Sometimes words fail me.  Sometimes when I write an article to describe a watch I need to keep it short, for fear of publishing drooling drivel because I love it too much.  The Grande Seconde Ceramic Mother-of-Pearl is such a watch – so this will be brief.   You might already be familiar with [...]

  How black do you want your black watch to be?  When Graham named this model “Full Black” they weren’t messing about.  The 48mm steel case and bezel are PVD coated with black titanium carbide.  The dial is, of course, black and those now-you-see-them/now-you-don’t numerals are crafted from polished rhodium.  Inside it also has a [...]

  Ireland – our little homeland has recently proven its reputation for hospitality.  The Celtic Tiger may be licking its wounds, but in a week of welcomes we’ve wooed Queen Elizabeth II and had the US President supping pints.  But the real question on everyone’s lips is – Can the Irish make fine watches?  The [...]

  We never pass up an opportunity to bring you details of motorsport-inspired timepieces so here’s Saint Honore’s 2011 Le Mans celebratory watch, the Haussman Forty 7-24 and very dapper it is too!   The piece has a chunky 47mm stainless steel case with titanium PVD finishing.  The silver-tinted dial has an unusual honeycomb texture, [...]

  Hamilton issue another throw-back to the 1960′s, the Hamilton Thin-O-Matic, a watch with surely the best retro name in the business.  Some of the originals featured the Buren micro-rotor, Hamilton loved it so much they bought the company in 1966.  The 2011 Thin-O-Matic is powered by an ever-reliable ETA 2824 but don’t let that [...]

  There is something utterly satisfying when you encounter something which although ordinary in appearance is in fact extra-ordinary, something whose character belies its inner strength, talents or complexities.  The clumsy colt which outruns the favourite by a fulong or two or perhaps the Audi RS4 Avant, masquerading as a family estate car but perfectly [...]

Marc Jenni’s contemporary adaptation of his distant relative’s centuries-old concept sees the astronomical planetary symbols recreated on a disc which rotates in unison with the day and date functions

  Chopard have been sponsor and official timekeeper of the “world’s most beautiful road race” since 1988.  It should therefore be fitting to release a watch in tribute to Italy’s traditional racing colours, Rosso Corsa.  A natural evolution, except for one problem – the perplexing red dial.  Now there have been some woefully bad red [...]

  New for 2011 is the unique and distinctive Tourbillon Jaquet Droz.   If the after-dinner chit chat comes around to wristwatches and you’re wearing a Jaquet Droz – relax, you’ll be the head honcho.  Turn back your cuff and enjoy the hushed reverence.  A Jaquet Droz watch is indeed a beautiful thing, opulent but [...]

  Saskia Maaike Bouvier was my favourite rising star of the industry last year.  BaselWorld 2010 launched her first collection, L’Heure d’Eté & d’Hiver – Summer & Winter Time, complex yet playful, a triumph for the young ACHI candidate.  So after a collection which featured both summer and winter time displays, a declined dial with [...]

  In celebration of their continued partnership with the unique spectacle that is the Isle of Man TT Races Graham release the superb Silverstone Tourist Trophy Limited Edition.  Graham are timing partner of the event and each year design a special limited edition watch to coincide with the races.  Last year’s piece was the big, [...]

  The Girard-Perregaux 1966 Collection celebrates a time when the brand received industry recognition for their research and development with regard to high frequency precision movements.  New to the collection is the 1966 Blue Dial Chronograph.   Tattoos, anchovies, reality tv shows………  royal weddings – you either love them or loathe them.  Are blue dials [...]

  New for 2011 is the Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendar Chronograph Ref 5270.  The Perpetual Calendar Chronograph has now been an important part of the brand’s portfolio for seventy years, and many discerning connoisseurs agree that it is one of the most collectable watches – ever.  So although Patek Philippe do not normally shout about [...]

  Blancpain present a new piece, the exquisite Blancpain Villeret Timezone 30 Minutes Demi-Savonette.  Why?  So any globe-trotting adventurer who travels to those locations which have half-hour time variations will be able to set their wristwatch accurately.  This is a first for Blancpain, yet despite the new technology that unmistakably trim-edged Villeret case remains unchanged [...]

  Ball Watch present a new addition to their Storm Chaser Collection with a dark and moody coating of black DLC.  Ok so that chunky watchcase might look stealthy, but do not be fooled – this one will glow, glow, glow thanks to a humongous 66 micro tubes of gas on the dial and hands.  [...]