Who doesn’t love a classy Patek Philippe? They’re those type of timepieces that you buy to pass down to generations. I only wish my father or grand father knew that, I would rock that shit daily. Well the 5960P combines two of the most popular horological complications (calendar and chronograph) and has ranked among of Patek’s bestsellers since it was launched in 2006. This years third and newest addition to the collection has a vivid matte blue sunburst dial that is undoubtedly the defining element of this watch. Set against a platinum case, it really is splendid. I just can’t enough of it! The manufacture movement – an automatic, column-wheel chronograph (the CH 28-520 IRM QA 24H) – is all you would expect from Patek. The exquisite finishing of the movement with hand-chamfered steel levers and bridges as well as elegant Geneva striping deserve the exposure provided by the screwed case back with a sapphire crystal window. The hand-stitched, large-scaled blue alligator strap with platinum fold-over clasp completes the watch.

Just one of many fantastic new watches from Patek Philippe this year!

Source : Perpetuelle

Despite having the mucho macho Santos case, jeweler and watchmaker Cartier felt a need for something a little more in the spirit of the Übermaskulin. At the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie in Geneva, the storied luxury brand revealed just such a watch: the Calibre de Cartier, the brand’s first model aimed resolutely at men and only men. At 42mm and slimmer than recent iterations of the Santos, Tank, Pasha and Rotonde, Cartier is clearly expressing its design savvy to show that bigger is not necessarily more masculine.

With the Calibre de Cartier, the brand delivers a classically minded watch, with contemporary ambitions and pure watchmaking sensibilities. Speaking of which, Calibre de Cartier is powered by the in-house manufacture 1904MC self-winding movement. This is the brand’s first manufacture self-winding movement and it features a slew of improvements over the garden-variety ETA clone mechanisms, including ceramic ball bearings and the use of a pawl system over reversers.

Calibre de Cartier is available in steel, pink gold or a combination of the two. Three dial variants are possible at this time: black, white or chocolate brown. This is the most basic option for this model, with the watch showing hours, minutes, small seconds and date (via the aperture at 3 o’clock).

Hublot strikes hard with a less-than-innovative, but still satisfying large Big Bang watch with a host of luxury features. First is the new type of gold alloy used for most of the case called “King Gold.” It is basically what looks to be rose gold with less rose in it. Think of it as a hint of white gold as it has 5% platinum in it. Interesting that Hublot is not the only brand this year to make up a new gold. A. Lange & Sohne have released their Honey Gold alloy as well.

The Hublot Gold King Power Tourbillon GMT is also the first watch to have a tourbillon as well as a second timezone and retrograde date indicator. Does this really feel innovative? Again, no – but you do have “technical” bragging rights. The case is large at 48mm wide in King Gold, titanium, ceramic, composite resin, and rubber. The dial has a nice look in theory, but a lot of it likely gets lost as the tones as similar. Meaning the watch is not super easy to read. Still, it looks pretty sharp, and that is what Hublot watches of this caliber are going for. In The dial is a mix of a real dial with hour indicators on it and the exposed movement. You have a view of the tourbillon as well as some of the major gears that power the watch. Price will of course be expensive by this is part of a limited edition of just 28 pieces. Hublot collectors are getting giddy as I speak. More details closer to release at Baselworld 2010 in March. It might sound as though I am speaking both negatively and positively at the same time out the watch – this is true. I am irritated that Hublot does not need to try hard anymore to have nice watches, but am happy that they have such a winning formula.