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MB&F Releases First Images Of The All New Thunderbolt Calibre For HM No.4
It’s here! Well sort of. Today, MB&F have released the first images of their brand new movement, aptly named the “Thunderbolt”, which will form the engine of the highly anticipated HM No.4. Unfortunately no images are available of the HM No.4 as yet, but these pictures of the movement alone are enough to make us go weak at the knees!
According to Maximilian Büsser, Founder and Creative Director of MB&F, the whole ethos of the brand is about “creating ‘kinetic art which gives time’, this HM4 engine symbolizes pretty well our creative philosophy.”
Just looking at the images its not hard to understand why MB&F have chosen to release details of only the movement first. It is an absolute work of art in itself, a complex piece of machinery comprised of hundreds of carefully constructed, intricate parts. This is like no other calibre you have ever seen before and represents a complete departure from any watch movement known today.
Whilst the “Thunderbolt” movement itself will be exhibited at Basel World next week, HM No.4, said to be MB&F’s most radical machine to date, sadly will not be unveiled until July 2010.
Fingers-crossed we can wait that long!
If you would like to find out more about MB&F check out their official website. And for all the latest updates make sure you become a fan on Facebook.
What do you think? Leave a comment. | Filed under BaselWorld 2010, Exclusives and Previews, New This Week, Watch News
New Book: The Hands Of Time – Celebrating 25 Years Of The AHCI
With Basel World only a days away now, we are beginning to see more and more press releases for new products, but just as exciting we will also have some great books to read. We’ve already told you about the launch of the wonderful new book from Elizabeth Doerr “The Twelve Faces Of Time”, now it gives us great pleasure to introduce a new book from master watcher maker Peter Speake-Marin and celebrated writer and photographer Ian Skellern; “The Hands of Time”.
Away from the glitz and the glamour often associated with the world of horology are a group of artisans producing some of the most fantastic watches available today. These makers are at the cutting edge of the watchmaking world, often to be found head down at the bench working on their latest prototypes. Many of these individuals are members of the Académie Horlogère Des Créateurs Indépendants (AHCI); which is celebrating 25 years this year. To commemorate this exceptional achievement the first ever AHCI book is now available, representing over two years of solid work from the book’s authors.
Conceived by master watchmaker Peter Speake-Marin and written by ace horological photographer Ian Skellern it features 200 pages of the best independent horological instruments available today. The book is beautifully bound and the paper has a nice quality feel and a classy shiny UV coating, this helps the contrast and really makes the pictures stand out from the page.
Celebrating the launch of the new book in style. © Speake-Marin
Rather than going for a more common photo of a watch movement the cover is a very classy white with red accents and the AHCI logo. This can probably be put down to the egalitarian nature of the AHCI which continues inside the book. Each member has the same number of pages to explain their watchmaking vision and display their creations, and the members are listed in the order in which they joined the AHCI rather than say a more normal alphabetical listing.
While many of the names maybe unknown to you, you will recognize the likes of Peter Speake-Marin, Felix Baumgartner (Urwerk) and F.P Journe who are becoming increasingly well-known in the mainstream marketplace. The book displays their products very well but it is the chance to see pieces from smaller makers like Andreas Strehler and Christian Klings that really appeals. The last entry in the book is the McGonigle brothers, two rising stars of the watch world. The text is especially interesting as I didn’t know Stephen also worked at Somlo Antiques in London, which is where Peter Speake-Marin also started, funny how things come around.
I can’t say that it is the sort of book that you would pick up and read cover-to-cover, but it is a great book for dipping into, and you are likely to learn something every time you read it. The only problem is that the pictures just make the credit card itch, oh to be a little bit richer!! Without a doubt this is a book you should have in your reference library.
The “Hands of Time” is available for purchase from the AHCI stand at Basel World from the 18th March until 25th March or from the dedicated website www.ahcibook.com for a very reasonable 60CHF.
Van Cleef & Arpels And Ladies Watches: The Love Story Continues
Four years on from the birth of the highly desirable Poetic Complications series, luxury jeweler Van Cleef & Arpels has held a special event at their exquisite boutique in Place Vendôme, Paris to celebrate the release of three new evolutionary additions to this stunning range. We were fortunate enough to receive an invite to attend this exclusive event and we were not disappointed. To put it simply, the new pieces are absolutely breathtaking!
A Special Presentation
The spirit of these new pieces remains the same : Van Cleef & Arpels is intent on providing women with a new way to observe the passing of time. Timepieces created in a style which has been especially designed for her, and not just a simple variation of an existing model originally designed for men. Laurent Picciotto, founder of Chronopassion and ambassador of the collection, is here to make sure of that. His thoughts on the matter are quite clear, “For too long, Switzerland has been misogynous and macho”.
No arguments here.
In order to achieve this noble ambition, the brand has adopted a slightly different approach from traditional watchmakers. From the beginning, the focus is on design: one doesn’t start from a technical perspective, but instead from a creative idea. Then, they see if it’s realizable.
“Consequently, everything starts in the designer office”, underlines Louis de Meckenheim, Watch Marketing Manager, Van Cleef & Arpels. “The conception starts with jewellers and designers, and then we turn to to the movement makers, to see what is feasible, and what could become an issue”.
The brand offers poetic variations around time, realized through timepieces for which pure technics are pushed into the background. Love, magic, Paris, a starry sky, are just some of the variations of these Poetic Complications, allowing every woman the opportunity to comprehend time according to her own sense of style and sophistication.
And by all accounts the range of customers is quite diverse.
“It would be very difficult for us to define the average standard of our clients. Our youngest have less than 20 years !”, smiles the jeweller. “Even if we thought we were offering a single purchase experience to our clients, we see some of them coming year after year to discover what we had created for them as variations around the theme of time”.
Today, Van Cleef & Arpels offers about twenty references in its Poetic Complications range, each presented in limited quantities of around 100 units per year.
Nevertheless, do not allow yourself to be fooled by the stunning beauty of these pieces: whilst the sense of poetry created by each watch remains the focal point, the technical complexity of these pieces is equally as impressive.
A fact that is sure to appeal not only to the lucky owners but also their male counterparts, who often accompany their beloved when they are considering buying a sophisticated watch.
Thus, most of the models presented today, mainly built on an ETA base, include a fly-back complication. However, we are not talking about a flying-back swords here. Not at all! Swords don’t exist in the Poetic Complications world. Here we are talking about magic wands, butterflies, stars and fairy wings. At Van Cleef & Arpels, we don’t just look at the hour, we watch the passing of time. The two are not the same thing at all.
“We wanted to create watches that could go with our clients in their changing vision of time during their life”, analyses de Meckenheim. “Ladies don’t have the same link to time at 30 as they do at 60. Thus, our models are designed to offer different levels of time interpretation, in order to stay in perfect harmony with the life of our clients”.
Conceptually therefore each client will discover, as the years go by, a multitude of details designed by Van Cleef & Arpels : from the ruby that will appear only one time per year on a given day in May, to the slightest vibration of the butterflies when hitting the first second of each minute, through to the fleeting kiss of lovers, each watch contains its own hidden secrets waiting to be discovered along the years.
The Final Word
It’s hard not to be completely drawn in by Van Cleef & Arpels presentation of its Poetic Complications. It’s now a mature collection, remarkably made and combining the best qualities of the brand’s jeweller and watchmaker DNA. Each piece offers a unique poetic proposition, encompassing a subtle and rare elegance, with its own personality integrated at the same time into a consistent collection.
So stunningly exquisite that some would ask why women watches have not been designed like this before…
If you would like to keep up-to-date with everything happening at Van Cleef & Arpels make sure you become a fan on their Facebook Page and subscribe to their Twitter feed.
Counting Down From Ten – We Bid Farewell To A Legend
You may recall that at the end of January we gave away a superbly made monster dive watch from Swiss watch maker CX Swiss Military to one of our lucky readers. The infamous 20,000ft diving watch currently holds the Guinness World Record for the deepest diving watch ever made and is renowned for being all but indestructible. However, what many people don’t realize is that the accomplishments of the 20,000ft would never have been possible without the pioneering spirit of its predecessor, the 12,000ft. And now your chance to own one of these history making pieces is fast running out.
Paving The Way
A former world record holder in its own right, the 12,000ft really brought CX Swiss Military’s formidable watch making capabilities into the spotlight and demonstrated just what the brand was capable of. Like its successor, the real attraction of the 12,000ft is not so much the actual level of water pressure it can withstand but the fact that the company has been able to produce a piece that it is so robust and versatile that it is literally suited to all conditions, no matter how extreme.
That’s not to say that the 12,000ft is not a celebrated dive watch in its own right, however. Lauded all over the globe by professional and recreational divers alike, it managed to hold onto the Guinness World Record for deepest diving watch from 2005 – 2008, which we are sure you will agree is no mean feat. Alas, like all good things, the dream run must come to an end and so it is time for the 12,000ft to bid farewell to its global legion of fans.
But don’t worry, as you would expect from a former world record holder, its going out in style.
Last Chance To Own A Piece Of History
A total of 365 final pieces have been made and the last 10 to ever be produced will be sold by our good friends over at the Watch & Clock Forum. That means this is your chance to buy the last, former world-record holding CX Swiss Military 12,000ft watch ever made! So what are you waiting for, get over there and get your order in now before it’s too late!
The Final Word
Admittedly you may decide that it’s better to go with the current world-record holder and certainly there would be nothing wrong with that, it is an exceptionally well-made watch which will last several lifetimes.
Consider this though; the 12,000ft is far more limited not to mention quite a lot thinner (relatively speaking) than its bigger, chunkier brother plus you’ll have a great story to tell your grandkids (that’s right, it will last that long, and then some). Add to this the fact that it’s powered by the exact same, highly regarded COSC certified Valjoux 7750 movement as the 20,000ft and you see its really quite an attractive timepiece.
We promise you won’t be disappointed.
Hublot and Depeche Mode Raise Over $600,000 For Teenage Cancer Trust!
Mr Biver with the members of Depeche Mode – © Hublot
It’s always great to see big companies giving back and no one does it quite like luxury watch manufacturer Hublot. Lead by their charismatic CEO, Jean Claude-Biver, an industry legend in his own right well known for his generosity, the brand teamed up with rock ‘n’ roll superstars Depeche Mode to raise money for teenagers with cancer. And raise money they did, combining their efforts to generate over a staggering US$620,000! What’s even more amazing is that they were able to raise this much money in the space of just a few short months!
Fighting For Good
Back in December 2009 Hublot and Depeche Mode pledged their support to the Teenage Cancer Trust which provides support services to teenagers with cancer in the areas of special care, research, family support and specialized diagnoses. A very worthy cause we are sure you will agree!
In order to maximize the amounts of funds raised, the two partners devised and executed a series of events which would prove to be hugely successful.
First, Hublot announced the creation of twelve exclusive boxes each containing twelve exclusive Big Bangs, designed in conjunction with Depeche Mode, with each one displaying one of the group’s iconic album covers on the dial. As an added touch each box also included vinyl and digital versions of the album, a framed gold CD and signed photos. Amid much fanfare these unique pieces were then sold at a special auction that ran from the 6th to the 24th of February.
The special edition Depeche Mode Big Bangs – © Hublot
It didn’t stop there, however. A charity concert was hosted by the group on the 17th of February at the Royal Albert Hall in London. Fans from all around the globe flocked in to show their support, selling out the concert in just 40 minutes! Following the concert was a VIP reception hosted by Hublot where attendees could purchase raffle tickets for their chance to win a Big Bang Zirconium. Much like the concert tickets, these sold out in minutes.
All in all, this resulted in the two partners raising in excess of $US620,000 for the Teenage Cancer Trust!
Hublot CEO, Jean-Claude Biver, was ecstatic with the outcome saying;
“This joint project has proven to be a tremendous success! The result is amazing and we are so proud to have been part of this historical charity event. Depeche Mode have committed themselves with such enthusiasm to this project! It has been a humbling experience to join them on this journey. They are fans of Hublot and I am proud to associate our brand with their music and for a cause as important as the Teenage Cancer Trust…when you are passionate and successful in what you do, you should share and give to those less fortunate! This is exactly what Depeche Mode has done and I am proud that Hublot could help them achieve this. ”
Jean-Claude Biver signing the cheque for over $US620,000 – © Hublot
The Final Word
What more can be said, this is simply an amazing outcome! Two superstars have come together to combine their unique talents and leverage their global popularity to help raise not only funds but also awareness of those less fortunate or who are dealing with extremely difficult conditions. This is an occasion to be applauded resoundingly and at the same time held up as an example to others.
Hopefully the incredible success Hublot and Depeche Mode have achieved will inspire other luxury manufacturers around the world to take up the fight also, and pool their considerable resources towards making a positive difference in the world.
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