Another week down, another instalment of our weekly series focusing on all the happenings in the world of watches, the Wind Up. In this week’s article we have pieces from the likes of Girard-Perregaux, Raymond Weil, Grand Seiko and Timex, just to name a few. So, as always guys, sit back and enjoy!
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Blancpain Villeret Quantiéme Perpétuel 6656
Made in platinum and available exclusively at any one of its 30-plus boutiques, the Villeret Quantiéme Perpétuel 6656 is Blancpain’s latest triumph. Limited to 88-pieces and costing $66,400USD (or about $92,700AUD), the Villeret Quantiéme Perpétuel 6656 measures 40mm across and 10.7mm in depth. It’s a superb machine, with a very typical perpetual calendar dial display. The moonphase indicator is a delight, the skeletonised leaf-shaped hands are stunning and I love the addition of a sweeping seconds hand is like the proverbial cherry on top. The Villeret Quantiéme Perpétuel 6656 is powered by Blancpain’s in-house (yep, a manufactured perpetual calendar movement!) 5954 automatic movement, featuring a solid gold rotor and a silicon hairspring. Just fantastic.
Casio MT-G 20th Anniversary B1000RB
Treated to a lovely rainbow finish to its stainless-steel case, the MT-G 20th Anniversary B1000RB is one of the most striking and fun-loving variations of the much beloved G-Shock. Measuring a hefty 55.80mm in diameter and 14.40mm in thickness, the rainbow-ionized stainless-steel case is a very playful, very moving affair. The dial carries over this lighthearted colour theme, and the black dial serves as the perfect backdrop. Water-resistant to 200m and slapped on your wrist securely with a rubber strap, the MT-G 20th Anniversary B1000RB is an adventurous, albeit expensive bit of kit. Cool stuff.
Raymond Weil Freelancer RW1212
Raymond Weil introduced two new additions to their ever-expanding Freelancer collection. Versatile, wearable and functional, the Freelancer RW1212 is now available with either a Galvanic Blue dial for $2,995AUD, or with a Titanium PVD dial with a Clous de Paris pattern for $3,495AUD. Pictured above is the Titanium version which is really quite impressive. The play between the brushed dial and the Clous de Paris dial is interesting, and the whole darkened theme really extenuates the brilliant exposed balance wheel at 6 o’clock. Not to be confused with a tourbillon, the exposed balance wheel is a great indication of Raymond Weil pushing the envelope and creating timepieces with a more mechanical feel. The blue model is cool, but the darker model is the real winner here.
Girard-Perregaux Laureato Skeleton Earth to Sky Edition
You all must have of heard of the saying, giving credit where credit’s due, right? Well in the case of Girard-Perregaux’s Laureato, I really believe that that saying rings true. The Laureato Skeleton Earth to Sky Edition is the latest addition to this incredible collection. Girard-Perregaux describes the Laureato Skeleton Earth to Sky Edition as being “an alliance of the inscrutable balance of the cosmos and the blueness of Earth, of ceramic with the sensuousness of a skeleton movement, conceived like a sculpture to form a whole that is resolutely contemporary, masculine, assertive and distinctive”. And this certainly is apparent through the piece. The differentiation between blues and blacks is really quite special, and the attention to detail and levels of finishing throughout the watch is just sublime. Many people ride the Laureato-copying-the-Royal-Oak-wave without really understanding its history, its lineage or its true nature. So, before you pass judgement, give it a chance. And who knows, maybe you’ll find yourself waltzing on into a boutique and putting down a deposit for the Laureato Skeleton Earth to Sky Edition.
Grand Seiko Spring Drive Nissan GT-R Anniversary Limited Edition SBGC229
Created to celebrate the long-standing partnership between Grand Seiko and Nissan, the Grand Seiko Spring Drive Nissan GT-R Anniversary Limited Edition SBGC229 was released to commemorate their own respective anniversaries. Created in collaboration with Nissan, there’s a distinct motoring look and feel to the Grand Seiko Spring Drive Nissan GT-R Anniversary Limited Edition SBGC229. The dial is crisp and sharp, the case is quite large at 46.40mm in diameter and 16.20mm in thickness, and as a whole this is a watch that is going to appeal for GTR fanboys, mostly. Pricing is also quite high, and at €21,600 (or about $34,000AUD), it definitely looks like the target market are current GTR owners or enthusiasts with super deep pockets. Oh well, we can admire from afar I guess!
Timex American Documents
To celebrate their 165th birthday, Timex has released their brand-new American Documents timepiece. The American Documents combines American-assembled watch design with Swiss Quartz movements to create a package that brings together “the best of both worlds”. The dial is very typical of that of a classical watch. Small-seconds register at 6 o’clock. Sword-shaped hour and minute hands in the central stack. A small date window at 3 o’clock. Stock-standard, verging on no-frills. But this is a cool watch nevertheless. The marriage of this clean aesthetic with the reliability of a Swiss-made Quartz movement works well in the favour of the American Documents. Quietly enjoyable.
If you enjoyed The Wind Up and would like to continue reading about watches, you can head on over to my blog, Haulogerie, where I delve a bit deeper into the wonderful world of watches.
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