2475 – graced with the kind of meticulous finishes that are the unmistakable signature of Fine Watchmaking: Côtes de Genève, bevelled and rhodiumed bridges and a circular-grained mainplate. The watch and movement bear the Hallmark of Geneva, an independent certification of origin, of craftsmanship, of durability and of expertise.

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TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS

EXCELLENCE PLATINE Traditionnelle Date-Day and Power Reserve

Reference:    85290/000P-9947 Limited edition of 100 individually numbered pieces
“N°X/100” engraved on caseback

Hallmark of Geneva certified timepiece

Calibre:    2475 SC
Developped and manufactured by Vacheron Constantin
Mechanical, self-winding
26.2 mm (11’’’½) diameter
5.7 mm thick
Approximately 40 hours of power reserve
4 Hz (28,800 vibrations/hour)
264 components
27 jewels
Indications:
Hours
Minutes
Day of the week
Date
Power reserve
Case:
Platinum 950
39.5 mm diameter, 10.65 mm thick
Transparent sapphire crystal caseback
Water-resistance tested at a pressure of 3 bar (approx. 30 meters)
Dial  
Platinum 950, sand-blasted finishing
“Pt950” hallmark between 4 and 5 o’clock
Black painted indications
Strap:
Dark blue Mississippiensis alligator leather, hand-stitched with
platinum 950 and silk, saddle-finish, large square scales
Clasp:
Triple-blade folding clasp in platinum 950
Polished half Maltese cross-shaped

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Traditionnelle World Time Collection Excellence Platine :
Simultaneous reading of all world time zones


The Traditionnelle World Time watch embodies a complication inextricably bound up with the history of the Geneva-based Manufacture, since it was in 1932 that Vachercon Constantin made its first timepiece equipped with a world time mechanism enabling simultaneous reading of the time in 31 cities of the world. Ever since, it has consistently perfected this useful and ingenious mechanism also referred to as “universal” or “international” time. This mechanical self-winding movement developed and crafted by Vacheron Constantin is distinguished by its ability to drive indications corresponding to the world’s 37 time zones – including those offset from Universal Coordinated Time (UCT) by a half-hour or a quarter hour – complete with a day/night display via a central globe, as well as by its simplified crown adjustment of all indications. A patent for this exclusive association has been duly filed by the Manufacture.

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The display consists of three parts: a sapphire dial with day/night shading as well as an engraved and inked 24-hour indication; a 950 platinum dial with a “Lambert projector” type map; and a metal chapter ring. All indications are easily adjusted via the crown, thereby considerably simplifying the use of this highly technical watch.

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TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS

EXCELLENCE PLATINE Traditionnelle World Time

Reference:    86060/000P-9979 Limited edition of 100 individually numbered pieces
“N°X/100” engraved on caseback

Hallmark of Geneva certified timepiece

Calibre:    2460 WT
Developped and manufactured by Vacheron Constantin
Mechanical, self-winding
36.60 mm (11’’’ ¼ ) diameter
7.55 mm thick
Approximately 40 hours of power reserve
4 Hz (28,800 vibrations/hour)
255 components
27 jewels
Indications:
Hours
Minutes
Center seconds
World time indication with day/night zone (37 time zones)
Case:
Platinum 950
42.50 mm diameter, 11.62 mm thick
Transparent sapphire crystal caseback
Water-resistance tested at a pressure of 3 bar (approx. 30 meters)
Dial  
Made of 3 parts:
  • 1 disc in sapphire with gradient day/night indication in the center, 24-hour indication inked / engraved
  • 1 disc in platinum 950 with hand-polished embossed “Lambert Projection” type map and transferred cities names
  • 1 external ring in platinum 950 with transferred minute-track and 18K gold applied hour-makers. “Pt950” hallmark between 4 and 5 o’clock
Strap:
Dark blue Mississippiensis alligator leather, hand-stitched with
platinum 950 and silk, saddle-finish, large square scales
Clasp:
Triple-blade folding clasp in platinum 950
Polished half Maltese cross-shaped

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For more information please contact:
Sra. Jennifer Lara
Marketing & Communications Manager Latin America
Vacheron Constantin
jennifer.lara@vacheron-constantin.com
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Friday, August 29, 2014

Parmigiani Fleurier – BUGATTI Mythe Limited Edition

















Parmigiani FleurierBUGATTI Mythe Limited Edition 


THE BUGATTI MYTHE – CELEBRATING A DECADE OF PARTNERSHIP

This year, in order to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the partnership with Bugatti, Parmigiani Fleurier is unveiling three limited editions.

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The brand has decided to take the iconic Bugatti 370 timepiece, and its transverse tubular movement, as its basis. This model, which marked the creation of the partnership in 2004, demonstrates the brand's cutting-edge creative spirit and the quest for technical excellence which made it possible.

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The Bugatti Anniversary Limited Edition opens with the Bugatti Mythe. The aesthetic of this timepiece is based on an emblematic Bugatti component: the remarkable Type 57 grille.

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This grille, which graced the very first Bugatti cars, has a striking structure, formed of lines rather than mesh. These lines are echoed in the watch dial and they extend downward beyond its perimeter, affirming the Art Deco style which made the historic grille such a success.

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In addition to this homage to Bugatti's history, the Bugatti Mythe timepiece also pays tribute to the ongoing collaboration between industrial and artisan traditions in both the automotive and watchmaking worlds. Inextricably linked at Bugatti, industry and craftsmanship see their potential combined in every creation, and this is what the brand's reputation is based on.

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The Bugatti Mythe evokes this marriage through the dual-colour effect of the surfaces of its case middle. A mottled anthracite grey surface, which reinforces its "industrial" appearance, represents this side of the spectrum; the burnished, gold surfaces reflect the refined, artisan side.

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The Bugatti Mythe is possessed of a powerful symbolism, which encapsulates the history of two brands and the success of a collaboration that is celebrating its 10th anniversary.

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Thursday, August 28, 2014

Tutima – M2 Pioneer Titanium Chronograph
















Tutima M2 Pioneer Titanium Chronograph NEW


The professional timepiece for the toughest assignments in any environment – German Engineering from Tutima Glashütte

Uncompromising functionality and absolute reliability are the base values of a professional timekeeping instrument. The NATO chronograph by Tutima, the official watch of the German army, has proved itself outstandingly during missions across the globe for decades. Now comes the M2, destined to continue this success story. The solid titanium case with an extra-strong sapphire crystal and screw-down case back protects the mechanical movement from shock, dust and moisture – and now even from strong magnetic influence. 

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New Inner Values

The M2 is one of the new generation chronographs from Tutima Glashütte and its features include.
The effects of magnetic fields on the rate precision of a mechanical movement can be devastating, to put it mildly. In order to rule out its influence right from the start, the chronograph movement of the new M2 is surrounded by a combination of soft iron and mu-metal, a magnetically soft nickel-iron alloy. In terms of movement technology, the M2 also completes a generational shift.

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Contrary to the previous generation, which was outfitted with Lémania Caliber 5100, a Tutima Caliber 321 ticks within the M2. The reconstruction of the dial train creating an easily legible sweep minute counter – as has been the case with the previous generation for decades – is a proprietary Tutima development. Additionally, the arrangement leaves room for the 24-hour display as with the Lémania 5100, offering the wearer valuable orientation aid during missions lasting days, under water or even in space.

Reliable Functionality

Legibility and user-friendliness are two elements that topped the M2 developers’ functional specification document. The hour and minute hands as well as the hour markers are inlaid with strong luminescent material, and the red tips of the chronograph hands also gleam for a long time after the light source has vanished in the dark. The non-slip rotating bezel of the Pioneer model variation is outfitted with compactly fitted glass luminescent capsules and a large reference marker at the 12 o’clock position, which allows it to be read off even in full darkness.

There is hardly a thing to improve on the functionality of the screw-in crown and the large buttons integrated into the case, which the M2 has inherited from its predecessor – however the chronograph buttons have indeed been improved with the addition of a non-slip, ribbed rubber surface.

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The case back made of light titanium, like the case, is decorated with the silhouette of an aerobatic double-decker plane and ensures that it is reliably water-resistant to withstand a pressure of 30 bar (300 meters). Both M2 model variations are available with a choice of titanium link bracelet or a leather strap secured to the case in a form-fitting manner.

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Model: Tutima - M2 Pioneer Titanium Chronograph Kevlar strap
Reference : 6451-02 
Technical Specifications

Case Titanium
Dial Velvet black
Band Kevlar strap with tang buckle
Diameter 46 mm
Height 15.85 mm
Movement details: 
Mechanical with automatic winding, coated antique gray.
Tutima Caliber 321 ( Lémania Caliber 5100) 
Functions: 
Hours, minutes, subsidiary seconds; 
Chronograph sweep second and minute counter, 
12-hour totalizer; 24-hour display; date.
Case details:
Pearl-blasted finish; bidirectionally rotating bezel with luminescent capsules; 
anti-reflective sapphire crystal on the inside; 
screw-in crown; large, integrated chronograph buttons with rubber inlay; 
screw-down case back; 
water-resistant to 300 m; magnetic field protection.

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Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Lebeau-Courally and Rolls-Royce Wraith





















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Lebeau-Courally  and Rolls-Royce Wraith

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Allies in excellence, Lebeau-Courally and Rolls-Royce Wraith

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”There’s a sense of effortless grace and elegance, but at the same time something more contemporary and daring,”, says Rolls-Royce Director of Design Giles Taylor about the new Wraith model. The Rolls-Royce Wraith is undoubtedly a car that will astonish everyone who has the honour to see it and the privilege to drive it.

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The boldness in design and the refinement in engineering and finishing of this car have raised the bar in bespoke car manufacturing once again. In the same way as Lebeau-Courally has always cherished the shared philosophy of excellence in watch making and manufacturing bespoke hunting guns, it has brought Lebeau-Courally and Rolls-Royce together in a series of unique events.

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Both luxury brands will collaborate in hosting a select audience at a few remarkable appearances in the weeks and months to come. During these rare events, guests will be able to become acquainted with Rolls-Royce’s dramatic Wraith model and Lebeau-Courally’s bespoke Le Comte watch model.

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Both brands have enjoyed each other’s company at similar events and will probably work closely together in the future for jointly hosted shows and presentations.

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Lebeau-Courally
P.A.: Brainstorming
François La Haye
Avenue Louise 347
1050 Brussels
T +32 2 626 22 60
françois.lahaye@brain-storming.be
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Tuesday, August 26, 2014

New Blancpain boutique on 5th Avenue















New Blancpain boutique on 5th Avenue

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Blancpain is proud to announce the opening of its boutique in the heart of Manhattan. Located on the east side of 5th avenue, half a block north of St. Patrick’s cathedral, this new boutique takes its place among an array of prestigious names and historical buildings. With a 160 square metre surface area dedicated to clients, this is Blancpain’s largest boutique on American soil and 29th own-name boutique, designed to strengthen the brand’ international presence and confirm its worldwide expansion.

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While each boutique has its own personality, Blancpain disseminates the spirit of its Manufacture in Le Brassus in each and every one of them. The interior décor is infused with the brand’s heritage. The cherry wood used for the furniture and the display window design draw their inspiration from the architecture of the workshops and master-watchmaker’s workbenches. This peaceful environment is eminently conducive to discovering watchmaking know-how.

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For the first time in one of its boutiques, Blancpain uses a 360 degree screening system for total immersion in the brand universe.

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Photos and videos are displayed on the upper part of the walls, thus creating an atmosphere where virtual and real collide. The images change according to brand news and are a reminder of its various commitments in several areas such as the oceans, the art of living and motorsports.

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The boutique offers visitors an opportunity to admire Blancpain timepieces and all the collections – from Villeret to Fifty Fathoms, along with models developed exclusively for the boutiques – are on display here, in a setting which invites visitors to take their time in the heart of the city that never sleeps.

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For further information:
Blancpain Boutique
645 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10022
Tel: +1 212 396 1735
Email: blancpain.boutiquenyc@swatchgroup.com

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Blancpain S.A.
Le Rocher 12
1348 Le Brassus
Suisse
Tel.  (+41) 21 796 3636
Fax (+41) 21 796 3637
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