Small is beautiful — from Glashütte

The Nomos Glashutte Orion 33 Rose Timepiece

As with usual Nomos Glashutte tradition we have another pre christmas launch, this year it is one for the ladies with the Orion 33 Rose, In the words of Nomos themselves

“It has become a kind of Christmas tradition by now: in time for the festive season we introduce a new model. This year’s Christmas surprise will certainly put a smile on women’s faces. We introduced our wristwatch Orion 33 rosé at SalonQP at the beginning of November—and of course I’d like to share the information with you too.  We hope you’ll like our latest model!”

Press Release by Nomos Glashutte

This year’s celebration will be in rosé. More delicate, yet decidedly grown up—that’s this year’s Christmas watch from NOMOS Glashütte. A present that lasts through time Glashütte, November 2012.

Under the tree in plenty of time: Orion 33 rose is the name of the new little sister of the familiar Glashutte watch—and it is this year’s Christmas surprise from NOMOS Glashutte. The youngest member of the 33 family looks like the original Orion with its gently curved case and fine stainless steel lunette. But it is smaller—and seems even flatter than other hand-wound watches from NOMOS Glashutte. With a diameter of just 33 millimeters, it is especially becoming on delicate wrists. The light rose hue of the dial—bove every suspicion of kitsch—latters the skin and eye and goes with velvet or silk, cord or tweed. A Sunday-best watch for every day, optically delicate and technically very robust.

All this makes the new Orion 33 rose from NOMOS Glashutte the perfect surprise for your savvy sister, your best girlfriend, your best beloved, and all the other fantastic women in your life. And it’s a gift that lasts— lifetime and longer.

Starting in November, this new model will be available for 1320 pounds from the best authorized watch retailers in the UK and at www.nomos-store.com.

Nomos Orion 33 Rose – Technical details

Movement: α (Alpha)—anufactory caliber with manual winding

Case: stainless steel, tripartite;

Diameter 32.8 mm; Height 8.54 mm

Domed sapphire crystal glass;

Domed sapphire crystal glass exhibition case back,

Dial: galvanized, silver-plated, rose; stamped indexes, diamond-polished, gold

Hands: steel, gold-plated

Water resistant to 3 atm or 30m

Strap: velour

Reference number 325

88 Rue Du Rhone Launch in the UK at The Watch Hut

Written by Chris Derrer – Blogger for The Watch Hut

One of Switzerland’s newest watch companies has begun trading here in the UK, having only been founded back in 2011, 88 Rue Du Rhone watches may be the new kids on the block, but they’re showing some of the old boys how to do it.

Pierre and Elie Bernheim are the two men behind 88 Rue Du Rhone (88RDR) watches and they are the grandsons of non other than Swiss watch making legend Raymond Weil. We know from the family history, that these watches are from pedigree, but what’s different about them to Raymond Weil watches?

Well to be brutally honest… most things are different, in a good way. The watches in the range all have a far more contemporary feel to them than their relatives, with the influence being aimed at a more youthful audience. The designers have added the use of a red second hand on every men’s watch, with many pieces featuring simple and sleek designs.

Unlike many other Swiss brands, 88 Rue Du Rhone watches are also set at a far more friendly price point, with prices starting at just £275, opening the luxury and prestige watch market up to a whole new audience of people.

The quirky story behind the watches name and the presence of the number 8 on each individual piece is another unique selling point. They are named after the address where the River Rhone joins Lake Geneva, a gap on the Rue Du Rhone between buildings where a thing of true beauty happens. The number 8 is also a number of good fortune in many cultures, so having the double 8 on the dial and at the 8 o’clock for many, offers a quirky style and the opportunity of good fortune.

The Swiss spirit is still strong within these watches, but what is different is what is best about them, they bring the Swiss watch market up to the modern day, and open it to far more people who ordinarily would have never considered a watch brand such as this.

88 Rue Du Rhone chose The Watch Hut as one of their exclusive launch partners.

Article supplied by Chris Derrer you can follow Chris @WatchHut_Chris and @TheWatchHut

You can also see the entire range of 88 Rue Du Rhone Watches at The Watch Hut

Introducing a Ladies Automatic by Christopher Ward

Belisama Automatic and Belisama Diamond Automatic Ladies Watches – A rare breed…

Written by: Shirley Lambert

We are back with one of our favourite brands with something different to offer, Christopher Ward introduces the new Belisama Range of Automatic Ladies Watches, Yes a first for the British based watchmaker, as with all their other watches we have a British design (well sort of – more Cartier like really) and Swiss made with Swiss movements.

Why Belisama I hear you all shout? Well the name is derived from the Celtic goddess for light and wisdom, and when we say light we mean sunlight and moonlight, fairly apt for a watch we think. In homage the watches are all adorned with high quality Wesselton Diamonds and the dial has an array of silver rays depicting the rays of light from the moon and sun. As the goddess Belisama was worshiped before, after and during the Roman Empire by the Gauls and Brits alike, the watch depicts bold striking roman numerals on the dial at 12, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10, where there is no numeral we have a diamond indicating the 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11 indices on the dial. One thing I would point out is that there is no date function on the dial.

The Christopher Ward Belisama Watches are very akin to the Cartier Tank and pay homage to an iconic design and brand, even down to the blue carbouchon stone decorating the crown and Galvanic Guilloche sun ray dial.

This is one of the few Ladies automatic watches available in the market and I’m sure one of the most affordable, starting at £599. The market for ladies mechanical automatic watches is growing, the myth that the fairer sex is only interested in looks and not concerned with what’s under the cover is just that a myth, In my humble opinion I see this as one of the fastest growing markets within the watch industry.

In the Words of Christopher Ward himself “Judging by the volume of requests I have received from women (and men, it should also be said!) for us to introduce a women’s automatic watch there is no doubt whatsoever that women are as fascinated by the workings of a fine mechanical watch in the same way as men. We would have introduced an automatic earlier but I was never happy that we had the right combination of design and movement but when we started working on the Belisama it was clear from the beginning that this was something special and would be the perfect way to launch our women’s automatic offer.”

The movement housed within the 26mm x 25.4mm polished case of the Christopher Ward Belisama Automatics is the ETA 2671-1 automatic which is one of the smallest automatic movements available today and is visible through the crystal exhibition case back.

The Belisama ladies watch is available in  two individual models the W90 and W900, with both being made available in Stainless steel or 18ct Gold Plated cases, the difference between the two models is that the bezel on the W900 or to give it it’s full name W900 Belisama Diamond Automatic is  encrusted with 30 Top Wesselton full cut diamonds.

Both models are available with either a stainless steel bracelet or Louisiana Alligator strap in either black or white. It goes without saying the Gold plated face does not have the option of the stainless steel bracelet as that would just look a little strange, even to me. We have been told the straps have been specifically designed for female wrists and all the strap options have a deployment clasp buckle as standard

In all there are 10 variations of the W90 and W900 Belisama Automatic watches and these are as follows

W90 Belisama Automatic with Stainless Steel Case and Bracelet – Ref: W90-SSS – Price £599.00

W90 Belisama Automatic with Stainless Steel Case and Black Alligator Strap – Ref: W90-SSKR – Price £699.00

W90 Belisama Automatic with Stainless Steel Case and White Alligator Strap – Ref: W90-SSWR – Price £699.00

W90 Belisama Automatic with 18ct Gold plated Case and Black Alligator Strap – Ref: W90-GSKR – Price £799.00

W90 Belisama Automatic with 18ct Gold plated Case and White Alligator Strap – Ref: W90-GSWR – Price £799.00

W900 Belisama Diamond Automatic with Stainless Steel Case and Bracelet – Ref: W900-SSS Price £1,050.00

W900 Belisama Diamond Automatic with Stainless Steel Case and Black Alligator Strap – Ref: W900-SSKR – Price £1,150.00

W900 Belisama Diamond Automatic with Stainless Steel Case and White Alligator Strap – Ref: W900-SSWR – Price £1,150.00

W900 Belisama Diamond Automatic with 18ct Gold plated Case and Black Alligator Strap – Ref: W900-GSKR – Price £1,250.00

W900 Belisama Diamond Automatic with 18ct Gold plated Case and White Alligator Strap – Ref: W900-GSWR – Price £1,250.00

You can see the entire range on the Christopher Ward Website here. The Belisama Ladies Automatic watch range is currently available for Pre Order with expected delivery to be Mid October.

We don’t usually do this but, just prior to publishing this article on the Christopher Ward Belisama Range we received a surprise email from Christopher Ward offering our readers a 20% discount across the entire ladies range including the Belisama by using the Code WOMEN20 but only until midnight Sunday 7^th October 2012. Bringing the cost of owning a Belisama Automatic between £479.20 and £1,000.00.

If you are interested in the Christopher Ward Ladies Range you can find the entire collection at www.christopherward.co.uk

Christopher Ward Belisama Automatic – Technical Details

Self-winding automatic movement Calibre: ETA 2671-2 automatic

Power Reserve of 38 hours

Hand-finished 316L polished stainless steel case or 18ct Gold plated case

Belisama Diamond Automatic – Bezel inset with 30 Top Wesselton VVS1 diamonds

Case Size 36.0mm x 25.4mm, Height: 9.9mm

Crown with inset blue cabouchon stone

Anti-reflective sapphire crystal

Dial – Galvanic Silver sun-ray dial inset with 6 Top Wesselton VVS1 diamonds

Transparent exhibition crystal case-back with unique engraved serial number

18mm Premium grade Louisiana alligator strap or Stainless Steel bracelet with deployment clasp

Links of London Watches: The Capital’s Time Continues

Written by Luke McNaney for The Watch Review Site

2012 has seen London committed to its turn in the spotlight, following up the Jubilee celebrations with the much-lauded London 2012 Olympic Games. Timekeeping was, as it always is, closely linked to the success of the Games and this year OMEGA assumed its role as Official OIympic Timekeeper for the 25^th time – rather impressive, no?

However, OMEGA is not the only watch brand to make time for London. The capital’s moment as the global focus may begin to wane, despite the city hosting the Paralympics from 29 August (with timing and scoring services once again provided by OMEGA), but homegrown fashion brand Links of London will continue to fly the flag for England’s premier city with its line of designer timepieces.

Although the dedicated watch aficionado may favour more prestigious Swiss manufacturers, there is a lot to be said for the well-constructed watches from some of the more distinguished names in the fashion world. Links of London is a relatively young company, having been founded in 1990, but has quickly made strides worldwide with its London-inspired jewellery collections available in the UK, Hong Kong, USA and Canada.

The brand has established a contemporary watch collection that seamlessly combines the aesthetic of its popular jewellery items with high grade performance. Despite offering a gents range, which includes the latest motorsport-inspired design Chicane (a sort of budget version of a TAG Heuer Carrera), a Links of London watch is perhaps best reserved for the fashion-conscious female in need of a stylish counterpoint to a Tissot reserved for special occasions.

Coming in at the £350 mark are Links’ popular Sweetie watches, which are bold in their simplicity. The rectangular styling encloses plain block colour dials, with expandable stainless steel bracelets providing a smart finish that makes these a perfect tip for both the office and play. Despite the cloying name, Sweetie watches represent the high-end epitome of the brand’s watch output.

Almost reserved in its approach, Sweetie is further complemented by the contrasting bold colours of the aptly named Colour Blaze collection, which catches the eye with striking dials and rubber straps, and the edgy, darker urban series (which is perhaps not so aptly named!) Phoebe.

Although the options outlined here are of course more frivolous than a ladies Seamaster or suchlike, they’re inherently appealing in their accessibility (costing between £200 – £350) and Links of London’s twin concerns of fashion and functionality.

Article provided by Luke McNaney, Online Content Writer for The Jewel Hut. You can follow Luke on Twitter @jewelhut_LM.

Girard-Perregaux Cat’s Eye Jewellery Watch

Press release – Girard-Perregaux

Before we get onto the Press Release just a few of our own words, we cannot fault Girard-Perregaux on its achievements and its commitment to its watchmakers especially with its work to make watchmaking an art that is available and accessible to all through its promotion with its New Young watchmakers activities, which we have closely followed here on The Watch Review Site (if you are interested you will find the articles about these young watchmakers and their exploits here.)

But to say the least we are not impressed by this Girard-Perregaux Cat’s Eye Ladies Watch, its just too glitzy and diamondy for us here at the Watch Review Site… But in the nature of the beast we are sure it will be of interest to a lot of you out there so here it is in it’s full technicolour glory. Oh and not taking away the fact that it has been a mainstay in the GP collection since 2004 and the technical and artistic achievements in producing the piece, its just not for us.

A union between Haute Horlogerie and Haute Joaillerie

A myriad of diamonds clothes the Cat’s Eye in light, accentuating the curves of its silhouette. Behind the scenes are the mechanics of perfection. Time beats to the rhythm of a self-winding movement manufactured by Girard-Perregaux. The Cat’s Eye Haute Joaillerie showcases highly skilled crafts where beauty and technology complement one another in perfect harmony.

Draped in 150 emerald-cut precious stones, the case illuminates its feminine curves. The flower-shaped crown unfurls its petals to reveal its heart: a rose-cut diamond. The hours display blossoms on a bed of gemstones that emphasize the emblematic case shape.

Starting with the small seconds, the iridescent oval progressively broadens with uniform brilliance. The dial, adorned with a delicate “Clous de Paris” hobnail motif, includes 102 emerald-cut diamonds, selected and positioned in order to deliver maximum brilliance.

A traditional technique requiring a particularly delicate touch, the “Clou de Paris” hobnail motif consists of holding several stones with a single “clou” or pin, meaning that the diamond cutter must cut and calibrate the stones meticulously, one by one. The sapphire crystal, rounded in both directions, tops the dial and its leaf shaped hands.

A taupe-coloured satin strap enhances the sparkle of the stones. The contrast is subtle, the union a success. Extended by an ardillon buckle set with 13 baguette-cut diamonds, it encircles the wrist with unforgettable moments in time.

Finally, the hand-engraved case back opens onto the calibre GP03300 self-winding movement whose oscillating weight adopts Girard-Perregaux’s tapestry decoration. The date has been set.

Created in 2004, the Cat’s Eye collection dedicates beautiful watchmaking pieces to women. The refinement of the pieces rivals their attention to detail. Its emblematic design, which has won numerous distinctions, is highlighted by precious materials and manufacture movements, both simple and with complications. The collection proves that fine watchmaking is far from being the prerogative solely of men.

Girard-Perregaux Cat’s Eye – TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Reference: 91702B53P7B1-KK6A

Case in white gold with a rounded, anti-reflective sapphire crystal set with 150 emerald-cut diamonds for ~14.52 carats

Case back: with anti-reflective sapphire crystal

Dimensions: 38.63 mm x 33.63 mm

Water resistance: 30 meters (3 ATM)

Crown: white gold, set with one rose-cut diamond ~ 0.14 carat

Dial: set with 102 emerald-cut diamonds for ~6.6 carats

Hands: leaf-shaped

Girard-Perregaux GP03300-0072 Movement

Self-winding mechanical movement

Functions: hours, minutes, small seconds

Jewels: 27 rubies

Power reserve: minimum 46 hours

Frequency: 28,800 Vib/h (4 Hz)

Satin strap with Ardillon buckle in white gold, set with 13 baguette-cut diamonds for ~0.67 carats

For Other Girard-Perregaux Watches which we really do like why not read this on the 1966 Chronograph or even this on the Girard-Perregaux ww.tc Dark Night. Now these are proper Girard-Perregaux timepieces. Sorry GP about the Cat’s eye…

Cartier Tank Anglaise Watch - The Launch

Written by D Constant for The Watch Review Site

Well was it worth the wait… Cartier enthusiasts will definitely think so and so do we.

Well it has been 16 years since we have seen a new Cartier Tank style released and now its our turn its the 2012 New Cartier Tank Anglaise or English Tank… I think Tank Anglaise sounds more Cartier like and befits this timepiece rather than its literal translation…

So, what have Cartier got in stall for us with the new Tank Anglaise, Well it was first shown to the world at BaselWorld 2012 back in March and its has now been launched in the UK and across the world by this infamous jeweller. This new Tank is a sort of cross between the Tank Francaise and the Ballon Bleu, see for yourself.

As per time honoured recent tradition Cartier have produced a Video Introducing us to the Tank Anglaise and highlighting its predecessors in History all the way back to the first Tank in 1917. I’m sure we will be seeing a new Tank in 5 years for the centenary. Here’s the Video for you all to see.

Video courtesy of Cartier – Never Stop Tank – Tank Anglaise Watch Video

As a quick brief the Cartier Tank Anglaise will be available in Large (Men’s) 47mm Long and 36.2mm wide , Medium (Unisex) 39.2mm long and 29.8mm and Small (Women’s) 30.2mm x 22.7mm Sizes. and they are all a new slimline Cartier Tank with the thickness ranging from 9.82mm to 7.19mm.

As you can see the Cartier Tank Anglaise has kept its Classic Cartier Silvered Dial with Blue Hands a must with a Tank (I’m sure most Cartier watch buyers would agree, a timeless classic dial) , what does strike you as interesting is the crown feature and cut out extruding from the Bezel, I actually really like the idea and it seems to work very well with this timepiece. It offers a flush finish to the side of the watch and also incorporates the mainstay of Cartier it’s sapphire crystal cabochon on the crown. Its Angular extrusions with the rounded end piece and sapphire make it an artwork in itself.

The Cartier Tank Anglaise Watch is available in Three Colours these being 18k White Gold, Yellow Gold and Rose Gold, Yes no Steel options yet… and they all come with matching bracelets

They have also got a number of different diamond options, one with diamonds on each side of the bezel and others fully encrusted, if that’s your cup of tea. For regular readers of our articles and reviews, you will already know at The Watch Review Site we are not overly keen on diamond encrustation…

Now to the nitty gritty of the Cartier Tank Anglaise Watch, It comes with either Quartz movements or Automatic Movements depending on which model and size you opt for, The pick of the bunch will have to be the Large Model which features Cartier’s inhouse caliber 1904 MC Automatic Movement, oh I forgot to mention the Sapphire Crystal Exhibition Case back that comes on all the watches, this means you can now see the movements creativity also.

The Cartier Tank Anglaise Small all come with a Cartier 057 Quartz movement, The Medium non Diamond Tank Anglaise have the Caliber Cartier 077 Automatic Self Winding Mechanical Movement and the Diamond versions have the Cartier 076 Automatic Movement at the heart of the timepiece.

And for anyone contemplating wearing the Cartier Tank Anglaise whilst washing the dishes or swimming it is water resistant to 30m.

The Tank Anglaise Watch Small starts from £15,000, with the Tank Anglaise Medium starting from £21,750 and Large from £26,750 for the Rose or Yellow Gold Non-Diamond versions, with the White Gold being slightly more expensive.

Well so Cartier has now covered the French (Tank Francaise), Americans (Tank Americaine) and now us Brits with The Cartier Tank Anglaise. With no bias at all I would have to say this is the best Tank Watch yet.

Photo’s and Video content courtesy of Cartier.

Raymond Weil Freelancer Lady Sunshine – Released

Further to our previous article back in March when we introduced you to a new musical note in the Raymond Weil Score as they like to refer to their new releases at the swiss watchmaker, we can now confirm that the Raymond Weil Freelancer 2410 – Lady Sunshine has been launched by the watchmaker.

In the words of the watchmaker themselves “This truly feminine timepiece combines the elegance of rose gold with the refinement of mother of pearl. A sunray guilloché decoration on the dial illustrates perfectly the name of this new creation and is enhanced by the brilliance of the diamonds sprinkled on the bezel and indexes.”

“It is powered by an automatic movement visible through the opening between 12 and 2 o’clock. The bracelet adds a final touch of elegance with its alternation of polished and satined links.”

Freelancer Lady Sunshine, a little masterpiece full of glamour.

This brand new addition to the Raymond Weil freelancer collection demonstrates once again that mechanical prestige goes together perfectly with total femininity, and you have to admit it is a lovely looking timepiece. we thought we could enhance your viewing with a few photos of the Lady Sunshine Freelencer here.

For Technical details please see our previous article on the Freelancer Lady Sunshine Here.

JeanRichard’s Aquascope Lady “Night” Gives a Feminine Twist to the Dive Watch

I know we have covered the JeanRichard Aquascope before here at The Watch Review Site, but we stumbled across this piece written by the lovely and very knowledgeable Meehna Goldsmith of www.watchmatchmaker.com (one of our contributors) and had to share it with you all, we know Meehna wrote this a while ago but thought it would add a touch of class to our JeanRichard Watch Reviews and News.

Thank you Meehna for the great stuff your producing…

Written by Meehna Goldsmith

Aquascope Lady Night

With few exceptions, dive watches are designed to appeal to the male sensibility with their robust and rugged looks. It’s not like guys are the only ones who like to explore the depths below. We ladies need a cool watch that not only makes sure we surface before our rosy complexion turns blue but also that complements our wetsuit. No matter the environment we care about our outfits and there’s no denyingaccessories make the woman, by land or sea.

In the 1960’s JeanRichard entered into the dive watch arena. Named the Aquascope, the watch established the defining characteristics of the model with its round rotating bezel superimposed upon a tonneau case. The current model takes its design cues from the original but softens the lines and adds a crown at 9 o’clock to set the bidirectional bezel. The Aquascope watch has all the credentials of a diver in a resilient and rust resistant stainless case and a depth rating to 300 meters. The icing on the cake is that both the JR 1000 movement and the case are crafted in house at the JeanRichard factory.

Aquascope_60′

No doubt you’ll say that the Aquascope Lady “Night” is a man’s watch dressed up in drag and it’s true that the dimensions of the case stay the same for both the male and female models. But take a second look. The details are distinctly feminine. The black dial gives off a discreet glimmer with 8 diamond indexes, contrasting nicely to the black aluminum bezel with alternating polished and satin-finished surfaces.

Since a woman appreciates the value of matching details, the red color on both the seconds hand and date provide nice accents, the combination of white, black and red a fashion classic.

For a sporting look with the proper dash of womanly style, the Aquascope Lady Night offers function as well as an attractive wrist ornament. The watch comes on a black fabric strap with a satin-like appearance. There is also the option of a mother of pearl dial and a white fabric strap.

Retail Price: $7,500

(JR released another winner this year at SIHH with the Bressel 1665, which you can read about here.)

JeanRichard Aquascope Lady Night automatic diving watch specifications

Movement: Automatic, caliber JR1000, in-house, 27 jewels, 28,800 vph, 25.94 mm in diameter, Swiss Made
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, date
Power reserve: 48 hours
Case material: Stainless steel
Bezel material: Aluminum
Case shape: Cushion
Bezel shape: Round
Case size: 44.50 mm x 40.00 mm
Lug width: N/A
Case height: 11.85 mm
Dial: Black, satin-finished sunburst effect
Numerals: Arabic
Hands: Rhodium-plated steel
Water resistance: 300 meters
Strap: Black fabric strap with stainless steel folding buckle
Crystal: Sapphire, anti-reflective
Case back: Solid

Original Article can be found at http://www.watchmatchmaker.com/2_womens_watches/jean-richard%E2%80%99s-aquascope-lady-%E2%80%9Cnight%E2%80%9D-feminine-twist-dive-watch.html

You may also want to check out the JeanRichard Big Life Charity Watch or just some of our other Ladies Watch Reviews.