Cut For Time
Cut For Time: New Watches, Boutique Openings, And Philanthropy Dominate The Watch News This Week
This week saw a selection of new watch releases, boutique openings, and a sporty philanthropic event that shows that the watch industry never sleeps.
By Watchonista
Grand Seiko Opens Two New Boutiques In The U.S.
Grand Seiko recently announced the opening of two new boutiques in the United States. The new boutiques, one in New York City and one in Miami’s Design District, are meant to serve the rising demand of American consumers, to raise awareness about the brand, and to share the art of Japanese craftsmanship.
“We are extremely excited to be expanding our footprint in the US to allow consumers the opportunity to experience our brand with multiple locations,” shared Grand Seiko Corporation of America President Brice Le Troadec. “Sharing Grand Seiko’s appreciation for inspired artistic design and luxury, New York City and Miami were a natural choice when considering where to open our Grand Seiko boutiques.”
Hautlence Unveils Its Brand-New HL Sphere 02
Hautlence presents its new HL Sphere 02 with an innovative jumping hour indication that spins on a blue sphere. The sphere features 12 engraved numerals and rotates on three axes to display the current hour. To the naked eye, the hour sphere seems completely random. But actually, it follows a strict pattern of moves that are dictated by a conical differential.
On the right side of the dial is a retrograde minute display with a 180-degree curve that surrounds an opening onto a brand-new manual movement, the Caliber HLT 501-1, creating a harmonious design.
The timepiece comes in a white gold case that adopts the brand’s signature TV-screen case shape from its very first collection in 2004. This 28-piece limited collection goes right back to the roots of the brand while also offering something totally fresh and innovative.
IWC And The World Cancer Day Solidarity Challenge
Last week, IWC announced its support for the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) and a special event called the World Cancer Day Solidarity Challenge. This new sports initiative will take place on February 4th – World Cancer Day – with cyclists from all over the world taking part in online bike rides to raise money and awareness for the global fight against cancer.
IWC will be the official timekeeper, tracking cyclists’ times via the online cycling platform ZWIFT. Additionally, IWC ambassador and two-time Olympic and four-time world champion cyclist Fabian Cancellara will be taking part. Cancellara will also be on hand to provide pre-event training tips via video, along with the Swiss Racing Academy (SRA).
“IWC has always recognized and valued the role we play in community sustainability,” shared IWC CMO Franziska Gsell. “Whenever we have the opportunity to support good causes, we do. To channel our passion for time, our commitment to charity and our enthusiasm for cycling into one event is fantastic. Assisted by the next generation of cyclists at the SRA, our brand ambassadors, and valued clients and employees, we are looking forward to teaming up in the fight against cancer.”
Pierre DeRoche TNT Royal Retro 43 Diablo
Pierre DeRoche’s TNT Royal Retro timepiece with its six retrograde seconds hands has captivated watch lovers for over a decade. In celebration of this unique wristwatch, Pierre DeRoche is now presenting a new limited-edition version called the TNT Royal Retro 43 Diablo.
The timepiece comes in a 43mm steel and titanium case with a bezel made from itr2, a hypoallergenic composite based on carbon nanoparticles. Amazingly, itr2 is six times lighter than steel and four times lighter than titanium.
The TNT Royal Retro 43 Diablo is powered by an exclusive automatic movement made by Dubois Dépraz and features DLC-coated black bridges that contrast a 5N gilded gear train and sporty red hands. The timepiece is limited to 101 pieces and comes on a textured leather strap with red stitching.
Ressence Type 3X Makes Us More Conscious Of Time
Ressence rethinks the perception of time with its new Type 3X, the third piece in its 10th-anniversary collection X. This third timepiece was designed by renowned Austrian-born/New-York-based graphic designer Stefan Sagmeister, who is also a client of the brand. Sagmeister has worked for clients as diverse as the Rolling Stones, HBO, and the Guggenheim Museum and won countless international design awards.
For the Type 3X, Sagmeister has created a new date ring composed of 280 lines – 140 in orange and 140 in blue – creating alternating blue days and then orange days. One of the 140 lines has an inversed color, which indicates the day of the month and rotates around the dial in 30 days. Meaning, if the inverted mark is positioned at a quarter past the hour, then 25% of the month has passed. The idea is to make the wearer think about the bigger picture, rather than one day at a time.
The timepiece comes in a 44mm grade 5 titanium case and features the brand’s famous sealed chamber filled with oil. There are four watches to choose from, each of which is limited to 40 pieces.
Zenith’s Chronomaster Revival A385
Zenith announced the Chronomaster Revival A385 – a faithful reproduction of one of the three original El Primero models from 1969 – for a new generation of watch lovers to enjoy. The A385 first made history in 1970 when it took part in Zenith’s “Operation Sky,” an extreme test that saw the watch strapped to an Air France Boeing 707’s landing gear on a flight from Paris to New York. The mission was to test its resistance to drastic temperature changes, wind force, and fluctuating air pressure. The watch passed with flying colors.
Today the A385 is back, and this new model was made using the same blueprints and production plans as the original model. The timepiece comes in a 37mm, tonneau-shaped stainless steel case that includes the same pump-style plushers as the original. It is powered by the brand’s famous El Primero 400 chronograph movement and comes with a gradient brown dial. The only differences are a sapphire crystal (instead of acrylic glass) and an open caseback. It comes on a choice of a steel “ladder” bracelet or a light brown calfskin leather strap.
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