Sometimes I wonder what crazy ideas desperation can bring…
This watch you’re looking at is not a mere exhibition piece, it’s actually launched and sold at the Baselworld 2008. Here’s a short history of this unusual piece:
In 2007, Lot 211 sold for SFr 64,900 (commission included) at the Omegamania Auction. It was listed as
... not exactly referring to rubber footwears, but rather new rubber straps for my Omega Planet Ocean 45mm.
I should have gotten these long ago instead of the metal bracelet. It’s more comfortable and the contrast is nicer too.
... but now it reminds me of Casino Royale.
Got these pics off WatchismoTimes…
| If you’re still unfamiliar with the new C1 range by Concord that made its debut last year, it’s a 44mm case on a very rugged looking steel-on-rubber bezel frame, a 3.3 mm thick sapphire crystal and a crown of rubber, composite and steel. The other signature of C1 is the dials made of carbon fiber and machined metal with sunken applied hour-markers filled with luminescent material. |  |
The C1 Tourbillon Gravity is the latest addition in 2008, enhanced with a tourbillon housed outside the dial and outside the case, which is a revolutionary perpendicular mechanical concept. This unconventional position of the tourbillon enables it to serve its initial function: to negate the effects of gravity in a vertical position.
By Wikipedia, a tourbillon is defined as:
... is a type of mechanical clock or watch escapement invented in 1795 by Abraham-Louis Breguet that is designed to counter the effects of gravity and other perturbing forces that can affect the accuracy of a timepiece. This is accomplished by mounting the escapement in a rotating frame, so that the effect of gravity cancels out when the escapement is rotated 180
THE ART OF DIGITAL EMOTION REINTERPRETATION OF A (R)EVOLUTION
... is the slogan for the new 8th installment of the Opus program launched and funded by Harry Winston. This time, the partnership is with Fr
Found more pics of the case-back of black ceramic PAM 317…
I know I’m not the first to think of it, but this beauty makes me feel like wearing it inside out.
Just fiddling around with Photoshop… based on the latest 2008 gold Submariner Date.
Some of the new Panerai revealed at SIHH 2008.
A new style brushed steel bracelet on 44mm PAM 299 Automatic and PAM 297 GMT. I think this new bracelet design looks cleaner. The old bracelet looked a little too dressy and tends to draw attention away from the watch face. This new simpler look blends nicely with the minimal design of the Luminor.
 | The mysterious black fiddy spotted last year on the wrist of Angelo Bonati (CEO of Panerai) is finally released as the PAM 317 Luminor 1950 Ceramic 8 days Chrono Monopulsante GMT. It has a 44mm 1950 ceramic case and bezel, with black PVD’d P2004/B 8 days chrono, hand wound movement. |
Also new are the large 48mm Radiomir Tourbillon GMT, in titanium PAM 315 and in platinum PAM 316. When the Radiomir family grew from 42mm to 45mm then to 47mm, I thought it was the largest it could go. The new 48mm extended that record to allow additional room for accomodating the larger P.2005 tourbillon movements.
Remember the post with this mysterious looking watch?
It’s finally revealed at Baselworld 2008 to be the Meccanico dG by DeGrisogono, with a mechanical digital display… the first of its kind.
(Yes… a MECHANICAL watch. That means no battery required.)
The Meccanico dG displays two time zones… one in an analogue display on the top and the other in a mechanical digital display at the bottom. Encased in titanium with sapphire crystal and display case-back, it measures 56mm X 48mm. It has a DeGrisogono exclusive hand-wound DG 042 movement and is water resistent up to 30m.
I must admit I really like this ingenius design.
Rolex released a new Sea-Dweller at the BaselWorld 2008. Known as the Sea-Dweller DeepSea, it marks an upgrade to the legendary iconic Sea-Dweller family. It’s bigger… thicker… and it’s going even deeper into the sea.
| The new larger 43mm Sea-Dweller is built on RINGLOCK SYSTEM, a new case architecture that enables withstanding 2.98 metric tonnes of water presssure, allowing it to stay waterproof at depth up to 3,900 metres (12,800 feet). |  |
 | A new GLIDELOCK clasp allows for fine adjustments to the bracelet length, up to 18mm by increments of 1.8mm, without removing the watch. |
| The luminescence of the hands and larger “maxi-dial” markers are improved with a new luminescent material that emits a blue glow. |  |
 | Titanium case-back held in place with 904L steel rim. This is probably the first time titanium is used on a Rolex. |
Like the new GMT Master II released last year, the new DeepSea unidirectional rotatable bezel is made of a black ceramic material called CERACHROME, with the numerals engraved and the graduations filled with platinum through the use of a PVD technique patented by Rolex.
Overall, I’m having mixed feelings about this new addition. There is an excitement over the growing family of larger Rolex (finally!) but at the same time a minor panick streak over the fading tradition of a cleaner rehaut. The design of the Ring Lock System is definitely function over look, but why on earth did Rolex put the text “ORIGINAL GAS ESCAPE VALVE” and “RING LOCK SYSTEM” around the inner ring? Isn’t the larger size enough to distinguish DeepSea from the older Sea-Dweller? To compensate for this little thorn, the ceramic bezel and domed sapphire crystal are definitely helping to bring some appeal to this new design.
(All photos from timezone.com)
A new work by Yggdrasil. It’s a miniature replica of Van Gogh’s Starry Night on a 47mm dial of an Italian Navy styled watch.
Now that’s a work of art to be worn on the wrist.
Close up.
The actual Van Gogh work.
Beautiful work, don’t you think?
