New releases - BA111OD Chapter 4, The Veblen Dilemma Tourbillon

Thomas Baillod unveils a tourbillon timepiece at the unusually affordable price of 3,920 Swiss Francs. Designed by the La Chaux-de-Fonds watchmaker Olivier Mory, the hand-wound movement features 105 hours of power reserve, a shock tolerance of more than 5,000 G and a rotating cage that turns in 60 seconds. The 43 mm case is made of grade 5 titanium and coated with a DLC Black Ice treatment. 

 

 

New releases - U-Boat Capsoil Doppiotempo

The design features and technical specifications of two models come together. The 45 mm stainless steel case features two crowns, one for setting the time and date, the other for adjusting the “doppiotempo” (dual time) function, and the rotating internal bezel that allows the second time zone setting. The special oil filling first adopted by the Capsoil watch creates the illusion of absence of the glass and amplifies the three-dimensional effect. The bubble floating freely on the dial compensates the temperature variations. The case back features the Locking ring system with quick battery replacement.

Henry Graves Jr's Patek Philippe chronograph

This Ref. 1436 split-second chronograph by Patek Philippe is the undisputed star of the Christie's auction that will take place in Hong Kong on 27 November. Henry Graves Jr., the legendary American collector, ordered it in 1946 and bought it one year later. Its excellent condition, mechanical complexity and rarity, along with the Breguet numerals on the dial, account for the estimate of US$ 1,500,000-3,000,000. Only 140 examples of the Ref. 1436 were made during the 33-year production period (1938-1971). One of them is featured in this video clip by Hora, the Milan-based Italian Association of Antique Watches Lovers (language: Italian). Enjoy!

 

 

Novità - OISA 1937 Domenico Morezzi Milano

I 115 esemplari della serie commemorativa Domenico Morezzi Milano sono disponibili con cassa d’acciaio (97 pezzi) oppure oro rosa (18 pezzi). La cassa riprende le linee di un orologio realizzato da Domenico Morezzi negli Anni 40/50 e ospita il calibro 29-50di OISA 1937, ultrapiatto di manifattura a carica manuale, evoluzione del movimento progettato e prodotto negli Anni 60 dall’orologiaio Morezzi. Queste le sue caratteristiche: diametro 29,5 mm, spessore 3,5 mm, 17 o 19 rubini, dispositivo d’arresto del bilanciere, autonomia di 64 ore. Impermeabile fino a 5 atmosfere, l’orologio può essere personalizzato su richiesta. 

 

Watches of Italy

 

Ospitata dal Museo delle macchine agricole "Orsi" e patrocinata dal Comune di Tortona, la seconda edizione di Watches of Italy (WOI) si è chiusa domenica 26 settembre con un bilancio lusinghiero. Gli oltre 3000 visitatori hanno potuto vedere e toccare con mano numerose novità, incontrare i produttori e acquistare direttamente gli orologi e gli accessori in esposizione. La mostra mercato ha lo scopo di valorizzare la creatività delle decine di imprenditori e artigiani italiani attivi nel settore. Nelle prossime settimane 10e10.ch presenterà alcune delle novità viste a Tortona.

 

 

New releases - Louis Erard Régulateur x atelier oï

The new dial of the Louis Erard Regulator is the work of atelier oï, a workshop based in La Neuveville that works in the fields of architecture and design. The surface is engraved with asymmetrical rays that radiate from the hands. The wearer has to mentally reconstruct the puzzle of hour angles in order to read the time. However, all the links are not broken: the minute-circle still appears around the edge of the dial, with a more pronounced line every five minutes. Retail price CHF 3,500. Limited edition of 178 pieces.

 

The N°1 Deep Sea Special goes to auction

The catalog of the Christie’s Rare Watches Auction on 8 November 2021 (Hotel Four Seasons Les Bergues, Geneva) features the Rolex Deep Sea Special that made the first dive attached to Auguste Piccard's bathyscaphe Trieste off the Island of Ponza in 1953. This history-making expedition paved the way to the trip down to the bottom of the Mariana Trench (1960, 10,916 meters). I related the two feats in my books about Rolex: Rolex dalla A alla Z (in Italian) and Rolex 1905-1960 (in English and Italian). Both feature images of a display model made by Rolex in the early 1960s to celebrate the event, currently owned by the Musée International d'Horlogerie in La Chaux-de-Fonds.

 

The "N°1" entrusted to Christie's is the first of the three identified prototypes of Deep Sea Special, and the only one with "low" glass - the other two being equipped with the thicker and higher glass that Rolex developed later on for further extreme testing.

Will the "N°1" break the record set by the Paul Newman's Daytona chronograph that sold for $ 17.8 million in 2017?