What's In A Name?

Or why you should never make +$69 million dollar decisions based on romantic inclinations.

"Trouble 

(oh, we got trouble)
Right here in Grenchen City 

(right here in Grenchen City)
With a capital 'T' and that rhymes with '(U)G' and that stands for Sleeping Beauty... "

The Music Man

By now you've heard the news from virtually every other outlet on the face of the earth lauding Breitling's (and by Breitling, let's be honest, we mean Partners Group) purchase. The theory being that a "Tiger Team" of super-sexy watch town true believers will be charged with running both brands on a parallel basis. 

While it has been a minute, I was immediately returned to those "thrilling days of yesteryear" when the team in Grenchen brought us the "Breitling Select" and "Squad Points" system which enabled you to attempt to buy (or maybe just lease) a used Breitling "Renta-Center" style!

So what does a squibbed rent to own program have to do with this new "magic beans" / white elephant purchase? 

I'm glad you asked!

Apart from the fact that it has day-dreaming watch enthusiasts becoming emotionally engorged, it also opens up a whole slew of other questions about just what +$69 million dollars has bought. Let's be very, very honest - the big innovations that shaped UG are more than a few BaselWorlds past us now. And to the best of this intrepid journalist's knowledge, the purchase price did not include any facilities, significant product stock, or anything else beyond historical documentation, plans (now somewhat dated), and a name and the right to use it. This is obviously a supposition, but one that is based in the reality of shuttered (or semi-shuttered) brands trying to relaunch. 

So we will need to see what shakes out, but given enough time and money (yikes!), perhaps these magic beans will sprout a beanstalk...

The Baroncelli Chronograph Moonphase

So there I was, minding my own business, and I stumbled upon this -

Courtesy of Mido

This is what Mido is offering as a chronograph in their Baroncelli range, and it is a visceral sucker-punch.

I love a moon phase chronograph in and of itself but the wonderful interplay of color is really what hits all of my buttons. 

It is priced fairly at $2,870.

Here are the pertinents -

Case and Crystal:

• Case shape

  Round

• Case length 

  42.00 mm

• Width 

  42.00 mm

• Thickness 

  13.3 mm

• Lug width (mm)

  22.00

• Case Material

  Stainless steel

• Crystal

  Sapphire crystal with double sided anti-reflection treatment

• Case options

  See-through case back

Movement:

• Functions

  Day, Month, Chronograph, Date Hand, Moon Phase, 24 Hours, Small Second

• Power reserve

  Power reserve up to 60 hours

• Movement

  Mido Automatic ETA

Something Interesting Is Coming...

From Chicago -

Courtesy of Cornell Watch Company

This one might be just under the radar, but I suspect that is about to change in the new year.

May I introduce you to the 1870 CE, from the Cornell Watch Company.

The Cornell Watch Company does not have a ton of information on its website, but just enough to whet the appetite for what is meant to be coming in 2024! And while there is more to the (hi)story of the brand, we're going to save that for another time. This new offering is plenty to keep us occupied for the time being.

Courtesy of Cornell Watch Company

The dial is enamel (Grand Feu), and the hands are blued.

The case measures 39 mm, and is of stainless steel -

Courtesy of Cornell Watch Company

The movement hails from La Chaux-de-Fonds (or nearby, anyway) produced by Schwarz Etienne.

The strap is from the Twin City atelier of Velle Alexander.

Courtesy of Cornell Watch Company

Now although based in Chicago, the Cornell Watch Company has turned to perhaps the most important man in US watch making - Roland Murphy of RGM in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

I will be reaching out to the folks at Cornell to see if they can share more details with us.

Stay tuned!

Less Than A Week To Preorder!

We're coming down to the wire, with seven days left to preorder the Oberlin Watch Company's (Underground) Railroad Watch - the 1858.

Here is a quick rundown -

The preorder deposit is $58 US dollars and is non-refundable. The total price for those who do preorder will be $285 US. The watches are projected to ship in April. Keep in mind, that is a projection, not a guaranteed delivery date.

Once the preorder period is over, the price will be $385. The preorder will run until December 15.

Artistic Interpretation courtesy of D.N. Mason

The specifics:

The 1858 is a hand-winding watch. It is stainless steel, with a solid case back to allow for personalized engraving. The movement is made by Seagull, a Chinese manufacturer. The movement is the ST-3600, which is a clone of the ETA 6497.

The watches will be assembled and tested in the United States. The strap that the watches will ship with will be black. The blue strap in the image is strictly for rendering purposes.

The initial production will be for a minimum of 25 pieces with the potential for a larger series, up to 100 pieces. This will be dependent upon the number of preorders received.

Specs:

Case - stainless steel, 40 mm in diameter, solid case back

Movement - Seagull ST-3600

Strap - black leather with stainless steel folding clasp

Warranty - 1 year

Artistic Interpretation courtesy of D.N. Mason

You can preorder here -

https://oberlinwatch.com/products/1858-preorder-deposit

The BR 01 CYBER SKULL SAPPHIRE ICE BLUE

From Bell & Ross -

Courtesy of Bell & Ross

This is a 25 piece limited edition from the Paris based brand.

The case is of sapphire (not the precious stone) and measures 45 mm in diameter, and and 43.5 mm in length.

The movement is hand winding, listed as Calibre BR-CAL.209

Courtesy of Bell & Ross

Here are the pertinents, straight from Bell & Ross -

• MOVEMENT

  Calibre BR-CAL.209. Manufacture. Hand-wound mechanical . Skeletonised, rhodium-plated main plate and bridges. 21 jewels. 28,800 vph. Incabloc shock protection system. 48-hour power reserve.

• FUNCTIONS

  Hours and minutes. Moving skull when wound by hand.

• CASE

  Length 43.50 mm, width 45 mm. Sapphire. Faceted polished steel crown. Sapphire case back.

• DIAL

  Skeletonised faceted sapphire. Blue anodized steel skull. Balance at 12 o'clock.

• CRYSTAL

  Sapphire with anti-reflective coating.

• WATER-RESISTANCE

  30 metres.

• STRAP

  Transparent silicone.

• BUCKLE

  Pin. Satin-polished steel.

The SB06-12 And SB06-24

I am not often in a position where I can say that I didn't see something coming when it comes to watches. With that said, I am thrilled to share Armand Billard's two new time machines, the SB06-12 And SB06-24. These two pieces are the latest offerings from perhaps one of the most dynamic brands out there - Sartory Billard.

I have known Armand Billard for a little while, and I continue to be impressed by his dedication and commitment to his brand. What started as a little project to make a watch to commemorate his and his co-founder's 40th birthday, he has grown, evolved, and in the process challenged the ideas of how and where luxury watches come from. He has truly moved forward from being merely a designer to one of the most talked about independent watchmakers out there.

Courtesy of Sartory Billard

This latest evolution involves a flying tourbillon. Actually 2 different flying tourbillons, one is a 24 hour version (above).

The other is a 12 hour adaptation (below) -

Courtesy of Sartory Billard

As with all things Sartory Billard, this just the starting point. The cases (which are sourced from Voutilainen & Cattin) can be had in a variety of luxurious versions including: platinum, gold, tantalum, steel, and titanium.

The movement for both models is noted as the SBT01, exclusive to Sartory Billard.

Here are the pertinents, straight from Sartory Billard -

Technical Specifications

Movement:

SBT01 in-house movement, featuring 96-hour power reserve (4 days), 3Hz frequency, 19 jewels, and 209 components. The total diameter of the movement is 32.6mm 

Case:

41mm in diameter, 47mm lug-to-lug, and 9.5mm in height (metal). Double domed sapphire for the front and back with anti reflective treatment. Lug Width: 21mm. Water Resistance: Up to 50 meters. Material Options: case is available in Steel, Titanium, Gold, Platinum and Tantalum 

Pricing and availability: 

SB06-12 : 88.000€ excl VAT titanium or steel SB06-24 : 96.000€ excl VAT titanium/ steel / gold / platinum Limited to 24 units of SB06-12 or SB06-24 a year. Delivery from 6 months, subject to adaptation according to the bespoke requests for the watch.

The Red X Blue and Red X Gray

Two new sets from Hanhart -

Courtesy of Hanhart

The Red X Blue and Red X Grey sets are the latest offerings from Hanhart. Each set includes a wrist borne chronograph, a stop watch, and a mounting stand that can also be used as a tabletop stand.

Courtesy of Hanhart

Courtesy of Hanhart

It is also available in a gray color way -

Courtesy of Hanhart

Courtesy of Hanhart

Courtesy of Hanhart

Here are the pertinents -

Wrist Watch -

CASE
DIMENSIONS
Diameter 39 mm
Height 14.50 mm
Horn to horn: 46.00 mm
Symmetrical pusher distance
Red pusher made of HyCeram

MATERIAL
Stainless steel, satin/polished

BEZEL
Fluted bezel with red marking

CRYSTAL
Sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating on one side

CASE BASE
Screwed back, anti-reflective sapphire crystal on the inside
Limitation number XXX/140

WATER RESISTANCE
Water resistant up to 10 bar/10 ATM

DIAL
Blue or anthracite with historical logo

MARKERS
Super-LumiNova® SLN BGW9 coated

HANDS
Super-LumiNova® SLN BGW9 coated

MOVEMENT
Sellita AMT 5100 MB
28,800 A/h, 4 Hz, 23 stones

POWER RESERVE
Power reserve: 58 hours when fully wound

FUNCTIONS
Small seconds
30-minute counter
Bi-compax chronograph with central stop seconds

BRACELET
Cowhide leather in blue or gray velour look.
With red cross stitching on the lugs.
Optionally with steel strap

BUCKLE
Stainless steel pin buckle

CROWN
Crown with historical “h”

Courtesy of Hanhart

Each set is limited to 140 pieces. 

For more info, visit Hanhart -

Red X Blue and Red X Gray

The Edition 98

From Laco -

Courtesy of Laco

This is the latest offering in a series of limited editions that are building towards the brand's 100th anniversary in 2025. 

Courtesy of Laco

This one is limited to... you guessed it - 98 pieces!

Courtesy of Laco

This is a bi-compax chronograph with a twist - an intense and well utilized application of lume that lights up the night.

Courtesy of Laco

Here are the pertinents, straight from Laco -

Case:
Stainless steel, polished / sandblasted, Ø 43 mm, height 14 mm, lug width 22 mm, water resistant up to 10 ATM, double curved sapphire crystal, antireflective coating on the inside, crown with “98” relief, limited edition number engraved on the caseback.

Movement:
Automatic movement Laco 510, basic movement: Sellita SW510BH b (Elaboré) decorated, hour, minute and small second, stop second, 30 min. counter, minute and hour counter, up to 62 hours power reserve with full winding, 27 jewels, stop-second function

Dial:
Black matte, arabic figures and indexes coated with luminous material Superluminova C3, design according navigator watch type A, two totalizers at 3 and 9 o’clock completely with Superluminova C3

Hands:
Hour and minute hand thermally blued, hour, minute, second with Superluminova C3, small hands at 3 and 9 o’clock also thermally blued

Strap:
Black calf leather strap with light stitching, 2 rivets per strap side, 22 mm strap width, buckle with Laco logo

Weight:
Approx. 105 g

Packaging:
Black gift box with matching cardboard box, including limited pin and certificate of authenticity.