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After a week that saw NFL legend Patrick Mahomes join Swiss watchmaker Hublot, TAG Heuer turn production on its head, and Taylor Swift make the entire watch world jealous, we’re coming in hot. In this edition of The Wind Up, our regular series highlighting the newest watches of the past seven days, we’re shining a spotlight on the maisons and makers taking the industry in a bold new direction.
Alongside a suite of stunning new high-complication models from the world’s biggest and brightest watchmakers, a few surprise announcements landed this week. Vacheron Constantin unveiled two new variations of its acclaimed Overseas Perpetual, independent watchmaker Berneron dropped its highly anticipated Quantième Annuel, and MB&F released its latest LM101 EVO version. Enjoy the read, and have a fantastic week ahead.
MB&F LM101 EVO
- Brand: MB&F
- Model: LM101 EVO
- Diameter: 40mm
- Thickness: 16.50mm
- Material: Titanium
- Movement: Manufacture calibre
- Power Reserve: 60 hours
- Price: CHF62,000
Available with either a salmon or peacock green coloured dial, the new titanium-clad LM101 EVO is the latest and greatest from the MB&F maison. The timepiece is, as you might expect, intricately designed and expertly finished, provided a perfect example of the watchmaker’s core competenices. To put it simply, what we have with this new reference is a deeper dive into the EVO ethos of MB&F’s newer models.
As its “101” name suggests, the timepiece highlights the essentials of a mechanical watch: balance wheel, power reserve, and time display. The new EVO treatment features 80m water resistance, a screw-down crown, an integrated rubber strap, and MB&F’s patented FlexRing shock absorber for active use..
Robustness, better suited for everyday wear, and a propensity to handle life’s knocks better than prior models are all tenets of the new LM101 EVO. What you still get is an immense amount of watchmaking, absurd creativity and the undeniable charm of having something that is completely out of this world on your wrist.
Berneron Quantième Annuel
- Brand: Berneron
- Model: Quantième Annuel
- Reference: –
- Diameter: 38mm
- Thickness: 10mm
- Material: Platinum
- Movement: Calibre 595
- Power Reserve: 100 hours
- Price: CHF120,000 (Limited to 24 pieces each year per colour)
When Berneron first burst onto the scene with the incredible Mirage, the brainchild of Sylvain Berneron, the watch world took note. The smartly designed timepiece was expressive, adventurous and super creative, taking us on an exploration into the unknown. However, with the Quantième Annuel, the maison’s latest effort, we have the new brand pushing the absolute limits of a typical annual calendar.
Meaning “counter”, the Quantième collection is said to ebody the watchmaker’s desire to elevate the standards for complicated calendars and future complications. Looking at the unique layout and dial functionality, it’s fair to say that they achieved that. The Quantième Annuel has a regulator stylised dial with the display of each indicator primarily independently shown. Once you get your head around where everything is, the Quantième Annuel is super legible and highly intuitive, and that comes courtsy of the incredible movement.
The timepiece is powered by the brand’s calibre 595, which features a unique “cross architecture”, in the form of a double regulator (one for the time and the other for the calendar) consisting of 4 instantaneous jumping apertures, 2 swiping hands and 1 retrograde date. Movement finishing is second to none, of course. Oh, and we have steel bumpers to protect the platinum case, too. Stellar.
Greubel Forsey Nano Foudroyante EWT
- Brand: Greubel Forsey
- Model: Nano Foudroyante
- Diameter: 37.90mm
- Thickness: 10.49mm
- Case Material: White gold
- Movement: Manufacture calibre
- Power Reserve: 24 hours
- Water-Resistance: 30 metres
- Price: CHF465,000 (Limited to 22 pieces)
The Nano Foudroyante was released last year as the maison’s very first chronograph. Conceptual in nature, Greubel Forsey has now unveiled its production model variant (if you can even call a 22-piece limited run production).
Sleek and slimline by traditional standards, the Nano Foudroyante measures in at 37.9mm and sits just 10.49mm off the wrist. The white gold case comes fitted with a tantalum bezel and display caseback ring, and also features a constantly-running seconde foudroyante. This mini lightning seconds hand makes one revolution a second, jumping in six steps faster than the eye can follow. In a word, the movement is as epic as you can imagine from a watchmaker like Greubel Forsey. Costs a small fortune, too, mind you.
Initial reports have this stunning piece of haute horology priced at CHF 465,000, making it out of reach for even the most fervent of watch fans. Nevertheless, you can expect that all 22 of these remarkable timepieces will go quickly, with collectors lining up to get their hands on a piece of watchmaking history.
New Vacheron Constantin Overseas Perpetual Calendar Models
- Brand: Vacheron Constantin
- Model: Overseas Perpetual Calendar Ultra Thin
- Reference: Ref. 4300V/220R-H144 / Ref. 4300V/220G-H151
- Diameter: 41.5mm / 41.5mm
- Thickness: 8.1mm / 8.1mm
- Case Material: 18K 5N pink gold / 18K white gold
- Movement: Calibre 1120 QP/1 / Calibre 1120 QP/1 /
- Power Reserve: 40 hours / 40 hours
- Water-Resistance: 50 metres
Vacheron Constantin continues to win the year with two new amazing releases, adding to the already super popular Overseas Perpetual Calendar family of watches. The first is a white gold reference with a beautiful burgundy dial that embraces a unique sense of contrast. The second is a pink gold model with a matching pink gold dial, which feels entirely befitting of the lustre of the model.
On the latter, Vacerhon Constantin has made the delighful design decision to encircle the dial with a minutes track marked in blue. The subtle punctuation of contrast plays beautifully against the tone-on-tone aesthetic of the case, bracelet, sunburst satin-finished dial and matching pink gold moon-phase display. Inside each of the new pieces, you’ll find the manufacture calibre 1120 QP/1 ultra-thin self-winding movement, which incorporates a perpetual calendar and moon-phase display.
Better yet, you can see it in action. The Overseas model’s transparent sapphire caseback shows the 22K gold oscillating weight, complete with a compass rose symbolising the collection’s spirit of travel and exploration. The Ultra Thin models measure 41.5mm in diameter and are just 8.1mm thick, certainly living up to their name. Both models showcase Vacheron’s disposition to explore already very established and popular models. Fantastic stuff.
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