Corum Romvlvs Tourbillon Watch

Back in November of 2008, I shared a few thoughts on the Corum Romvlvs Perpetual Calendar watch, praising its elegant design and fine complication.  I concluded the blog by opining that it would be an excellent platform for other prestigious complications at a later date.  Happily, nearly a year later Corum has done just that and revealed a stunning new Romvlvs watch starring that most famous complication of all: the tourbillon. Continue Reading… »

IWC Aquatimer Chronograph Rose Gold Watch

A timepiece such as this makes the same type of sense that a decadently appointed off-road worthy SUV does. Why do you gild a device meant to go off the beaten track and be exposed to the elements? Just as most Cadillac Escalade owners don’t tread their pampered big-wheelers off road, such is the case with the owners of gold cased IWC Aquatimer Chronograph watches. “Strong enough for the sea, but made for cruising in the Bentley,” as I say.

The watch is still pretty as sin though, and for this Ref. IW3769 watch, IWC gave it their in-house made automatic caliber 89360 chronograph movement – beautifully decorated and finished as visible through the caseback window. The chronograph is special because it has a bi-compax array of subdials, but retains timing of up to 12 hours. The top subsidiary dial has two counter hands in it, for the chronograph minutes and for the hours. The chronograph hands are in all red for clarity, while the lower subdial is for the watch seconds and also has an integrated date window. Continue Reading… »

Patek Philippe 5960R Annual Calendar Chronograph: A Star Of Patek Philippe’s 2009 Rose Gold Revolution

For Patek Philippe in 2009, rose gold was clearly the dominant theme.  From the stunningly lovely Ref. 5101R 10-Day Tourbillon watch to the sporty Aquanaut, the warm hue of this precious metal brought a new look of distinction to models across the collection spectrum.  Quite possibly my favorite Patek Philippe timepiece within this “rose gold revolution” is the wonderful 5960R Annual Calendar Chronograph. Continue Reading… »

Milus Tirion TriRetrograde Seconds Skeleton Watch Delights In New Red Gold Garb

Rose gold and its closely related kin, red gold, were a clearly dominant theme at Baselworld 2009.  Among the brands who put the luxurious presence of such opulent 18-karat alloys to excellent effect was Milus, who unveiled their visually delightful Tirion Triretrograde Seconds Skeleton watch in a particularly luscious shade of rose gold.   This results in an already charming and technically captivating timepiece becoming an exquisite piece of masculine jewelry (although ladies inclined to wearing larger watches will certainly take to it with equal enthusiasm!). Continue Reading… »

Ulysse Nardin Maxi Marine Diver Titanium Watches: A Great Variation On A Luxury Dive Watch Theme

Few luxury watches make so consistently strong an impression over such a diverse selection of metals and dial combinations as does Ulysse Nardin’s Maxi Marine Diver .  Rose gold, stainless steel?  Bracelet or rubber strap?  Silver, blue or black dial?  They all look great.  If you had a moment of indecision and decided to resolve it by closing your eyes, and dropping your finger somewhere on the page of the Ulysse Nardin master catalog, you’d have picked a winner regardless.  Now, in 2009 the wundermetall titanium opens yet another dimension within this superb collection of diving timepieces.   Continue Reading… »