The Concord C1 Chronograph Rose Gold is a clever blend of classicism and futurism, it is equally at ease in sports activities as in an urban context. Its elegant rose gold case creates subtle contrasts with the carbon fibre dial and its high-tech elements adorning the bezel. This strong effect is softened by a brown alligator leather strap secured directly to the case with no lugs, one of the signature features of the famous C1.

Concord unveils a double retrograde complication that combines the date and day of the week, in a world in which engineering and design battle for precedence. Cut from platinum or rose gold, the C1 Biretrograde leaves nothing to chance. Exploiting the brand’s emblematic construction concept, it offers a bold and contemporary display of time. Driven by a Concord C101 automatic movement, the C1 Biretrograde is a symbol of excellence released in a limited edition of just 50 platinum and 150 rose-gold versions.

Movement Automatic, Valgranges A07.211, COSC-certified chronometer, 28’800 vib/h, 4 Hz, 25 jewels, snailed bevelled rotor, Côtes de Genève decoration, 48-hour power reserve
Functions Hours, minutes, seconds, date, chronograph
Case 18K rose gold, 44 mm
Rubber-coated protective side-screwed ring enhanced with 8 decorative elements on the bezel
18K rose gold, rubber and composite crown with C1 logo
Sapphire crystal with anti-glare treatment on both sides
Transparent screw-down case-back
Water-resistant to 200 m
Dial Black carbon fibre
Rhodiumed hands and hour-markers with Superluminova
Hour, minute and seconds counters at 6, 12 and 9 o’clock
Date window at 3 o’clock
Bracelet/Strap Brown alligator leather with 18K rose gold folding clasp

Concord unveils a double retrograde complication that combines the date and day of the week, in a world in which engineering and design battle for precedence. Cut from platinum or rose gold, the C1 Biretrograde leaves nothing to chance. Exploiting the brand’s emblematic construction concept, it offers a bold and contemporary display of time. Driven by a Concord C101 automatic movement, the C1 Biretrograde is a symbol of excellence released in a limited edition of just 50 platinum and 150 rose-gold versions.

The model boasts an imposing case that combines various materials and a transparent multi-layered dial: the time mechanism is displayed below 3.3 mm of sapphire crystal, remaining perfectly legible. The chapter ring, which is slightly off-centered to provide space for the retrograde displays, sits on a sapphire-crystal disk above the gear trains. The play on transparency is broken at 12 o’clock by a decisive opening that reveals the balance. Solidly constructed from platinum or gold and flanked by luminescent appliqué hour-markers, the hours and minutes hands float above the caliber’s somber frame. The structure is strengthened by three screws, which add to the personality of the timepiece.

The retrograde date and day indicators, positioned at 4 and 7 o’clock respectively, trace perfectly symmetrical arcs. Their streamlined, almost industrial hands reinforce the watch’s ultra-contemporary style. Besides their design, these displays are also undeniably complex for ultimate precision: the hands instantly return from one end of the arc to the other in less than one tenth of a second. Furthermore, its cam system is clearly visible. The energy transmitted to the movement relies on a sophisticated spring mechanism, which combines strength, precision and lightness for maximum reliability.

The layered construction of the dial draws on depth of vision to highlight the gears. The contrasting effects of light and shadow, together with the finishes – black chemical treatment, circular-grained or Côtes de Genève decor, matt or glossy polish, etc – give substance to the time display.

The precious metal case also remains faithful to the brand’s DNA: sturdy enough to withstand the toughest conditions, with a protective rubber-coated ring screwed laterally and a dense sapphire crystal featuring antiglare treatment. The alternation of rubber/rose-gold or platinum materials reinforces the high-tech nature of this timepiece. Not to mention the strap, whose hornless design guarantees a perfect adjustment to the wrist.

TECHNICAL FEATURES:

Movement
Concord C101 mechanical automatic movement
28,800 vibrations per hour
29 jewels
42-hour power reserve

Functions
Hours – minutes
Retrograde date indicator
Retrograde day indicator

Case
Dimensions: 44 mm in diameter/14.6 mm in depth
3.3 mm-thick sapphire crystal with anti-glare treatment on both sides
Water resistance: 5 atm

Dial
Skeletonized to reveal the movement decorated with Côtes de Genève, circular graining and black PVD treatment.
Markers & hands with superluminova treatment.

Strap
Black vulcanized rubber with folding clasp in 18 carat gold.

An aerial bi-axial tourbillon mechanism. A vertical power reserve. Individualist seconds. A stripped-down dial and spectacular volumes: the latest specimen from the C Lab Series defies all theories. Even better, it creates its own rules: emptiness is its core material, engineering its constancy; chemistry a dare and transparency a must.

Designed and developed by the C Lab Series, the C1 Quantum Gravity symbolizes unrestricted and unconstrained time, where only impulse and intuition prevail. A special unit dedicated to extreme watchmaking, the C Lab Series has a mission: to push the boundaries of mechanical watch making by introducing it to new modes of expression. Last year, the C1 Tourbillon Gravity timepiece inaugurated a new watchmaking era, where time liberates itself without reserve.

In 2009, the C Lab Series is expanding this watchmaking metamorphosis to embrace new horizons. Initially devised in the fall of 2008, the C1 QuantumGravity was born after a 5-month incubation period, nurtured by the will and tireless energy of a team that works on instinct alone. BNB Concept was entrusted with the creation of the movement, while Studio Bellon finalized the design.

The result: a new species of watch that lives time as if it were an experiment and space, a source of stimulation. The creation of the C1 QuantumGravity constitutes a provocative act in itself, while its construction is an exploration carried out at the brink of excess and defiance.
A PERPENDICULAR POWER RESERVE
————————————————————-
First equation: Power reserve = verticality + fluidity

A cylindrical piston. A vertical back-and-forth movement. Liquid. These were the three essential elements combined by the C Lab Series to create this astounding equation involving mechanics and chemistry.

Traditional design and display codes have been demolished to make way for a mobile glass column, located between 12 and 1 o’clock, which serves as the power reserve with a vertical indicator. On the chemistry side of things, a liquid featuring green phosphorescent nanoparticles fills a tube to assist in the reading. Meanwhile, on the mechanical side, this energy gauge operates perpendicularly to the caliber, rising up and down from its base to signal the remaining energy of the movement in relation to its available three-day power reserve. Its graduated outline corresponds to level indicators, which are secured to the inner surface of the watch.
A STAYED BI-AXIAL TOURBILLON
———————————————————–
Second equation: Tourbillon = suspension + axes2

Cables. A bi-axial movement. A lateral position. This collection of challenges had to be taken on to erect a spectacular tourbillon carriage.

Exported to the timepiece’s Western border and literally suspended, it rotates in a multi-dimensional manner on two axes – the main one being vertical. Its baffling structure has adopted the rigid and light elevation of cable-stayed bridges: one arm, extended from cables measuring just 2/10th of a mm-wide and fastened to the plate, maintains the carriage vertically and thus reinforces the impression of an independent arrangement. The suspension mechanism is supported by an elastomeric self-tensing system, which enables the cable/arm hinge to be precisely adjusted and the dilatation effects, compensated.
LEVITATING MECHANICS
—————————————–
Third equation: Time = space

48.5 mm in diameter and 22 mm in depth: the appearance of a Titan, whose proportions reach a staggering 57.5 mm in breadth. Yet, the C1 QuantumGravity remains easily wearable thanks to its lugless design which ensures a perfect fit on the wrist. The use of Titanium for the case and Aluminum for the majority of movement components bestows a lightness on this timepiece that is as astounding as its size.

The build of this watch composed of 511 parts is also offset by an anatomy that privileges space and transparency: the case, whose machining required 400 hours of fine adjustment, can be reduced to a structure that is literally enveloped by 5 sapphire crystals. The mechanism is visible from all angles.

Although the case and movement share a genetic bond as they were made for each other, they are flanked by other elements that seem to operate self-sufficiently: to the West, a glass excrescence house the tourbillon carriage while to the East, two symmetrical casings house the winding mechanism and the seconds, at 2 o’clock and 4 o’clock respectively.

Concealed entirely, the imposing time-setting key can be ejected from its armor by simply pressing on the push button. As for the seconds, they evade the dial to nestle on the side of the case. They are engraved in luminescent orange against a black aluminum roll and can be seen through a window whose cut echoes the push button of the crown. A lateral sapphire crystal reveals the rotating orange blades of the seconds wheel.

The dial has also been contaminated by this urge for maximum openness. Although it strives to display the flight of hours and minutes, its focus is on empty spaces. The depth of its field of vision is dizzying, the feeling of levitation exhilarating. Deconstruction, a concept so dear to Concord, has been magnified: the C1 QuantumGravity apprehends time as a perspective, using emptiness as a material on which time features are grafted.

Under the impressive sapphire crystal, the panorama, amplified to its utmost, outlines time that has almost been dematerialized. And despite the exuding madness, legibility has remained at the core of its construction. Just like a suspended glass saucer, the off-centered hour-circle between 3 and 4 o’clock dresses a part of the cavity at the bottom of which the movement is supported. A spider-like structure acts as a scaffold under the transparent disc punctuated by the luminescent orange markers. The 6.5 mm high hand-fitting is a technical prowess in itself and adds to the feeling of dizziness.

Wedged at the bottom of the abyss, the mechanical manually wound movement choreographs time with precision. An officer-style case-back which appears as an air-lock at every opportunity reveals the geometric circuit, the right-angled skeletonized bridges, the gear-trains that transmit energy to the tourbillon carriage and the cable adjustment. The finishing touches highlight an industrial design that is both methodical and futuristic: a black aluminum plate against anthracite aluminum bridges, rubies against polished steel screws… They embody the spirit of a watch made with high-tech materials, glass, emptiness and colored luminescent materials.
The C1 QuantumGravity defends time that is inexorably linked to space. Prophetic, its construction created in record time propels Concord into a parallel world where intuition is a favored ally and its design and mechanics a harbinger for the future of watchmaking. An addiction to breaking established codes and extrapolating underlies Concord’s creative mettle. C1 QuantumGravity is its ultimate creation.

Go to www.c1-quantum.ch to find out about how this exceptional timepiece, in a limited edition of 10, was created.

TECHNICAL FEATURES
————————————-
Movement :
Mechanical manually wound movement
Caliber Concord C104
21,600 vibrations per hour
3-day power reserve
42 Jewels

Functions :
Hours, minutes
Roll of seconds external to the case
Vertical power-reserve indicator
Bi-axial tourbillon

Case :
Titanium case with white gold elements
Dimensions: 48.5 mm in diameter – 22 mm in depth
5 sapphire crystals
See through officer-style hinged case back

Dial :
Aerial skeletonized dial

Strap :
Black vulcanized rubber fixed to the case with 4 screws

We have been waiting for some more information on this watch for a while. Now Concord is giving us an exclusive look into the manufacturing of this watch.

Concord C1 Quantum Gravity

For more information see there link http://www.c1-quantum.ch/themakingof/

 Birthdays are certainly in the air this year. Panerai celebrates its tenth anniversary, along with Bédat who has also hit the one zero, Rado is 50, and not forgetting our own Europa Star at 80 years old. But Concord beats all of us at the grand old age of 100.

Historical highlights
It has been an eventful 100 years for Concord watches, which were once prized as the official gift of United States Presidents to Heads-of-State. In 1979 the company broke the record for producing the flattest analogue watch in the world, the Delirium, at 1.98 mm, and a year later broke its own record with the Delirium IV, which reduced the watch to under 1 mm, a record that it still holds today. However, for its 100th anniversary, the brand is looking to the future with a new team, a repositioning strategy and the unveiling of a daring new COSC-certified chronograph.

The new team
The new Concord management team includes Vincent Perriard, President, (from Audemars Piguet, Swatch Group and his own company ‘Brand DNA’) and Stefan Feltgen, Marketing Director, (from Cartier, Jaeger-LeCoutre and Nestlé) whose backgrounds ensure that there is certainly no lack of experience or bright ideas. “The chance to revive Concord presents an exciting opportunity and a thrilling adventure”, said Perriard. “After successfully re-launching Ebel only three years ago, Movado Group is committed to repositioning Concord in its portfolio and to restoring the importance of this historic brand in the watch industry.”

Repositioning
From its new international headquarters in Bienne, Concord has been implementing a repositioning strategy that has, for the time being, been kept largely under wraps. Leading the new collection will be a COSC-certified chronograph that the company announces as “imposing, sophisticated and eminently masculine.” Unfortunately, we had only been offered a glimpse of a new case at the time of print, and a teaser – ‘Basel World 2007 – expect the unexpected’. When you reach 100 years old, patience perhaps comes easier.

Concord is owned by Movado Watches 

The great debate, which, under pressure from the barons of timekeeping, has just begun regarding a reformed definition of ‘Swiss Made’ leading to stricter requirements, is going to weigh heavily on the industry’s suppliers.

Called, up to now, watchmaking’s ‘annex branches’, similar to the secondary branches of a tree, the sup-pliers currently run the risk of finding themselves as the main trunk of the watch tree. We know that they are being smothered with orders and that they are trying hard to satisfy them all. In addition, they are also the coveted prey in a frantic race towards industrial verticalization by many brands seeking to establish their independence. All of a sudden, the number of ‘bottlenecks’ in the supply chain has grown considerably in an increasingly nervous environment.

Given this scenario, the reform of the term Swiss Made – there is nothing to say that it will actually be carried out especially in view of the vocal oppo-sition in Europe – can be perceived as either a unique opportunity for development or as a potential danger.
Why? At first glance, reforming the term is a wonderful opportunity. If 80 percent of the value of a mechanical watch should be of Swiss origin, (it is currently 50 percent) it would logically seem to follow that the number of Swiss component parts would automatically increase. This is certainly the case for the very high-end sector, which is leading the battle cry for a renewed definition of Swiss Made. But is it also true for the mid-range and lower-end segments of the market? There, things begin to get more complicated. For example, we know that the production of Swiss cases is not only largely insufficient to meet the demand, but that the costs are very high. The same holds true for Swiss dials.
However, as explains Peter C. Stas, owner of Frédérique Constant: for a brand, which retails mid-range mechanical watches at CHF 1,000, to be able to comply with the 80 percent Swiss Made stipulation, “the only option currently available is to ensure that the foreign component parts are priced as low as possible.” By following this reasoning and by itemizing the prices of the various components and assembly oper-ations, we arrive at a surprising paradox. It is easier to obtain an 80 percent Swiss Made watch in the lower-end segment of the market than in the mid-range!

In a low-end watch with a cost price of CHF 95, for example, the price of a case and dial of poor quality made in Asia (CHF 10 and CHF 5, respectively) represent only a small percentage of the total price (about 16 percent). The lion’s share comes from the Swiss movement (an ETA 2824 costs CHF 65) and the assembly conducted in Switzerland (CHF 15), accounting for about 84 percent of the total price. So, as you can see, this immediately qualifies the piece as Swiss Made since more than 80 percent of its value comes from products originating in Switzerland.

However, the situation changes for the mid-range. Since the cost of a Swiss case is prohibitive (and in any case, there is not enough supply to meet demand), the brand must purchase a good quality case in Asia (CHF 45). Add CHF 8 for a good foreign dial, CHF 65 for an ETA movement, plus CHF 15 for assembly in Switzerland, and you have a piece at a cost price of CHF 133. In this example, the value of the Swiss components is only 60 percent of the total, so the watch does not qualify as Swiss Made!

This is a serious situation as it implies that meeting the 80 percent stipulation for Swiss Made could result in a decrease in quality. So, are there any alternatives? Certainly, says Peter C. Stas, who proposes that the calculation of the Swiss Made definition include the costs of research, development, design, and management. He also suggests that the Swiss Made label only be attributed to companies having their headquarters in Switzerland, with the related costs being included in the calculation for the Swiss ‘contents’.

These two ideas are interesting. But in the medium and long term, wouldn’t the real solution be a vast re-industrialization of the sector, where competitive prices can be guaranteed by the volume and productivity gains offered by more advanced technologies? In its own time, Swatch proved that it was possible. Is it possible again?

But Movado Watches stay the same!

Movado hits the playing fields with Series 800

New York Yankee Derek Jeter in ads for Movado’s sporty Series 800.

New York—Movado, known for its artfully simple Museum dial, has never produced a sports watch—until now. National Jeweler caught up with Movado President Jeffrey Cohen to find out more about Movado’s Series 800.

National Jeweler: What inspired the Series 800?
Jeffrey Cohen: We introduced the Series 800 both to reinforce our position as a leader in the $500 to $1,500 price range and to continue bringing new [customers] into the brand. We hope to attract a younger demographic on the one hand—the new customer who might later step up to a Museum watch. On the other hand, we hope to sell watches to Movado owners who are looking for something different.

NJ: How does it differ from other sports watches in its price range?
JC: The Series 800 employs the iconic Movado dot at 12 o’clock, which is our identifiable signature and signifier of quality and craftsmanship. This translates the DNA of the brand: It’s a sporty Movado, but clearly still a Movado. We’re using Performance Steel, a higher-grade stainless steel, the kind used on surgical supplies, for extra durability. You have a choice of a stainless steel bracelet or a ThermoResin strap that’s exceptionally durable and protects against ultraviolet rays. The line features wave-textured dials, a unidirectional bezel, screw-down crown and caseback, and a rubber adornment for backing. You can dress it up or down.

Watches in Movado’s Series 800 deploy the Museum dial, bright colors and a choice of stainless steel bracelet or ThermoResin strap.

The first wave, known as the Diver collection, is available in men’s, unisex and ladies’ models, measuring 43, 38 and 28 millimeters, priced at $700 with the ThermoResin strap or $1,000 for the bracelet. The dials are black, white, red, blue and yellow. The second wave is the Chronograph model, which uses the same materials but has an upgraded movement. It hits markets around Nov. 1 and is $1,000 for the strap model, $1,300 for the bracelet.

NJ: How widely available will Series 800 be the first year?
JC: It’ll be available in less than 10 percent of all stores that carry Movado. We’re being very selective. We can only produce so many watches initially, and we want to grow the line organically. Our retail partners bought out the entire collection in five weeks: Distribution is very tight.

It’ll be featured in our best fine-jewelry stores, department stores such as Macy’s and Nordstrom, and chains such as Kay Jewelers and Tourneau. We’ll support the line with strong point-of-sale visuals: They’ll emphasize the black and stainless steel motif, and give you a sense of action, an edginess, but they’ll still clearly be Movado displays. We call it the “Art of Performance” campaign, like the “Art of Design” campaign for our Museum watch.

NJ: Why were New England Patriot quarterback Tom Brady and New York Yankee shortstop Derek Jeter chosen for the ads?
JC: They’re right in line with all of our other ambassadors in that they represent excellence; they’re the best at what they do. [Brady and Jeter] will be advertising the Series 800 lines in an array of color magazines—men’s, fashion and general interest—as well as on outdoor billboards and on TV ads that will run through the holidays.

The Super Bowl MVP was at the Movado Soho store Thursday for a press conference announcing the watchmaker’s new “Art of Performance” campaign, developed exclusively for the great Movado Watches. “Movado is all about style and precision and that fits exactly what I try to bring both on and off the field, so I hope it’s a long term association,” the New England Patriot said. “A professional athlete’s life is highly scheduled. I practically need military discipline to keep pace, so time is definitely something I’m interested in.” Brady joins a respected group of Movado ambassadors, including Mia Maestro, Kerry Washington, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Wynton Marsalis, and Pete Sampras.

Prices range from $700-$1,300 for the new line of watches, which feature precise Swiss quartz movements, wave-textured dials, and a Performance Steel™ cases with screw-down crowns. Water resistant to 200 meters and fashioned with scratch-resistant sapphire crystal, the watch is available in three sizes: men’s (43mm), unisex (38mm), and women’s (28mm). Debuting in August, the watches will be available in a range of colors, including black, white, blue, red, and yellow.

“Tom is one of the most prolific quarterbacks in the NFL and he signifies what this brand is all about: timing, passion, innovation and a commitment to excellence,” said Efraim Grinberg, Movado group president and CEO. “Everything he represents on and off the field is what Movado Series 800 stands for.”

JIM SHI

There’s great interest in complications now among women and a growing women-watch-connoisseurs market,” notes Sue Rechner, former president of and now consultant to midprice Victorinox Swiss Army watches. “More and more women are interested in technical properties of watches, in complications and proprietary movements,” agrees Jenny Piaget, spokeswoman for high-end JeanRichard.

More of these are designed specifically for women, such as Milus’s Merea TriRetrograde Seconds, rather than being downsized men’s models. Franck Muller Geneve, for example, created the world’s smallest tourbillon—specifically for women watch connoisseurs. Audemars Piguet’s women’s automatic Millenary Starlit Sky uses its first complications movement created for a woman’s watch (and platform for future women’s watches), “because many women appreciate the subtleties of mechanical watchmaking,” says a company statement.

Other examples include Harry Winston’s platinum Ocean (seconds and days retrogrades); Pierre Kunz’s Tahiti Moon retrograde (minutes, hours), with Tahitian mother-of-pearl dial; and Rado’s Original automatic.

Citizen’s newest light-powered Eco-Drive calibre is for its women’s Riva chronograph. “More women want complications, and these [with full diamonds and mother-of-pearl inlays] are also feminine, making them more appealing to women,” says Stuart Zuckerman, senior vice president of Citizen Watch of America.

What you read here may shock you!

Mechanical watches seemed near extinction just 25 years ago. Today, they not only dominate luxury watch making but also are profit centers for other watches. Maurice Lacroix, for example, expects 90 percent of its watches to be mechanical by 2012. Nearly 60 percent of Hamilton’s watches are now self-winding, while 25 percent of Victorinox Swiss Army’s watches are mechanicals, including its new Alpnach collection.

Others, from upscale to affordable, are adding one or more to their repertoire, such as Gucci’s first automatic (a limited edition for men) in its new Pantheon collection and Armitron’s first automatic, a skeleton watch (starting at $95).

One sign of activity in the mechanical watch segment is that more brands are unveiling their own movements. Bulgari’s Diagono Scuba watch, for example, has a specially created movement, as does Ebel’s 1911 BTR. Formex’s square 4Speed (with tilted case), aimed at young adult buyers, uses a new automatic chronograph movement. The Krieger Chronograph is the first to use the new ETA AO7 automatic movement, while luxury brand JeanRichard’s 2TimeZones GMT is the first in its new sports line with the JR1000 movement made in its workshops. Maurice Lacroix’s Masterpiece Le Chronographe uses the ML 106-2, conceived and developed in the brand’s technical department in Switzerland.

Many mid- and upper-price brands with new mechanical movements say they represent their company’s future. IWC’s “milestone” movement, made in-house for its Da Vinci automatic chronograph, boosts efficiency of the winding system 30 percent. “There’s a real future for mechanical watches, and [for IWC] this represents a new generation of horological innovations,” says product manager Claudia Urani.

The movement luxury brand Ulysse Nardin created for its 160th anniversary timepiece is “the basic movement” for future timepieces, says vice president Patrik Hoffman. Swiss-made Corum and Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier, a top Swiss mechanical movement maker, will make movements exclusive to Corum, taking it into new categories of complication watches. Parmigiani’s proprietary movement for its new Kalpagraph chrono series, its first, “lights the way for the more accessible, sporty direction the brand has chosen to follow,” said a spokesperson. Eterna’s calibre 3800, using new ball-bearing technology altering the centuries-old way movements work, launches “a new generation” of movements and watches for the brand, says president Patrick Schwarz. First to use it is Eterna’s new Vaughan watch.

Not all new movements are mechanical. Seiko’s first hand-wound kinetic movement, energized by wrist motion, is “the basis for a future series of calibres,” says Les Perry, Seiko Corp. of America executive vice president. Citizen watch has two new calibres for its Eco-Drive (light-powered) watches. ETA, one of the world’s largest movement makers, has added two quartz calibres to its Fashionline series, one a “response to the trend for large watches,” while Swiss movement maker Ronda’s Startech 5130.B is the first quartz chronograph movement with alarm and big date.

THE COMPLICATIONS OF TIME

The surge in mechanical watches and movements is spurring more brands to add complications, i.e., specialized functions. Chronographs, moonphases, and day/dates have been standard in many watches for years. More recently, watchmakers have begun to add esoteric ones that once were found only in high-end watches.

The tourbillon, which compensates for gravity’s slowing effects on mechanical movements, though difficult to make and best suited to limited editions and one-of-a-kinds, has been popular recently—in part, so brands can demonstrate their watchmaking craft. (In 2006, almost 100 brands debuted new watches with them.) Swiss brand Paul Picot, for example, this year presented it’s first-ever tourbillon in its upscale Atelier collection. Cuervo y Sobrinos this year also debuted its first tourbillon (eight only, in its Robusto collection, for the brand’s 125th anniversary). Offering such complex and delicate mechanisms provides “credibility [and] a message to the industry, watch enthusiasts, and consumers that we’re serious Swiss watchmakers,” says managing director Massimo Rossi. Even Italian fashion watch Vabene has added one (rose gold–plated, with a thermometer on the side).

Though fewer brands offer new tourbillon watches this year, there are still a number of notable debuts. JeanRichard’s Bressel 1665 Chronograph Tourbillon and Panerai’s 47 mm Luminor 1950 TourbillonGMT both show theirs via caseback windows, rather than on the dial. Pierre Kunz has a 41 mm square Art Deco Tourbillon, while Breguet’s Marine Tourbillon is water resistant to several hundred feet. Omega’s De Ville Central Tourbillon Co-Axial Chrono-meter puts its titanium tourbillon at dial center. Girard-Perregaux’s Vintage 1945 Jackpot Tourbillon features slot-machine symbols that spin when a case side button is pressed. Daniel Roth’s manual-wind Lumiere is a delicate skeleton tourbillon with power-reserve indicator on the back. Bulgari’s limited-edition platinum GMT tourbillon features dual time and a perpetual calendar.

Hublot’s diamond one-of-a-kind One Million Dollar Big Bang tourbillon took 2,000 hours to make, while Movado, marking 60 years of its Museum watch, unveiled a single platinum tourbillo with 24-hour and 60-minute retrogrades, worth 1 million Swiss francs (about $814,000). Jacob & Co.’s 55 mm Quadra tourbillon ($580,000) in white gold or red (18 of each) has four time zones and is wound on the caseback.

Several Chinese companies—suppliers of some Western upscale brands—displayed their own tourbillon watches. Among them are longtime Hong Kong watchmaker Peace Mark, exhibiting for the first time at BaselWorld; Shanghai Watch Industry Co., China’s largest manufacturer of mechanical watches; and Fiyta, which showed an eye-catching model with a blue mother-of-pearl dial.

Interest in other complications is rising. More prominent this year are the retrograde (a hand moves around an arc before springing back to its starting point to begin again) and GMT (an additional hand tracks world time on a 24-hour scale).

Retrogrades usually come in minute (seconds), hour, days, and date-of-the-month versions, such as Hermès’s Cape Cod Moon Phase (date); Clerc’s Odyssey (date), with a case incorporating titanium, ceramic, carbon, pink gold, and palladium; Gérald Genta’s Gefica Safari (minutes); and Maurice Lacroix’s Masterpiece Jours Rétrogrades (days).

Other retrograde debuts this year include ESQ’s Fusion chronograph; TAG Heuer’smen’s Link collection, with perpetual calendar; and Patek Philippe’s newest officer-style watch, with moonphase and leap-year indicator.

This complication so fascinates watch enthusiasts there are bi- and even tri-retrograde watches, such as Harry Winston’s newest Excenter Perpetual Calendar (date and month) and Milus’s Herios TriRetrograde (60 seconds in three 20-second arcs).

GMT and multiple time zones—found in travelers’ watches—are two of the most popular complications. New models include David Yurman’s men’s Belmont GMT; Glashütte Original’s Sport Evolution GMT, using a new calibre; Ebel’s 46 mm Classic Hexagon GMT; and Officine Panerai’s Luminor 1950 10 Days GMT.

First-time entries in the travelers’ watch category include Zenith’s Grande Class Tourbillion, its first multi-time-zone watch, and Ernst Benz’s Chronoflite GMT.

A number of the watches are technically impressive. Jaeger-LeCoultre’s 46.3 mm MasterCompressor Extreme Diving 1000 GMT, for one, carries seven patents and claims to use the world’s smallest mechanical calibre (made in-house). The Porsche Design Worldtimer, Carl F. Bucherer’s skeletonized GMT, and Eterna’s World Timer each use just one push-button to show other times zones. And some are poetic in design, such as Le Vian’s DuoChrono, with two time zones, and Pierre Kunz’s Second Time Zone (with retrograde hours), inspired by Jules Verne’s From Earth to the Moon.

Other complications are getting more attention, too. High-end Daniel Roth’s Equation of Time lets a wearer evaluate differences between mean and true solartime at a glance. The rare complication is one of five in the timepiece. Luxury watchmaker Martin Braun’s 42 mm Selene, using Braun’s own movement, is the most accurate mechanical moonphase watch ever made, says the watchmaker.

The repeater (which sounds hours, quarters, or seconds when a button is pushed) also appears more frequently. Examples include Blancpain’s diamond minute repeater movement (the world’s thinnest) and Roger Dubuis’s Excalibur 9 Place Vendôme (with push-button winding system, perpetual calendar, flying tourbillon, and dual time zone). Also drawing more interest are flyback (split second) functions, as seen on TX, the new midprice brand of the Timex Group; the Krieger Power Reserve; and Hamilton’s automatic Jazzmaster Rattrapante.

Some of the most impressive watches are grand complications, exquisitely handcrafted timepieces. Franck Muller Geneve, the self-billed “master of complications,” this year unveiled Aeternitas Mega, its most complicated wristwatch yet, with 20 complications (in four versions). Vacheron Constantin’s calibre 2755, three years in development and used in its Patrimony Traditionelle, features moonphase, tourbillon, and perpetual calendar. Production manager Christian Summonet calls it “the most complicated watch we’ve ever made.” Carl F. Bucherer’s automatic Patravi Chronograde, capping two years’ work, combines chronograph, flyback, large date, annual calendar, power reserve, and retrograde (hour) functions, a world first.

KEEPING TIME WITHOUT FRICTION

Strong business in mechanical watches is spurring research and development in mechanical watch movements. One area of activity is improving efficiency by reducing internal friction and eliminating lubrication and servicing. Among high-end watchmakers who this year unveiled materials and mechanisms are these:

Ulysse Nardin’s limited-edition Freak DIAMonSIL, says the watchmaker, is its “next leap forward.” Its Dual Ulysse escapement is composed of lightweight silicium encased in tough synthetic nanocrystal diamond (registered as DIAMonSIL).

Audemars Piguet’s Millenary, with deadbeat seconds, uses the brand’s own escapement. Its design eliminates lubrication of pallet stones, increases efficiency by transmitting energy directly to the balance (instead of by the lever), and improves shock resistance with precisely designed new components.

Jaeger-LeCoultre’s own calibre 988C in its Master Compressor Extreme LAB has six patents. It uses redesigned components and lighter, more resistant materials in its escapement, which operates without lubricant. “[It's] our most reliable mechanical watch ever, and extremely accurate even in extreme conditions,” says Sonia Spring, product manager.

Eterna’s calibre 3800 is the first in watchmaking history in which the barrel, barrel arbor, and winding wheels are mounted on ball bearings, improving precision and efficiency. The tiny ceramic ball bearings are extremely hard and can work indefinitely without lubrication.

Lubricant-free movements aren’t the only innovations. IWC’s calibre 89360, three years in development and its first proprietary movement, uses a double-pawl winding system, which transmits energy using four pawls (instead of two) to the pawl wheel, increasing efficiency 30 percent.

German luxury watchmaker A. Lange & Söhne’s Lange 31, with a 31-day power reserve, has been in development three years. It’s the first with a constant-force escapement, providing sustained delivery of energy for a month for constant accuracy. However, watch aficionados must wait until late 2008 or ’09 for one. The limited-edition watch, say officials, isn’t completely developed.

Wyler Genève’s automatic chrono-graph incorporates a triple-shock protection system (unique crown protector, Wyler’s own shock-resistant Incaflex balance wheel, and sprung case). The movement is suspended in the case and cushioned by springs, like car axles suspended on a chassis by shock absorbers.

More brands offer multifunction watches (chronographs, world timers, repeaters) with mono-pushers for greater efficiency and ease of use. Among them: Cuervo y Sobrinos, Carl F. Bucherer, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Porsche Design, and Roger Dubuis.

There are creative innovations, too. One of the most exquisite is Vacheron Constantin’s Métiers d’Art Les Masques collection. Twenty-five sets each contain four automatic timepieces representing the Americas, Asia, Africa, and Oceania. On each watch face is a tiny, exact replica of an ancient tribal mask from those regions, created with advanced computer imaging and design software to ensure they’re identical to the real masks, even to a dent on the nose of the Chinese mask. Each case is different: white gold for the Alaskan mask, pink gold for the Indonesian, yellow gold for the Chinese and platinum for the Congolese. Each watch’s sapphire crystal has a different tint (using a unique metallization process) and a poem engraved underside. Dial apertures show the hour, minutes, day, and date.

The automatic Titanic-DNA incorporates elements from ocean-floor remains of the famous ocean liner that sank in 1912 after hitting an iceberg. The luxury watch, first in a DNA of Famous Legends collection of Swiss brand Romain Jerome, integrates oxidized steel from the Titanic with titanium in a rust-color case (also available in gold or platinum) and its coal in the black dial. Titanic-DNA is limited to 2,012 watches (for the 100th anniversary year of the sinking).

Quartz mechanicals may dominate the watch business in volume e.g Movado Watches, but mechanical watches are where the action is these days in mid- and upscale watch making—in new calibers, technical innovations, creative designs, and consumers’ growing fascination with them. That was amply demonstrated at this year’s major international watch shows in Switzerland and The JCK Show.