Another week is just beginning, and to get you up to speed on the latest in the world of watchmaking, I’ve pulled together another round-up of watch-related news and drops for our Wind Up segment. In this week’s edition, we’ll be highlighting a handful of new watches that make this week’s probably one of the best. Our friends down in Melbourne released a collaborative piece with TAG Heuer, Vacheron Constantin went all out and then some, while Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Reverso Tribute Chronograph received the gold treatment. Happy reading, fellas, and have a great week ahead.
Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Chronograph
- Brand: Jaeger-LeCoultre
- Model: Reverso Tribute Chronograph
- Reference Number: Q389256J
- Diameter: 29.90mm
- Calibre: Calibre 860
- Power Reserve: 52 hours
- Water Resistance: 30m
- Price: CHF61,000 (Limited to 250 pieces)
Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Reverso Tribute Chronograph made a comeback last year after a 25-plus-year hiatus. Less than a year on, the brand has dropped a renewed ultra-luxe variant that is causing a serious stir amongst enthusiasts and collectors. The stunning pink gold Reverso Tribute Chronograph is the latest edition of the multi-face icon form JLC, arriving complete with a matching pink gold main dial.
From the outset, the Reverso Tribute Chronograph’s heaving mass of gold is the obvious focal point. A pink gold case paired with a pink gold dial (finished with laser-engraved fine horizontal lines) makes for something that is as ostentatious as it is loud. Or would have been. But the Reverso is something of an enigma, and its innate ability to be as covert as you like is on full display here. And, obviously, the reverse side shows the openworked dial (which is incredible, might I add).
TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 200 Solargraph
- Brand: TAG Heuer
- Model: Aquaracer Professional 200 Solargraph
- Reference Number: WBP1181.FN8024
- Diameter: 40mm
- Material: Titanium
- Water Resistance: 200m
- Calibre: Calibre TH50-00
- Power Reserve: 6 months minimum
- Price: AUD$4,450 (Limited to 250 pieces)
TAG Heuer and Time & Tide have teamed up with the new Aquaracer Professional 200 Solargraph, aka the Sundowner. With plenty of obvious (and a few not-so-obvious) visual cues pointing to the model’s Australian influence, the Sundowner is an exceptional little bit of kit that resonates really well with the ethos of TAG Heuer. With this release, you see Time + Tide and TAG Heuer pay serious homage to the accessible approach that the Aquaracer has affectionately become known for.
The titanium case has a sandblasted finish and the Time & Tide logo inscribed on the back, while rose gold tones extend from the bezel and dial markings to the pin buckle and keepers. The Sundowner is a really interesting piece that marries practicality, affordability, and genuine innovation. Congratulations, TAG Heuer, and to the Time & Tide team!
Vacheron Constantin Les Cabinotiers Tourbillon Ode to the Four Guardians “White Tiger”
- Brand: Vacheron Constantin
- Model: Les Cabinotiers Tourbillon Ode to the Four Guardians “White Tiger”
- Reference Number: Ref. 6040C/000R-155C
- Diameter: 42mm
- Calibre: 2160
- Power Reserve: 80 hours
- Water Resistance: 30m
- Price: Piece unique with pricing on request
Vacheron Constantin unveiled a series of four-piece uniques, each featuring marquetry dials inspired by mythical animals of East Asia. Inspired by the four seasons and their corresponding mythical creatures—the dragon for Spring, tiger for Autumn, tortoise for Winter, and bird for Summer—the Les Cabinotiers Tourbillon Ode to the Four Guardians combines some of the best that Vacheron Constantin has to offer.
Each piece is equipped with a tourbillon on display via an open aperture at 6 o’clock, however, the focal point with the Les Cabinotiers Tourbillon Ode to the Four Guardians is undoubtedly the dial. These unique canvases play host to a marquetry finish—a wood-based artistic craft that is as painstaking to create as it sounds. The end result is a perfectly unique work of art that is inherently symbolic of the artisan who tended to its finishing.
Vacheron Constantin Les Cabinotiers Armillary Tourbillons
- Brand: Vacheron Constantin
- Model: Les Cabinotiers Armillary Tourbillon – Ode to Chronos / Les Cabinotiers Armillary Tourbillon – Tribute to Infinite Time
- Reference Number: Ref. 9890C/000R-202C (L) / Ref. 9890C/000G-151C (R)
- Diameter: 45mm
- Calibre: 1990
- Power Reserve: 60 hours
- Water Resistance: 30m
- Price: Piece unique with pricing on request
Next up from Vacheron Constantin is the Les Cabinotiers Armillary Tourbillon Greek Mythology. Featuring a multi-axis tourbillon, the Les Cabinotiers Armillary Tourbillon Greek Mythology pays tribute to ancient Greek mythology in two beautiful models. The first is the Ode To Chronos. Encased in yellow gold, this piece pays tribute to Chronos and features beautiful and extensive hand engraving throughout.
The second is the Tribute To Infinite Time which has its white gold case engraved with the same pattern as the Pantheon completed by the taille de joue method. This piece boasts a blue PVD-coated dial, while the Ode To Chronos has a Clous de Paris engine-cut hobnail patterned dial. Both are piece uniques, and as you can probably already tell, if you have to ask the price…
