Four More Fantastic World-First Watches From Baselworld 2016
Just a couple of weeks ago, we brought you four fantastic watches that were world firsts premiering at Baselworld 2016. As we promised then, that was just part 1 of the story. Here we delight in presenting four more pretty amazing timepieces that have their own “first” status — as seen at Baselworld.
Patek Philippe World Time Chronograph Ref. 5930
Aside from stealing the show for its blue dial and overall stunning looks, the all new Ref. 5930 world time and chronograph watch could possibly be the thinnest and smallest world time chronograph on the market. Inspired by a single world time chronograph watch produced by Patek Philippe in 1940, the new piece is a 39.5mm white gold timepiece chocked with information. Said functions include time in 24 zones and a 30-minute flyback chronograph and marks the first time the brand is putting such a combination into production.
Patek Philippe is a master at creating world’s firsts and has done so time and again. The brand does not let us down with this new watch, which combines the best of two watch movements into one all-new Caliber, CH 28-520 HU. The highly technical and precise movement is equipped with the brands Gyromax® balance and patented Spiromax(T) balance spring made of Silinvar®. The watch interests us not only from a technical point of view, but also from an aesthetic one. To begin with, combining these two key functions is no easy feat. Each has its own “needs” list, with a conventional world time watch devoid of a seconds hand, but with the chronograph crying out for one simply by necessity. In the new caliber, Patek Philippe has set a number of things in motion – harmoniously and in a user-friendly manner. The world timer is activated via a button at 10:00 and when zones are being changed, the hour hand disengages from the movement so that the minute hand is unaffected. Additionally, the chronograph hand can run continuously. The watch, when cased, measures a slim 12.86mm. It retails for $73,700.
MB&F Art Piece with Black Badger
This may well be the first time a watch brand has teamed with such an “illuminating” partner. In fact, the glow that James Thompson, founder of Black Badger Advanced Composites, develops will keep its lume for a very long time. In its newest Performance Art Collection watches, the famed Max Busser & Friends has again launched a winner in the new HMX Black Badger “glow in the dark” watch.
The titanium and steel limited-edition watches feature either luminous Radar Green, Phantom Blue or Purple Reign colors – lighting up the engine of the HMX Black Badger in a highly space-age manner. The design is achieved via solid blocks of proprietary high-efficiency luminosity. This is not SuperLuminova; it is a solid material capable of storing energy and releasing it for a longer period of time. Just 18 pieces of each of the three versions will be made, each retailing for about $50,000. (Note: For those interested, there is also a Black Badger illuminated version of the Star Fleet Machine clock.)
TAG Heuer Carrera Caliber Heuer 02T Tourbillon
Hands down, this is the first Swiss-made, high-tech titanium and carbon fiber flying tourbillon timepiece to retail for such an incredibly low price that it had fair goers shaking their heads in disbelief. The price? $16,000. Even more surprising is the fact that the watch is also a COSC-certified chronometer chronograph with tachymeter.
Building the 45mm Grade 5 titanium watch posed several challenges to the brand’s R&D department, including how to house a single barrel, chronograph functions, automatic winding mechanism and flying tourbillon within the movement’s 32mm diameter and still offer strong power reserve (65 hours). They figured it out … and the watch now houses a lightweight tourbillon that is hand crafted by four watchmakers. Oh and the watch is water resistant to 100 meters. There is also a 250-piece limited edition Black Phantom version being offered that is priced slightly higher at just about $21,000 — still about four times less than other Swiss made flying tourbillon timepieces.
Seiko Credor Fugaku Tourbillon Limited Edition
Not a name you ever expected to grace our “Haute Time” pages, Seiko Watch Corporation makes the list this year by introducing the brand’s first-ever tourbillon in the Credor brand. Additionally, it is a pretty impressive timepiece thanks to its three-dimensional artistic presentation. The Credor Tourbillon, with dramatic engraving and lacquer work, recalls the famed huge waves and views of Mt. Fuji that have impacted Japanese culture since the dawn of time.
The Fugaku Tourbillon Limited Edition houses the ultra-thin tourbillon Caliber 6830, which measures 3.98,mm in thinness and is the brands first-ever tourbillon movement (based on thee Caliber 68, whose base is just 1.98mm thick). The famed “Great Wave off Kanagawa,” with a view of Mt. Fuji in the background, inspires the design of the dial. The wave is meticulously hand engraved and created in 18-karat yellow and white gold. Even the caseback shows the wave, with an outline of Mt. Fuji on the balance wheel bridge. The lacquer work on the dial is done using the ancient art of Urushi and the clouds are created in finely worked mother of pearl. The 43mm platinum watch features blue sapphires on the case sides. It is created by top Japanese artists in a limited number of 8 pieces, and each is estimated to retail for $462,000.
Photo Credit: Haute Time. Follow Haute Time on Instagram to catch all of the new releases as they happen.
