Something New from Isotope Watches - the Isotope GMT 0º

This is the latest offering from the folks at Isotope. It is currently on a pre-order status. There will be six (6) versions of  the Isotope GMT 0º in total, two (2) of which will be limited editions.

Let's start out with the stars of the show, the two limited editions -

Courtesy of Isotope

This time machine will be limited to 49 pieces.

Courtesy of Isotope

Like it's ruby-red sibling, this one is also limited to 49 pieces total.

And if that wasn't enough, Isotope will be offering several non-limited versions, including:

Courtesy of Isotope

White

Courtesy of Isotope

Blue

Courtesy of Isotope

Olive Green (non-limited)

Courtesy of Isotope

And not-so-basic black.

The dial in and of itself is a departure from traditional GMT/dual time zone watches that typically depend on an independent hand to indicate the different timezone.  

Courtesy of Isotope

The GMT indicator is positioned in a small window under the 12 o'clock position.  The date is indicated by a traveling red dot.

Courtesy of Isotope

My understanding is that the list price will be $973.59 USD, with attractive discounts for those who opt to pre-order.

Here are the pertinents -

Technical Specifications

• Brushed case, 316L stainless steel/Black Diamond-like Carbon
• Case diameter 41.5mm x 39.5mm (44.7mm with lugs)
• Height 14.2mm
• Exhibition screwed case back with the world’s major cities time-zone
• Anti-reflective domed crystal sapphire
• Single Screw-down crown at 3 o’clock
• Hands applied with Super-LumiNova®
• 24mm strap tapered to 22mm 
• Matching Buckle
• Water-resistance 200m / 20 atm / 656 ft

Swiss made customised Swisstech S24-45 (3 years warranty):

• Automatic, self-winding
• Power reserve 40 hours
• 28 Jewels, 28800A/h
• Accuracy -12/+12 s/day
• Customised finishing, date and rotor

In the Box:

• Your numbered GMT 0º
• A specific Cordura strap with a high-end buckle
  
• Extra leather strap
• Exclusive Isotope tool
  
• Limited Warranty Card (36 Months)
  
• Note: Limited Edition Boxes might have different content.

Sticky Fingers and a President's Gift

Watches, even historically significant ones, are stolen every day.

Courtesy of the Metropolitan Police

But then again, it's not every day that a gift from a US President to the naval officer of a foreign (albeit friendly) nation gets lifted from an antique store.

Courtesy of the Metropolitan Police

The watch in question was presented to Charles Lawrenson, the Master of The Nubian by US President Woodrow Wilson.  Mr. Lawrenson originally hailed from Liverpool.  

Now as to why?  Why would the President of the United States present a solid gold Waltham pocket watch to an officer on a British flagged steam ship?

Well on March 7, 1914 the SV Julia A. Trubee, an American flagged schooner apparently ran into difficulty and Master Lawrenson and his crew rescued the crew.  If I read the logs and records that I could find correctly, the Julia A. Trubee was lost, but thanks to the actions of Lawrenson and the Nubian, the crew was saved.

Courtesy of the Metropolitan Police

Back to present day, the watch was in an antiques dealer in Islington, north London.  From the reporting, it is clear that the thief was not your Thomas Crown level criminal mastermind.  The thief came in, attempted to purchase a vase, the credit card was declined, and while the cashier was returning the vase, the thief somehow got into the display case holding the watch and was away.

With the Met involved, I suspect that one will not be so easy to shift, unless the thief (or whoever retained his services) was specifically seeking this watch for themselves.

A New Watch, and a Lack of Common Sense

On the one hand, Hublot launched a new watch last night -

Courtesy of Hublot

On the other hand, they made the really not-so-wise choice to have... a party to launch it.

You know, with a DJ - so I assume, dancing, in fairly close quarters, drinks.  I've been to enough of these to know that these are typically in enclosed spaces with not a lot of personal space.

Folks, the shit is real.  Stop listening to your egos, and start showing the basic, common sense that most of us would like to hope you were born with.

Here's the release, in its entirety -

HUBLOT CELEBRATES ITS SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP WITH ONE OF THE WORLD’S MOST EXCITING CITIES WITH THE CLASSIC FUSION SPECIAL EDITION ‘LONDON’

London, March 10th – Hublot is delighted to announce the Hublot Classic Fusion Special Edition ‘London’, a limited edition watch celebrating the Swiss watch company’s ongoing love affair with the vibrant, colourful city of London.

The watch was launched last night at a star-studded event held at The Gherkin. The evening was hosted by Omar Choudhary, Hublot Brand Director UK, and attended by Hublot Friend of the Brand Chris Froggatt. Hublot also welcomed football coach and former professional football player Patrice Evra. Guests enjoyed a set by DJ Matt and mingled over canapés and cocktails.

The Hublot Classic Fusion Special Edition ‘London’ is a statement piece, designed to capture something of London’s fast-paced, high-achieving spirit. Its polished and satin-finished black ceramic bezel and micro-blasted, sunray-finished racing grey dial are engraved with a Union Jack motif, a patriotic touch that radiates both classic British understatement and the capital’s cool confidence. The watch’s 10 signature ‘H’ screws set into the bezel and case are cast in contrasting polished titanium.

The 45mm black ceramic case houses Hublot’s MHUB1112 automatic movement, which provides the watch with time and date functions and a 42-hour power reserve. A flash of red at the tip of the central seconds hand gives the watch’s monochromatic palette a sporty twist. The sapphire crystal case back is decorated with ‘Hublot Loves London’. The finishing touch is a black rubber strap with a velvet touch representing a playful City of London tartan theme (as listed on The Scottish Register of Tartans), and is water-resistant to 50 meters.

‘‘The Hublot Classic Fusion Special Edition ‘London’ is the product of Hublot’s passion for this ever- evolving world city,’ said Mr Choudhary. ‘It’s a symbol of the special relationship between us and the values of quality, excellence and style Hublot and London share. Our loyal local clients have been asking for a watch that brings the invention and creativity of Hublot’s fusion watchmaking philosophy to bear on a London-themed piece, and we know both they and our international visitors who love coming here will enjoy the spirit behind it, too. Hublot loves London!’

The watch is limited to 50 pieces, each engraved with the limited edition number, and will only be available from Hublot’s New Bond Street and Harrods boutiques.

REFERENCE
511.CM.7070.RX.BHL20 Limited to 50 pieces

DIAL
Sunray finished racing grey dialEngraved “Union Flag” Micro-blasted silver decals

CASE
Satin-finished and polished black Ceramic
Diameter: 45mm
Thickness: 10.95mm
Water resistance: 5 ATM (50m)

MOVEMENT
MHUB1112 Self-winding movement
Frequency: 4Hz (28’800 A/h) Power reserve: 42 hours
No. of Components: 63 Jewels: 21

CASE-BACK
Polished black Ceramic Engraved “SPECIAL EDITION” XX/50

STRAP & BUCKLE
Black Rubber with black tartan
Black-plated stainless Steel deployant buckle clasp

BEZEL
Satin-finished black Ceramic Engraved “Union Flag”

PRICE (10th of March 2020) 10’900 CHF
11’300 EUR 11’500 USD 9'500 GBP

Bremont and BaselWorld

Will not be spoken in the same sentence this year, unless the sentence is:
"Bremont will not be participating in this year's BaselWorld".

Word came down today that Bremont has elected to skip BaselWorld and instead will be setting up in a townhouse inn London during the week of February 27th.  The argument being that as sales are up in the UK, the Palace is closing this year (although I suspect that there is a brand that might be "pitching a tent" in the same location), and BaselWorld is freakishly expensive (no argument here) that they needed to spend the money elsewhere.

Now the argument that they want brands to "discover the new collection in London" is, sorry, bullshit.  Unless they are going to airfreight retail partners, the press and others then I don't see it happening on quite the same level.

But what this really underscores, Bremont bravado notwithstanding, is that reality is starting to sink in.

We shall wait, and we shall see.

Green Boots

I discovered these guys in Monocle.  This is Green Boots, the London model.  I believe that they are based in Leira, Portugal.

Courtesy of Green Boots

Suede, the sole is constructed of recycled tires!

A Few Minutes with Peter Roberts

Real talent is a truly rare thing. It is not something that just happens. It takes that initial spark, added to a devotion to learn, improve and grow.  Throw in decades of study, and teaching future watch makers...

like I said, it doesn't just "happen".

This BaselWorld marked the arrival of the Grand Complication 5 from Peter Roberts, and he was kind enough to spare me some time to talk about it, and a bit about himself as well.

And now, a few minutes with Peter Roberts -

BREMONT’S MAYFAIR BOUTIQUE

This is exciting!  In a world of "cookie cutter" watch boutiques, it is always great to see something original!

Courtesy of Bremont

Bremont's new store is open for business!  Here's the info, straight from Mayfair -

Bremont is delighted to announce the opening of its first stand-alone store which will be located on South Audley Street, Mayfair. Joining an impressive line-up of high-end brands that include Purdey and Marc Jacobs, the boutique will showcase the Bremont collections as well as encompassing the heritage of the brand.

Courtesy of Bremont

Following the successful launch of the brand co-founded by brothers Nick and Giles English in 2007, it has gone from strength to strength winning several awards such as the Retail Watch Brand of the Year in 2011 as well as Watch Pro’s Luxury Watch and the People’s Choice Award in the watch category at the Couture Watch & Jewellery Show in Las Vegas in 2012.

Courtesy of Bremont

Bremont has seen significant growth across the UK, US and Asian markets and is stocked in over 40 of the best retailers worldwide. It now celebrates the launch of its flagship boutique in London’s Mayfair, occupying two levels it will have a club-like atmosphere with its very own bar.

Giles English, Co-Founder of Bremont: “As a British company we felt we needed a show-case to promote ourselves to visitors from all around the world. The boutique will be more than a traditional watch store. There will be an explorers club based from there, a considerable watch library and it will also be the only place in the world to see unique items like the Bremont B-1 Marine Clock. It is never an easy decision to launch your own boutique, but when we were approached by Grosvenor regarding the location there was no hesitation. We felt it was perfect for our brand.”

www.bremont.com

CHRISTOPHER WARD: Launch C70 Monte-Carlo

Courtesy of Christoper Ward

C70 Monte-Carlo

Christopher Ward’s new C70 Monte-Carlo has been created to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Monte-Carlo Rally. The limited edition watch, available to pre-order for the end of June, reflects the danger and glamour of the race as well as the technical precision needed to emerge victorious.

www.christopherward.co.uk

Peter Speake-Marin to exhibit in Paris and London

This just in from Peter Speake-Marin - he will be exhibiting in Paris and London

Paris -Belles Montres at the Carrousel du Louvre in central Paris 26-28 November
http://www.bellesmontres.fr

He will also be in London for an informal get-together in Mayfair, London on the 3rd of December.

If you are interested in seeing the new Marin 2 Thalassa and are in either neighborhood at the time please contact him for more details.

68@speake-marin.com




Speake-Marin SA
Rolle, Switzerland
www.speake-marin.com