Wow! This is a little story which is hard to pass! Maybe you know that in Switzerland all forms of motor racing are actually outlawed and so, instead of guys retiring to the garage/potting shed at night to put another five hours into the ‘project’ muscle car, rally car or whatever, their Swiss counterpart retires to his shed and some time later emerges with something completely bonkers. One of these Swiss garagistes is a chap named Frank M. Rinderknecht, and he is the owner and automotive visionary behind Rinspeed, maker of actual working concept cars which are unconventional to say the very least!

In his latest creation, he has worked with longtime friends at the watchmaker Carl F Bucherer to integrate a stripped-back skeletonized dashboard clock in the instrument cluster.

However, it would probably be best to become a little more familiar with Mr Rinderknecht’s company at this point, so please forgive my indulgence as I show you some of his previous creations before getting to the kernel of this article.

This first little number is called the Rinspeed Splash

Driving the Rinspeed Splash

The Rinspeed Splash gets wet...

.....and for the party piece!

Then there was the Rinspeed sQuba….

The Rinspeed sQuba

Any ideas.....???

.....well what else would you expect??

So now we know a little about the mindset of Mr Frank M. Rinderknecht, you won’t be overly surprised to learn that his latest creation can travel through time!!! Well ok, perhaps that’s still a little ambitious, even for this guy, although with the brain reservoir behind the Large Hadron Collider based nearby at the CERN facility it would have to be a possibility sometime in the future!!

Well in fact on this occasion Rinspeed have produced a vehicle which looks like a small version of the Smart car – which isn’t exactly big to start with… The new Rinspeed UC? (yes, that’s it folks – including the ‘?’) is the ultimate city bee. And perhaps it’s not as wacky as one would have come to expect from the company’s past travails.

The Rinspeed UC?

The UC? you see (sorry) has been designed today but with designs on it’s integration into urban infrastructures of the future – although some aspects might not need to be so far away.

The little joystick-operated 2.6m electric UC? is designed to be self-loaded by the driver quickly and easily onto specially designed railway wagons so the cars can park side by side, their batteries hooked up to onboard charging stations so as to arrive at their destination fully charged, while the driver relaxing in their seat or visiting the restaurant car as the train takes them into the city where disembarkation is as simple as loading and the little car can slip into the centre traffic. There’s some forward thinking there you’d have to say!

At the Hauptbanhof

What else? Well, it’s fully web-enabled so booking that train space can be done en-route using VoIP online communications sytems.

Here’s a little of what Rinspeed themselves have to say….

“The goal is to create a new mobility concept that integrates individual car ownership and public transportation. A transverse loading system using custom railcars allows loading and unloading of numerous “UC?” vehicles simultaneously and in a very short time. Train passages are booked and reserved online directly from the vehicle. Harman International provides the permanent 3G internet connection as well as marvelous sound on wheels. VoIP2Car technology provides IP telephone service, video chat, video conferences, e-mail and many more features in the “UC?”.

UC? Joystick and Instruments

Integrated charging stations on board the custom railcars ensure that upon arrival at the destination the “UC?” battery is once again fully charged for maximum operating range. During the train trip drivers can visit the train restaurant, use any of the other train amenities or spend time in the privacy of their cars.

With this mobility concept Rinspeed elegantly circumvents the obstacle of limited operating range that so far has kept many interested parties from switching to zero-emission vehicles.  As Frank M. Rinderknecht sees it: “I can make more efficient use of my time than spending it driving on a boring highway. I’d rather visit the train restaurant or retreat to work in my car.” The Swiss visionary is already in discussions with international railroad companies about his new mobility concept.”

So, do you remember some time ago I mentioned that Carl F Bucherer were in some way connected here? Well in fact the relationship between Rinspeed and Carl F Bucherer goes back some way with the watchmaker being a backer of the car creator for some years.

Among the cluster of instruments which sprout out of the dash screen bezel in the new Rinspeed UC? is mounted a Carl F Bucherer skeletonized hand-wound Werk M1000 dashboard ‘clock’.

I know that the Bucherer dashboard clock link is relevant to our horologic theme, but perhaps it’s a wee bit tenuous in this case as all you’ve seen here today are silly cars, but I’ve always thought that Rinspeed were wonderfully ‘out there’ since first seeing their cars and any excuse to write about them is one I’ll jump at.

Carl F Bucherer Werk M1000

And maybe you think it all looks a bit mad, but if the future’s going to be about new energy solutions, it wouldn’t be a bad old world if the eccentric and self-influenced creations of Frank M. Rinderknecht found their way onto the streets of Europe’s city centres.

Frank Rinderknecht

You should really pop over to the Rinspeed website for many more amazing cars.

Popularity: 9% [?]

Prior to making it’s debut in the upcoming 2010 Baselworld watch industry exhibition, Eterna have unveiled a new addition to their collection due out later this year. The Eterna Madison Eight Days is a very good-looking piece indeed and features Eterna’s new ‘Spherodrive’ in-house manufacture hand-wound mechanical movement.

While it can be argued that Eterna do not market themselves as aggressively as many other high-end manufacturers and thereby to some extent do not carry the same kudos as some of their competitors, a look through their collections on their own site reveals a range of mostly desirable models, so although making their first appearance here on TheWatchPress, I have the feeling it won’t be a one-and-only appearance for Eterna here.

Eterna Madison Eight Days

The new Madison Eight Days is an elegant gent’s watch in a polished stainless steel tonneau 53.3 x 38.5mm case, height: 13.25mm. It features an attractive dial available in silvered, grey or black, with ‘cobbled’ centre panel and sunray surround with applied baton hour markers and numerals. The big date window is at the two o’clock position and the eight day power reserve indicator between the 7 and 8. A sapphire crystal exhibition caseback displays the new Eterna Spherodrive calibre 3510 movement.

So what is this Spherodrive then? It’s all to do with how they have replaced commonplace components such as rubies which are used as bearings in the main moving parts.  Rubies require relubrication with viscous oils at service and will also eventually wear, over time allowing side-to-side movement (say, of the arbor pinion which goes through the centre of the spring barrel and which is under constant tension) where there should be none.

Eterna have instead devised a solution which should reduce wear and eliminate completely the need for lubrication with these parts being replaced with a double ball bearing component whose encased zirconium oxide bearings require no lubrication at all.

Hand-wound, Eterna 3510 calibre with Spherodrive - click to enlarge

The Eterna Madison Eight Days will be priced at around €8,500 when it goes on sale at selected Eterna dealers late 2010.

Popularity: 15% [?]

There’s a new wind sweeping through the corridors and workshops at the Zenith manufacture in the guise of Jean-Frédéric Dufour, the company’s new CEO, and it looks like his influence has helped to put the brand solidly in the running for Watch of the Year gong with the stunning new El Primero Foudroyante 1/10th Chronograph which breaks cover in the upcoming Baselworld 2010 industry showcase.

The Zenith El Primero Foudroyante 1/10th Chronograph

There is just so much to like about this watch aesthetically, and to admire technically. The first thing that strikes you is it’s presence. Housed in a sensibly-sized 42mm rose gold or stainless steel case, it seems to have a depth to it. Beneath the sapphire, the applied baton hour markers sit proud of  the silver sunray-brushed dial which itself features three recessed subdials in blue, black and grey at the 3, 6 and 9 o’clock positions and all of which, combined with the red chronograph seconds hand – check the cool little Zenith star at it’s base – create an eyecatching 3-D effect.

A second later and the eyes begin to make sense of the fact that the outer chapter ring is scaled from 1 – 10, and each of the ten sectors punctuated by ten further markers with 0.5 marked midway. Now the purpose of the foudroyant 1/10 seconds function becomes clear. Once activated, the chronograph starts the small chrono seconds subdial in it’s 60-second sweep and, much more dramatically, the red chronograph hand begins to sweep around the dial in a 10-second  rotation, ‘jumping’ between each tenth of a second  – that’s 600 movements a minute! Stop the chronograph and the red hand halts precisely at that fraction of the second.

So you have this big red hand whizzing around the dial while the subdial marks the seconds and another up to 60 minutes. That’s very cool indeed!

It’s also a considerable drain on the limited available energy and so the new El Primero 4052B calibre automatic movement has needed to be refined in several areas so as to ensure practicality, consistency, accuracy and ongoing reliability. Some of the movement’s components have been manufactured in silicon – some three times lighter than conventional materials – simply to reduce the amount of energy required to power them through the chronograph’s hectic 100 stop-starts per rotation.

The Zenith El Primero Foudroyante 1/10th Chronograph - click to enlarge

The new Zenith El Primero Foudroyante 1/10th Chronograph comes on a rubber lined alligator leather strap or stainless steel link bracelet with triple-folding clasp.

Having spoken with Zenith today – Februaury 19th – I was informed that the brand were intent on ‘keeping their powder dry’ and not releasing any details about the new piece until March 17th, the day before Baselworld opens it’s doors, but somehow word and images have emerged online and so it would be rude of me not to write a feature on it.

We are awaiting further technical information and images from the Zenith manufacture and will post them as soon as they hit my inbox.

While we all wait, we can appreciate some images as found on TimeZone and reproduced here until I recieve our own press pack. I think it’s one of the classiest gents sports watches seen so far this year and I can understand Zenith not wanting to unveil it until the famous watchshow, but as it’s out there now, I’m sure they will find most commentators to be of a favourable disposition, so maybe all’s well that ends well.

Popularity: 20% [?]

The new Rebellion Predator certainly won’t be to everyone’s taste, but on first seeing it, I immediately thought this dramatic piece merited a short feature here on The Watch Press.

Firstly, Rebellion are a young company which is based in Lonay near the shore of Lake Geneva. Established in 2008, they bring a distinctive design ethos to their watches and are clearly not afraid to raise their heads above the parapet with bold styling and unusual aspects of horology.

The Rebellion founders share a deep passion for all things motor racing (although motor racing of any kind is not permitted in Switzerland!!) and their brief to Eric Giroud, designer of the watch, was to draw influence from automotive themes, using such as brake discs, drilled footpedals (pushers) and suspension components as styling inspiration.

The Rebellion Predator Chronograph - Click to expand then again to supersize

The resulting Rebellion Predator is therefore a striking piece with a head-on impression of a racing brake disc. The dial has a honeycomb background (revealing date disc and movement) onto which are fitted the chronograph counters at the 3 and 6 o’clock positions and the ‘casing’ for the sectorial small seconds at the 9.

A closer examination of these features reveals a ruby in the centre of both the 30 minutes and 12-hour chrono counters which are held in place with pushrod-style ‘mountings’ and which allow the counters to rotate beneath. Then, at the 9 o’clock is the small ‘sectorial seconds’ in which the seconds are displayed with a two-sided seconds hand which reads the inner scale (0 – 30 secs) as the shorter hand passes and the outer scale (30 – 60) when the longer end goes round.

The Rebellion Predator Chronograph - Click image to expand then again to supersize

The watch is available in limited numbers, but can be ordered in a wide combination of steel, red gold and ceramic options. Here’s what Rebellion have to say about their remarkable Predator Chronograph in their press kit:

“ Race refined components

Many characteristics of the Predator, both technical and aesthetic, are inspired directly from racing cars – like the brake disks and the pedals – and are found throughout the watch.

First we have the five-layered dial, the base of which is in a honeycomb that ensures absolute rigidity while maximising transparency and lightness.

The chronograph counters are connected to the dial by push rod shaped bridges decorated with a central ruby reminding us that, despite the watch’s avant-gardist nature, the Predator is crafted with respect to horological tradition.

The sectorial seconds at 9h are indicated by means of a double hand: a shorter hand indicates 0 to 30 seconds, which is then replaced by a longer hand indicating 30 to 60 seconds.

In red gold or steel, the hands of the hours, minutes and chronograph are diamond-cut, hollowed, and then treated with SuperLumiNova to ensure excellent legibility and a lighter vision of time.

The bezel is attached by 8 distinctive screws with heads in the brand’s logo and the back by 6 torx screws, reinforcing the racing spirit of the watch.

Another exclusivity of this model: the case, which is constructed in a complex sandwich of superimposed layers allowing considerable personalisation according to owner’s taste.

The Predator is available in several case materials: red gold, red gold/ceramic, steel, steel/ceramic and red gold/steel.

The Predator is also available in a time-only version with three hands and date, as well as a mono-pusher chronograph.

An exclusive watch for those with a passion for speed

Despite its relatively classical shape, the Predator perfectly encompasses the passion of REBELLION ‘s founders for endurance car racing. A passion that carries through to the race team that carries the brand’s name, ‘Racing Rebellion’, which will participate in the Le Mans 24 hours and the Le Mans Series with two Lola LMP1 driven by Nicolas Prost, Andrea Belicchi, Neel Jani and Jean-Christophe Boullion.

A limited edition of 24 watches, called the LM24, will be launched at the Le Mans 24 hours in 2010, and the watches will be worn by the drivers during the race. “

Technical specification:

Calibre: RE-1, automatic winding with disk brake inspired honeycomb rotor allowing a view through to the movement.

Indications: hours, minutes, sectorial seconds and date in window at 4h30.

Chronograph counters: 12 hours, 30 minutes, 60 seconds.

Power reserve: 50 hours.

Balance frequency: 28’800 A/h (4 Hz).

Dial: black DLC honeycomb.

Indexes: red gold or steel with SuperLumiNova depending on the model.

Hands: hours and minutes diamond-cut, rhodium plated with SuperLumiNova.

Case: round and customisable to taste; numbered; available in red gold, red gold/ceramic, steel, steel/ceramic and red gold/steel
- Engraved serial number on plate screwed to side of case.
- Crown in red gold or steel, with band in rubber for better grip.
- Pushers: design inspired by the pedals of a race car.
- Sapphire display black fixed by 6 torx screws allowing appreciation of the fine finishing of the movement.
- Water resistance: 100 metres.

Bracelet: black rubber.
- Deployment buckle with patented clasp featuring micrometric push-button adjustment allowing precise adjustment while on the wrist.
- Clasp in red gold, ceramic or steel, depending on the model.

Popularity: 18% [?]

F P Journe have unveiled the new Vagabondage ll wristwatch and in doing so have demonstrated once again their ability to create yet another take on the art of displaying hours, minutes and seconds.

From F P Journe press release:

” F.P.Journe presents the second chapter of the Vagabondage Limited Series, “Vagabondage II”, which will be produced in a limited series of 69 pieces in platinum and 68 pieces in 18K red gold, available from all authorized F.P.Journe points of sale around the world in December 2009.

It is essential to retrace the history of this creation, which has made its mark in the watchmaking history and represents the quintessence of anti-marketing. In 2004, for the 30th Anniversary of Antiquorum, François-Paul Journe created a unique piece to be sold at a Geneva charity auction in favour of the ICM, research institute for Brain and Spinal Cord diseases in Paris, www.icm-institute.org. This was an F.P.Journe Invenit et Fecit creation indeed, but with an unusual shape. For the first time, the Geneva Manufacture created a watch that was not round, with a flat tortue-shaped case and a dial without the F.P.Journe signature.

Following that charity auction, for which 3 pieces were produced – one in rose gold, one in white gold and one in yellow gold, which sold for three times their value – a limited series of 69 pieces in platinum was launched with an 18K rose gold movement. This series was sold without promotion or publicity of any kind, and without any picture.

Collectors went wild for it. A legend was born.

It goes without saying the Vagabondage II series has been long awaited by collectors. This second edition present a manually-wound movement and an original digital time display, with small second at 6, power reserve at 12. The 18K rose gold movement is visible through the dial in smoked sapphire crystal, also without the F.P.Journe signature.

The 69 pieces in platinum feature white gold windows with blue hands, while the 68 pieces in 18K red gold have gold windows and hands.

Owners of a Vagabondage I will be given priority for the purchase of an identical limited number from the Vagabondage II series.

A third Vagabondage edition will very likely be created as new technical advances dictate. Each watch of the “Vagabondage” series will have an original digital display system.

F.P.Journe continually re-invents traditional watchmaking techniques and constantly works to produce novel time measurement instruments.

His peers the world over recognize his integrity in the realization of innovative pieces, his ingenuity, and his unique technical sense. A recipient of all the most prestigious horological prizes, F.P.Journe has been granted numerous awards at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie of Geneva, among them three influential “Golden Hand” awards.

François-Paul Journe is one of the last remaining Master watchmakers committed to defending the fundamental values of Haute Horology, as he pursues his quest to restore authenticity to the history and practice of time measurement. “

Technical Specification – F P Journe Vagabondage II

Movement: Calibre 1509 Manual winding movement in 18K rose gold, 30 jewels

Dimensions of the Movement:

Overall diameter: 29.3 x 28.2 mm
Casing-up diameter: 29.3 x 28.4 mm
Overall height: 5.28 mm
Height of winding system: 3.13 mm
Diameter of stem thread: S0.90 mm

Balance
Four inertia weights
Flat Anachron microflamed spring
Mobile stud holders
Free sprung
Nivatronic laser-welded to collet
Pinned GE stud

Frequency: 21,600 v / h, (3Hz)

Inertia: 10.10 mg /cm2

Angle of lift: 52°

Amplitude:

0h dial up: > 260° 24h dial up: > 260°

Principal characteristics: 1 minute constant force device, patented No EP 1528443
Digital indication of hours and minutes
Time adjustment via crown in position 2
Pallets escapement with 15 tooth escape wheel
Two position crown
Sub-second at 6h00
Power reserve at 12h00
Power reserve
40 hours
Decoration
High quality
Partly circular grained base plate and Geneva waves
Polished screw heads, chamfered slots
Pegs with polished rounded ends
Case
Flat Tortue shape 45 x 37.5 mm
Height 8.00 mm
Dial Smoked Sapphire
Limited Series
Platinum PT 950 69 pieces
White gold windows and blue hands
Rose gold 18K 68 pieces
Rose gold windows and hands
Number of parts
Movement without dial: 223
Cased-up on leather strap: 256

Popularity: 10% [?]

Lovers of the cool Doxa brand will be pleased to set their eyes on the new Doxa Sub 800 Ti Professional. As boasted on their own site (itself a peculiar setup with two variants of the same site available as far as I can see) the watch ‘looks like steel, so it must be…..titanium’ of course!! Although the Ti suffix might already have blown that surprise.

The new Sub is indeed a departure for Doxa as it is their first titanium version thus far. The company claim that this and other new features on the watch are the result of customer requests and owner’s forum comments, which Doxa actually took onboard and acknowledged. This, to me, demonstrates a company who know their customer, know where to find them – online – and who are keen enough to respond to their more accessible demands.

The Doxa Sub 800 Ti Professional

However, the polishing techniques used in the manufacturing process actually leave the normally dull titanium with a much brighter than normal finish – almost like stainless steel. The link bracelet certainly has the appearance of a matte/polished steel bracelet and the clasp expands using a push-button ratchet to encompass the larger cuff of a wet/dry suit before easily adjusting to fit the wrist. Also comes with ‘NATO’ fabric strap.

And typically, as soon as I write a feature about a watch with fairly special attributes, such as the Ball Watch Engineer Hydrocarbon Spacemaster and it’s H3 Tritium gas-filled markers and hands, the every next day I write to tell you that the new Doxa Sub 800Ti Professional is also kitted out with the same technology, for unrivaled readability which requires no exposure to light prior to use.

Doxa are also keen to emphasise the versatility of their Sub 800 Ti and it’s adaptability to military requirements as the company integrated elements of the US military published required specifications into the manufacture of the watch. After all, this is one robust and durable watch which offers ‘total illumination in total darkness’.

The Doxa Sub 800 Ti is available in orange (Professional) or black (Sharkhunter) dials.

The DOXA Sub 800 Ti Sharkhunter

Popularity: 13% [?]

One of my favourite and eclectic brands, Havana-based Cuervo Y Sobrinos, have announced their new Cuervo Y Sobrinos Torpedo Historiador Semanal in anticipation of the 2010 BaselWorld industry exhibition in March.

Well, when I say ‘new’, it is in fact a modern interpretation on one of the marque’s distinctive 1940′s models. The Torpedo Historiador Semanal, according to the company themselves, uses a movement only slightly modified from the 1945 original and reflects the style of the brand’s watches in this era – at which time Cuervo Y Sobrinos were enjoying their best years until the 1959 revolution in Cuba which saw anything associated with the trappings of wealth fall from favour with the new socialist rulers.

Cuervo Y Sobrinos Torpedo Historiador Semenal

This new release from the brand is an eyecatching piece indeed. There’s a lot going on in that dial. The watch face features five scales which display (from centre to bezel) arabic numerals, a continuous day of week (which means that the red ‘horseshoe’ pointer only completes a circuit once a month), then date, month and finally, at the bezel the week number.

The 40mm round stainless steel case (rose gold is an option) features a crown at the expected 3 o’clock position as well as two further crowns at the 8 (for setting the week and month) and 10 (date) positions.

Cuervo Y Sobrinos are inherently proud of their Cuban roots and if the styling is a little more flamboyant than many of their Swiss counterparts, it is no more than an expression their latin culture, and is something the brand does as  naturally as they would breathe in the Havana air.

Technical Specifications (from Cuervo Y Sobrinos press release)

Popularity: 19% [?]

I first really noticed the Ball Watch company a few years ago and have always meant to get my hands on one but never actually got round to it. Ball Watch possess a quite unusual characteristic which is not found in many watch brands – although a nod of recognition also goes to Traser/H3 watches at this point.

Ball Watch often fit their watches with vials of H3 luminous gas (similar to that used in Xenon headlights) in their displays and use it for super-high levels of legibility in the hour markers, numerals and hands. And it’s in use again in the latest cool offering of the Ball Watch Engineer Hydrocarbon Spacemaster.

Ball Watch put out a press release on the new watch. Here’s what they said…..

Ball Watch Press Release

The Engineer Hydrocarbon collection is the ultimate personification of the BALL Watch identity. It is its iconic hero! Today, the brand has instilled it with renewed vigor. For this youthful makeover, the Research & Development team has applied all its technological expertise, its knowledge of materials and the readability standards inherited from the brand’s founder.

Several components have been modified and improved, including the rotating bezel. It has retained its unidirectional function, its notch calibrated at 30 seconds as well as its virile and robust design. However, it has been made slightly wider and flatter making it much easier to manipulate even when wearing gloves.

Loyal to its easy night reading function, BALL Watch has equipped the Hydrocarbon bezel with an H3 marker inserted in a protective container at 12 o’clock. Further, the graduation from 0 to 14, along with the digits 15, 30 and 45 all have very powerful luminescent paint emitting a blue glow.

Ball Watch Engineer Hydrocarbon Spacemaster

The triple folding clasp and its extension, patented by BALL Watch, is a pure distillation of innovation.To improve the strength and durability of this clasp, it is machined from a single block of 316L stainless steel. To ensure optimum ergonomics, the clasp’s balance is perfect and the unfolding components are spread evenly under their cover; and a 22-millimeter extension system has been added on both sides of the bracelet so that the watch can be worn over sports gear. Opening and closing operations can be performed singlehandedly. The clasp operates with a robust locking mechanism enabling it to withstand extreme traction forces when in the closed position.

The crowning technical touch in this watch is its chronometer-certified ETA 2836 movement, with day and date calendar, delivering extreme precision.

The BALL Watch Engineer Hydrocarbon exudes unrivalled character that transforms its wearer into an unmistakable hero. It goes where he goes, cleaved to his wrist, leaving all others in its wake! Its ergonomic design means the wearer can forget about it and just focus all his attention on his current mission. The BALL Watch ambassador Brian Binnie, former US Navy pilot and astronaut, is well placed to report back on this particular point. It was this watch that he chose to accompany him out where gravity loses its hold, into infinite space where the earth is just a panorama separated from the immense blackness by a blue ribbon. Out there, Brian Binnie found the ultimate freedom.

BALL Watch is proud to be associated with the greatest of human endeavors and pays homage to this expedition by equipping the dial of the Spacemaster model with luminescent gas tubes emitting a blue glow similar to the illumination of a spaceship’s instrument panel.

Technical specification

Model Number: DM2036-SCAJ-BK
Movement: Automatic ETA 2836-2, COSC certified chronometer
Functions: Hours, minutes, sweep seconds, day and date
29 micro gas tubes on hour, minute, second hands and dial for night reading capability
Case: Stainless steel case with luminous unidirectional rotating bezel
Diameter 41.5 mm, Height 16.1 mm
4mm anti-reflective sapphire crystal
Patented crown protection system
Water-resistant to 333 m
Antimagnetic to 12,000 A/m
Shock-resistant – withstands 7,500 Gs shock test
Band: Tapered stainless steel bracelet, with patented deployant buckle
& extension system

For more information, please visit www.ballwatch.com

Well I’m not absolutely certain that hero status is a pre-requisite to own one, but if you can maybe ‘pretend’ to possess hero qualities, then you might just get away without anyone asking for your hero credentials.

It would be a shame if the watch was not supplied to mere mortals such as I because it’s a nice looking piece and I’m sure it would draw admiring comments, but maybe that’s because heroism is expected as standard if you wear one.

Popularity: 20% [?]

Hublot have teamed up with one of the greatest rock bands of all time. Depeche Mode.

Greatest ‘rock’ bands off all time I hear you wonder? Yes. Have you caught them live? If you have, you’ll know what I mean.

In all, Depeche Mode have released 12 albums, the latest of which, Sounds of the Universe is touring Europe at the minute. If you can get to see them, go. It’s a fantastic experience which once again places the Basildon boys live as one of the most amazing and infectious concert bands in the world – everyone there knows every word of every song, and it’s incredible when they launch into a tune you think no-one else has ever heard except yourself and you look around and everyone in sight is either singing it aloud, or lip-syncing .

What on earth do Depeche Mode, of all bands, have to do with a feature on The Watch Press? I’ll tell you.

Some time ago a strange box appeared on the Depeche Mode and Hublot websites which, in countdown style, announced the imminent unveiling of a series of twelve one-of-a-kind Hublot Big Bang/Depeche Mode watches – each one representing one of the twelve albums with an image of the cover art portrayed in a strip across the otherwise black face of the watch – and, as is typical of effervescent Hublot boss, Jean-Claude Biver and the members of the band, the two globally recognized names will collaborate – in the case of the band, to carry out the opening proceedings in London’s Royal Albert Hall in aid of the Teenage Cancer Trust with a one-off gig on February 17th, and Hublot in putting the twelve pieces up for exclusive auction to raise funds for the charity.

All twelve Hublot Big Bang Chronographs come in a black ceramic case on a croco leather strap with hand-stitching matching exactly the colour theme of the album being represented.

I’m pleased to post some of the first images of each of the twelve Depeche Mode Big Bang watches below. Click on them to expand, then click again to supersize!

Images of the 12 watches are all we have for now, but do remember to click on them to expand, then click again to supersize to fully appreciate this fabulous Depeche Mode Hublot Big Bang unique 1/1 collection.

It’s one thing having a favourite band endorsing a nice piece of merchandise, but this surely is on a different level. I think that the watches are within taste boundaries and I would have any one of them happily, but I must admit to an element of bias as I’ve seen them live a couple of times, I’m a longstanding fan and for me they’re up there with the best……!

To submit a bid please follow this link to the aid of the Teenage Cancer Trust .

Popularity: 27% [?]

As the driver replaces his steering wheel and steps out of his cockpit in parc ferme after two hours of intense concentration and having been subjected to grueling  g-forces, noise and nearly always high temperatures, he waves to his team and supporters before being ushered away into the paddock building as he makes his way towards the podium. It used to be that the next we saw of them was when they appeared as they walked onto the three-step platform above the pit lane and waved again to the crowd below. Meanwhile the TV cameras zoomed in so the global audience could see the expressions of assured confidence, of delight/amazement from just being there, or of frustration of those critical seconds lost with a sticking wheel-nut during the pitstops or an overshoot (or even, dare I say it,  team politics) which cost the driver the chance of standing on a higher step than the one he is on.

In recent times however, we get a more ‘fly on the wall’ glimpse behind what goes on once the drivers have disappeared through the doorway near where the cars come to rest. The cameraman now follows them into the bowels of the building and immediately circles them as they take their turn to stand on the weighing scales, still holding on to their crash helmet and gloves.

The modern access to this previously hallowed sanctum also captures for us the precise moment when these young men step off the scales and onto the corporate juggernaut. For attending each driver is a member of their team’s marketing personnel. He first hands his charge a bottle of water and a towel but, as the water is downed and the face momentarily vanishes then reappears from the folds of the towel, he also passes on two other items; the obligatory sponsor’s baseball cap – and the driver’s wristwatch.

All of the above takes place in under ninety seconds as the TV audience must get to see the podium ceremony before the credits begin to roll, but isn’t it interesting that in this short timeframe the driver makes certain that he has these two items before ascending to the podium and then on to the televised press conference?

Of course motorsport has always had a close association with timing, and over the years the tables have turned from when the sport needed – and paid for – timing solutions to where the providers of these solutions now need – and pay for – any marketable association with the sport.

So when the driver turns to his post-race assistant in the moments after the race to exchange his helmet for his cap and his watch, he is, more often than not, slipping onto his wrist a watch which is not only his, but one which also bears his name, features a tribute to his achievements and also has the number ’1′ of an exclusively limited edition of identical pieces which will be available for a short while before being sold out – immortalizing that watch and creating a collector’s item.

The first watch/driver endorsement I can recall with clarity was the TAG Heuer 6000 series Ayrton Senna edition when he was driving for Marlboro McLaren. The mesmerising combination of the car in it’s red and white colours and the yellow crash helmet is surely one of the most enduring F1 images I can think of. Still fresh twenty years and more on. I remember that watch so well because I wanted one badly, but living in the sticks, being not very well financed and before the rolling out of the internet, circumstances meant that sadly this was not to happen. C’est la vie.

Of course years beforehand, Jack Heuer (who had specialised in chronograph movements with sports timing in mind) and his eponymous watch brand Heuer cemented an enduring relationship with motor racing when Steve McQueen famously wore the Heuer Monaco Chronograph while starring in the wonderful 1971 movie ‘Le Mans’. So strong was the connection that today TAG Heuer still occasionally release Steve McQueen Monaco editions.

As a lad, TAG (at that time a manufacturer of high-performance turbochargers and components ) always caught my eye as an associated motorsport brand when it’s name adorned the flanks of the Williams racers of 1978 onwards. There was something about the design of their motif which somehow made it stand out from most of the other brands (excepting Air Saudia) which liveried the car at the time.

When TAG acquired Heuer watches in 1985, at a stroke one of the world’s best-known brand names and instantly recognisable corporate identities today was created, and the first place many of us saw the TAG Heuer brand was on the sides of the stunning Marlboro McLaren TAG Porsche MP4/2. This relationship between McLaren and TAG Heuer was much much deeper than most sponsor agreements as both organisations became umbilically intertwined commercially. The two brands remain inseparable to this day, and when one of the McLaren drivers is handed his watch before climbing the stairs to the podium, a closer look will reveal that it is always a new TAG Heuer piece, most recently the new Carrera model. 2008 F1 World Champion and McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton is one of a number of TAG Heuer’s brand ambassadors.

So, if Lewis Hamilton is ‘the face of’ TAG Heuer and no doubt his new stable-mate, current World Champion, Jenson Button, will next be seen sporting his new TAG Heuer, having safely placed last year’s Graham of London Brawn GP 001 Team Edition on it’s winder until he is contractually free to wear it again, which watches are being worn by whom in the Grand Prix paddock?

No better place to start I suppose, than with the World Champion. So Jenson Button, freshly signed to McLaren from World Constructor’s Champions, Brawn GP. What’s he wearing? Well, as I write above, it will be something from the higher end of TAG Heuer’s collections. We have yet to see what exactly. However, coming to McLaren from the most successful F1 team of all time (winning both Driver’s and Constructor’s championships in their first – and only – season!) he would have been quite happy to see Graham of London stepping in as watch partner and sponsor to his Brawn Grand Prix team.

Team principal Ross Brawn, having miraculously salvaged his team from the claws of oblivion following the departure from the sport of previous owners Honda in the last days of 2008, saw that his team hit the ground running. Late, but running…. well. So well indeed that by the seventh race of the season, Button had taken top honours in all but one! With this dramatic level of achievement, potential sponsors made their enquiries and midway through the season Graham of London appeared on the cars and on the wrist of the coming World Champion.

However Brawn GP lasted but one season – although that was long enough to rewrite the record books – and Mercedes acquired the team in the ’09-’10 closed season. They needed a driver as their World Champ was gone! Following months of speculation, seven-times champion Michael Schumacher was announced as coming out of retirement and joining the German marque where his professional career had begun twenty years ago! Some coup!

The team still have Graham watches as their partner and it will be interesting to see who wears what around that garage as Schumacher currently remains a principal brand ambassador for rivals Omega. I dare say MS will get his way – just as he got his teammate Nico Rosberg’s team number ’3′ because he didn’t fancy even numbers….. Graham will have to grit their teeth as the man whose salary they help pay ponders whether to wear his Graham or one of his eponymous signed Omega Speedmasters.

Nico Rosberg, who looks like a good team player (he’ll need that quality this year!), will take his Graham gladly, will wear it everywhere and smile broadly.

Next up is Jenson Button’s new home – McLaren. We know that they are joined at the hip to TAG Heuer who have some interesting pieces appearing this year, not least their Silverstone reissue and perhaps the belt-driven Monaco V4  which has been popping up in various shows and publications recently (although I first saw it as a concept at BaselWorld in 2007).

Ferrari have until recently enjoyed a partnership with Girard-Perregaux who created several beautiful watches as limited editions for the team. More recently though, Ferrari have gone a step further and can offer their own ‘Ferrari’ brand luxury watches. Manufactured for the grande marque by Panerai, it is a peculiar case in that Paneristi – collectors of a rare passion – for the most part consider these Ferrari as non collectible and they can be picked up at considerable discounts online. (They might be wrong if the brand is short-lived!)

A man whose cuff never seems to be able to conceal his watch is Brazilian Felipe Massa. Returning after a horrific freak accident last year from which he was fortunate to survive, he will once more be wearing Ferrari red and seems to have lost none of his speed in pre-season testing, which is great news. I missed seeing his enormous personalised Richard Mille protruding from the sleeve of his racesuit in the post-race press conference while he was at home recuperating last year. I also think his dad wears one too so it’s a nice deal for the Massa men as a Richard Mille will retail at $47,000 for a simple automatic right up to $495,000 for the Tourbillon Chronograph Diver! Sponsoring those Massa guys is an expensive way of getting a paddock pass…..

Former double World Champ Fernando Alonso has arrived as Massa’s teammate at Ferrari to much fanfare. He claims it was his destiny and it would be good for the competition to see this top driver in quality machinery. As far as his watches go, he did have a Fernando Alonso edition TAG Heuer a few years ago, but sadly rather put the kybosh on that arrangement when he spectacularly fell out with his then team McLaren. I notice that Spanish jewelery  brand Viceroy have a current Fernando Alonso watch collection which retails for about €150 – €300. That would be Felipe 1, Fernando 0 in the Scuderia Ferrari wrist stakes then.

Sebastian Vettel is my favourite for the driver’s championship this year – sorry Seb, I’ve probably just put the clappers on you – in his Adrian Newey-designed Red Bull, one of 2009′s only Brawn contenders and definitely in with a strong shout if they can carry that momentum forward into 2010. But if he’s not busy winning GPs this year, then at least Vettel will be able to console himself by playing games on his watch. It’s a Casio you see, so unless his face is well known by the doormen in Monaco’s finest nightclubs, he might not even get in with one of those on his wrist!! Although, joking aside – to a Grand Prix team in today’s turbulent financial climate, Casio’s sponsorship $ is as good as any – even if the brand doesn’t pack the same cachet as the Swiss establishment.

The Williams F1 team have enjoyed a good relationship with Oris watches for a number of years so rookie driver Nico Hulkenberg will have his choice of Oris, whereas his experienced teammate Rubens Barrichello has a long-running – and very successful – partnership with current kings of the high-end sports watch Audemars Piguet which annually release a very limited number of new Rubens Barrichello Royal Oak Offshore pieces, usually available in diminishing numbers in carbon, titanium and rose gold. Again, like Schumacher, I imagine he will have a waiver of sorts from one manufacture or the other.

Renault have shaken off their battle scars from the indignity brought upon them by 2008′s Singapore ‘crashgate’ scandal which resulted last year in the departures in disgrace of team principal Flavio Briatore (who incidentally had his own signed F1 ‘Power Breaker’ editions created by de Grisogono – true fact)  and technical director Pat Symmonds (who didn’t).

The 2010 Renaults are a sight to behold and if they go as well as they look, they could be fighting for podiums this year. Unfortunately they probably won’t go as well as they look. Their timing partner for 2010 is the emerging Dutch company TW Steel whose sub-£1000 oversized watches are certainly making an impact as they can be seen (or can’t be missed) in a high profile marketing campaign and I’m sure on the wrists of driver Robert Kubica and well-funded Russian rookie Vitaly Petrov.

The remaining teams; Force India, Scuderia Torro Rosso, Sauber plus newcomers Virgin Racing, Lotus, Campos and USF1 have no apparent agreements with watch companies yet, although some of their drivers have enviable endorsements from trackside favourites Audemars Piguet who boast Jarno Trulli and Sebastian Buemi as brand ambassadors for the Royal Oak Offshore chronographs.

TAG Heuer are a popular choice for many young or new drivers and because of their racing heritage, not to mention the marketing potential of the possibility of any of these guys being interviewed on TV in front of a global audience, the company make certain that their watches find their way to their wrists.

The Senna name will hopefully make a return to F1 in the form of the great Brazilian’s nephew Bruno who will be driving for the new Campos GP. I say ‘hopefully’ because there are doubts over the feasibility of the team and we will have to wait and see what happens with them. The same might be true of the US F1 team too.

But Bruno Senna has perhaps one of the coolest brand ambassador roles of all. Bruno is a close friend of one Jean-Claude Biver, the hyper-energetic owner of the Hublot watch manufacture whose Big Bang models are raising the competitive bar to the aforementioned Royal Oak Offshore. Biver is a philanthropist and associates his brand with many charities around the world including the Instituto Ayrton Senna set up by Viviene Senna following Ayrton’ death in 1994.

In 2007 his company unveiled their fabulous all-black 500-piece Hublot Big Bang Ayrton Senna Flyback Rattrapante Chronograph in conjunction with the Instituto Ayrton Senna and it’s director Vivienne Senna. It will be the latest version of this, the Big Bang Ayrton Senna Foudroyant which Bruno will be sporting around the paddock and on the grid – that’s if his team make it to the Bahrain International Circuit on March 12-14.

Which neatly takes us full circle. Remember the TAG Heuer 6000 Series Senna Limited Edition that I never got to own? Well, many years later, I managed to get my hands on one of the original 500 Hublot Senna Big Bang Chronograph. It’s fab, it’s new in box and it’s never been worn (well it’s been tried on!).

It’s for sale….. but then that’s one of my interests nowadays.

Popularity: 100% [?]

The following exerpt is taken from the De Grisogono press release announcing the latest 2010 interpretation of their Instrumento Grande Chrono:

Acclaimed at its launch, it’s back today in a striking updated version featuring a series of unusually arrayed functions.

In 2005, when it first came out, it made quite a splash. With its oversized case and calendar aperture plus the galuchat strap that matched the dial’s bright and cheerful colours, the Instrumento Grande was welcomed with friendly, even enthusiastic applause.

Five years later, here it is again. This time in a Chrono version — but what a Chrono! While the Instrumento Grande’s case is as grand as ever, its 2010 dial displays a full measure of the uninhibited creativity that makes any de Grisogono watch stand out in the crowd.

The De Grisogono Instrumento Grande Chrono

A reader’s guide to the black, silvered or brown dial

While the watch face’s engine-turned concentric wave pattern and oversized hour markers both recall the original Instrumento Grande, the retrograding date calendar arrayed in twin arcs gives the Instrumento Grande Chrono’s dial its vibrant personality. The current day’s date stands out bright and clear, outlined by a set of tinted sapphire lenses.

Since no mechanical chronograph is thinkable without totalisers, this chronograph’s subdials give classic horological tradition a little jolt. The 30-minute version is white, square and situated at 9 o’clock while the 12-hour subdial is larger, round, black and positioned at 6 o’clock. Together with the black-and-white centre seconds hand, they respond to pushpieces located on either side of the setting crown.

The time of day is shown on an hour circle that is circular enough to boast two right angles – a signature touch  from a master of the creative surprise. At 12 o’clock, a discreet subdial for the running seconds adds a more familiar feature.

The revealing asides of a magnificent case

Fashioned in 18 ct pink 5N gold, the Instrumento Grande Chrono is water-resistant to 30 m (~ 100 feet). Featuring smoothly rounded bracelet links, its generously proportioned case houses a self-winding mechanical movement that provides 42  hours of reserve power.

Revealing by design, the case allows connoisseurs of mechanical wizardry to observe the movement’s steady beat through a sidelight on the 9-o’clock side of the case. The to-and-fro movement of the rotor, inscribed with the de Grisogono crest, is visible through the clear sapphire porthole of the screw-secured case back – exactly as on the 2005 model, the first watch ever to feature a transparent side panel.

Black or brown depending on the dial colour, an alligator strap with pink gold deployment clasp retains the Instrumento Grande Chrono and its unforgettable face securely on the wrist.

Popularity: 7% [?]

Popularity: 6% [?]

As well as their Senator Sixties Panorama Date making it’s debut, Glashütte Original also showcased the lastest evolution of another key model in their collection – the PanoMaticLunar XL.

Continuing the ‘Pano’ model’s lineage of typically Glashütte design, where, as with their neighbours and illustrious contemporaries A. Lange & Söhne, the watch face is laid out so that each function is displayed in it’s own stand-alone area, ensuring a wonderfully legible display in an elegant and distinctive timepiece.

The Glashütte Original PanoMaticLunar XL

Here is what the manufacture had to say about their new piece in their press release:

“A statement of principle: less is more. Minimalism.  Modern design.  Function takes on form, and color is transformed into a subtle range of grays. The PanoMaticLunar XL. The quintessential understatement.

The PanoMaticLunar XL presents the classic lines and look of the PanoMatic XL models in an understated, eloquent form. Set within the galvanized matt gray dial are the characteristic off-center hour/minute and subsidiary seconds dials, finely milled and galvanized in the same dark gray hue. The elegant moon phase display presents a shining silver moon and stars against a fine-grained silver sky.

The Glashütte Original PanoMaticLunar XL

Applied white gold Arabic numerals indicating hour 12 are framed by white gold hour markers and white gold hour, minute and seconds hands. Enhancing the minimalist design is the visually compelling panorama date display, whose white numerals on a dark gray ground present the date without the need for a double window. The 42 mm stainless steel case offers both polished and satin-finished surfaces and is held securely in place by a finely-worked gray alligator strap.

At the heart of the new PanoMaticLunar XL is the Caliber 90-02 automatic movement with its eccentric positioned and skeletonized rotor. Its finely finished elements, the three-quarter plate, Duplex swan-neck fine adjustment, Glashütte ribbing and sunburst decoration, characteristic of the fine art of mechanical watch making at Glashütte Original, are clearly visible through a sapphire crystal case back.”

Popularity: 19% [?]

Glashütte Original, the Saxony watchmaker, have presented a number of pieces from their 2010 collections at the recent SIHH exhibition in Geneva. Among them is the new Senator Sixties Panorama Date, an elegant gentleman’s wristwatch evoking memories of times past.

You might be forgiven for thinking that we are somehow stepping back in time to the swinging sixties, given that my last feature dealt with the Girard-Perregaux 1966 watches. However that’s certainly not the case. What we are seeing from these watchmakers is a testimonial to the longevity and sheer quality of the design of these watches when their predecessors first appeared almost fifty years ago.

Glashütte Original Senator Sixties Panorama Date

Glashütte Original have not fiddled about with the styling since the collection resurfaced a few years ago and the Senator Sixties Panorama Date of 2010 is a sleek, curvaceous watch in a 39mm round case with a slightly domed sapphire crystal and transparent exhibition caseback through which one can observe the hand-engraved detail of the  in-house automatic Calibre 39-47 movement and the signature 21kt gold oscillating weight.

There are two variants of the Senator Sixties Panorama Date, both in polished stainless steel – one with galvanised black dial with silver numerals and markers, and the piece shown here with satin-finished silver dial, stylized arabic numerals and rose gold hands and baton hour markers.

Glashütte Original Senator Sixties Panorama Date

Like the Girard-Perregaux 1966 pieces, this Glashütte Original Senator Sixties effectively captures the retro styling of the age they share with their titles. It was after all the beginning of ‘cool’ and these watches simply ooze effortless classic cool.

In an era where many of the must-have watches are huge, colourful, bulky, angular and are usually constructed from unpronouncable space age composites, it is nice to see the occasional uncluttered throwback. That’s not to say that modern design has gone in the wrong direction, there are simply two different customers for old and new styles. Diddy and Kanye would be unlikey clients methinks.

Popularity: 16% [?]

The Girard-Perregaux marque presented their latest interpretations of the 1966 series at the SIHH exhibition, held recently in Geneva.

The 1966 collection first appeared in 2006 and since it’s arrival has become an ever-more important element of the Girard-Perregaux portfolio, with it’s popularity growing in this ultra-competitive sector.

Complimenting the new column-wheel Chronograph and the Full Calendar models, I particularly like the 1966 Small Seconds piece.

The Girard-Perregaux 1966 Small Seconds

Housed in a slim and elegant 38mm palladium case, the Small Seconds is an unfussy and understated work, but that classic minimalism is central to it’s appeal to me. A rarer member of the platinum group of metals, palladium is a naturally lustrous metal. More resistant to scratching than gold, it gives the watch a wonderfully bright and shining finish.

The brushed metal dial is a demonstration of simplistic design and is beautifully legible. There are no features such as minutes markers, highlighted subdial or magnified date, no luminous hands or marks. The G-P branding, the hour markers along with the small seconds markers are imprinted onto the dial. Only the slender baton markers applied at the 3, 6, 9 and 12 and the square date window interupt the otherwise pebble-smooth surface.

At the 9 o’clock position is the small seconds itself. Set onto the dial, the oxidised blue steel hand sweeps around it’s miniature kingdom.

The watch features an in-house GP03300-0039 automatic movement, which can be observed through the sapphire crystal caseback. It is mounted on an alligator strap with tang buckle, emphasising it’s classic no-frills zeitgeist.

Released in a very limited 199 pieces, this is one which is not going to be gathering dust in Girard-Perregaux’s dealers windows for long.

Girard-Perregaux 1966 Small Seconds Technical specifications:

CASE
Material: palladium
Diameter: 38.00 mm
Height: 8.62 mm
Crystal: antireflective sapphire
Case-back: sapphire crystal, press-in
Water resistance: 3 ATM

MOVEMENT
Movement: Girard-Perregaux GP03300-0039, automatic
Calibre: 11½’’’
Frequency: 28,800 vibrations/hour (4 Hz)
Power reserve: min. 46 hours
Jewels: 28
Functions: hour, minute, small second, date

STRAP
Material: alligator
Strap size: 20.00/16.00 mm
Strap reference: BC2016-BK60-3BF-F
Buckle: white gold pin buckle
Buckle reference: B/A.1653A-A53A1

Limited edition of 199 pieces

Popularity: 14% [?]