Last Week In Watches: Rolex Revives the Padellone, Hublot Goes Full Koons

Rolex Perpetual Padellone

 

 

Rolex rarely revives a reference this directly, let alone adopts affectionate nicknames that collectors give its watches. The Perpetual Padellone takes its name and broad calendar layout from the Ref. 8171, then replaces the old triple calendar with an instantaneous annual calendar requiring only one correction each year. The 39mm watches come in Everose gold or platinum, and the moonphase uses a blue enamel disc and meteorite moons. Powering this heavy hitter is the caliber 7190, which combines the Haplos calendar system with Rolex’s Dynapulse escapement.

 

Read more about the Rolex Perpetual Padellone here.

 

Tech Specs: Rolex Perpetual Padellone 

Ref M53505-0002 (Everose gold on leather strap); M53505-0003 (Everose gold on bracelet); M53506-0002 (platinum on leather strap)
Movement Self-winding Caliber 7190; 66-hour power reserve
Functions Hours, minutes and seconds; stop seconds; instantaneous complete annual calendar with Haplos system: moonphase indicator
Case 39mm × 12.2mm; 18K Everose gold or 950 platinum; water resistant to 50m
Dial Intense white or ice-blue, matte with grained finish; blue enamel moon disk with full and new moon in meteorite; applied Arabic numerals and hour markers in 18K pink or white gold
Strap Matte brown alligator leather with Dualclasp or Settimo bracelet with concealed folding Crownclasp (Everose gold models); matte black alligator leather with Dualclasp (platinum model)
Price CHF 52,500 (Everose gold on leather strap); CHF 64,800 (Everose gold on Settimo bracelet); CHF 59,000 (platinum on leather strap)

 

Blancpain Lady B

 

 

Speaking of revivals, Blancpain released the Lady B, a 19mm “mechanical bubble” marking 70 years since the original 1956 Ladybird Bullet, created under Betty Fiechter. The lugless, spherical case is available in either steel or red gold, and is worn on a chic double-tour strap. Inside is the tiny caliber 615 with 38 hours of power reserve, packed into a watch measuring just 2.9 cubic centimeters.

 

Read more about the Blancpain Lady B here.

 

Tech Specs: Blancpain Lady B

Movement Self-winding manufacture Caliber 615; 38-hour power reserve
Functions Hours and minutes
Case 19mm × 13.2mm; 2.9cm³ volume; polished stainless steel or 18K red gold; two-part construction with integrated strap passage; water resistant to 30m
Dial Opaline; applied polished gold hour markers
Strap Double-tour calf-leather with pin buckle; available in a range of colors
Price Upon request

 

Chopard Happy Diamonds Heritage

 

 

Chopard returns to the 1976 starting point of the Happy Diamonds for the collection’s 50^th birthday. Both Heritage models use cushion-shaped ethical yellow-gold cases, black onyx dials and free-moving diamonds trapped between sapphire crystals: 21 on the 34mm watch and nine on the 24mm version. The larger piece gets the hand-wound Chopard 10.01-C with 45 hours of power, while the smaller watch uses a Swiss quartz movement.

 

Read more about the Chopard Happy Diamonds Heritage here.

 

Tech Specs: Chopard Happy Diamonds Heritage 34mm

Movement Manual winding Chopard Caliber 10.01-C; 45-hour power reserve
Function Hours and minutes
Case 34mm × 8.53mm; 18K ethical yellow gold; water resistant to 30m
Dial Black onyx with 21 white diamonds
Strap Black alligator leather; 18K ethical yellow gold pin buckle
Price SGD 63,400 / USD 48,400

 

Tech Specs: Chopard Happy Diamonds Heritage 24mm

Movement Quartz movement
Function Hours and minutes
Case 24mm × 6.72mm; 18K ethical yellow gold; water resistant to 30m
Dial Black onyx with nine white diamonds
Strap Black alligator leather; 18K ethical yellow gold pin buckle
Price SGD 31,400 / USD 24,000

 

Hublot Classic Fusion Balloon Dog and MP-14 Origin by Jeff Koons

 

 

Hublot’s playful Jeff Koons watch goes straight for the artist’s most recognizable Balloon Dog creation. The 42mm Classic Fusion Balloon Dog comes in polished steel, red anodized aluminum or blue anodized aluminum, with its case puffed into domed, inflated-liked forms. Together with the balloon-valve crown, rubber tail at 10:30 and the Balloon Dog counterweight on the seconds hand, the concept is nailed to a T and impossible to miss. The automatic MHUB1710 supplies 50 hours of autonomy. Each color is limited to 200 pieces.

 

 

The 30-piece MP-14 Origin takes this collaboration with Jeff Koons into greater spectacle: Hublot’s first automatic central tourbillon is housed in a shimmering 44mm sapphire-and-titanium case that requires around 534 hours of machining. The 594-part HUB9014 uses a peripheral rotor and offers 60 hours of power, while diamond- and sapphire-set rings orbit a blue sapphire dome coated in translucent blue varnish, inspired by Koons’ Gazing Ball works.

 

Read more about the Hublot Classic Fusion Balloon Dog and MP-14 Origin by Jeff Koons here.

 

Tech Specs: Hublot Classic Fusion Balloon Dog

References 542.UR.8170.NR.JKN26 (red); 542.UB.5170.NR.JKN26 (blue); 542.SX.0820.NR.JKN26 (silver)
Movement HUB1710 self-winding calibre; 185 components; 27 jewels; 4Hz frequency; 50-hour power reserve; custom oscillating weight inspired by the rounded forms of the case
Case 42mm mirror-polished stainless steel, red anodised aluminium or blue anodised aluminium; domed sapphire crystal; balloon-inspired crown; decorative tail at 10.30; 50m water resistance
Dial Inflated metallic construction with domed indexes; balloon dog counterweight on the seconds hand; Jeff Koons signature at 6 o’clock
Strap Colour-matched rubber and metallic leather strap with deployant clasp
Price USD 25,100
Availability 200 pieces of each version

 

Tech Specs: Hublot MP-14 Origin by Jeff Koons

Reference 914.NJ.0100.JX.9941
Movement HUB9014 manufacture calibre; Hublot’s first automatic central tourbillon; 594 components; peripheral winding system; 3Hz frequency; 60-hour power reserve
Case 44mm octagonal sapphire and titanium case; integrated sapphire bracelet; 30m water resistance
Dial Polished sapphire crystal with two polished white-gold rings set with baguette diamonds and blue sapphires; stainless steel cube, with translucent red varnish for hour indicator; stainless steel cube for minute indicator; central tourbillon; translucent blue sapphire dome inspired by Koons’ Gazing Ball series
Price USD 488,000
Availability 30 pieces

 

Glashütte Original 70s

 

 

Glashütte Original has given the Seventies its first full revamp in 15 years, shortened its name to just “70s”, and cleaned up its proportions. The new television-shaped case measures 39mm square and 9.6mm thick, and comes with a neater integrated-bracelet with quick-change mechanisms. Three hexagrid dials carry analog names: silver “Stereo Panel”, brown “Tweed Amp” and the limited-edition black “Vinyl Record”. Caliber 36 provides 100 hours of reserve, with the Panorama Date exactly where it belongs.

 

Read more about the Glashütte Original 70s here.

 

Tech Specs: Glashütte Original 70s “Stereo Panel,” “Tweed Amp” and “Vinyl Record” Limited Edition

Movement Self-winding Caliber 36-11 (70s “Stereo Panel” and “Tweed Amp”) or Caliber 36-10 with black rhodium plating (70s “Vinyl Record” Limited Edition); 100-hour power reserve
Functions Hours, minutes, central seconds; Panorama date
Case 39mm × 39mm × 9.6mm; stainless steel; water resistant to 100m
Dial Silver, brown or black with Hexagrid embossed texture; solid gold applied hour markers with Super-LumiNova
Strap Integrated stainless steel bracelet or rubber, both equipped with a tool-free quick-change system; interchangeable butterfly clasp; on-the-fly bracelet adjustment (3mm per side)
Price USD 13,200 – USD 14,500 (70s “Stereo Panel” and “Tweed Amp”); USD 16,300 (70s “Vinyl Record” Limited Edition)

 

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Selfwinding Chronograph “Serena Williams” Limited Edition

 

 

Serena Williams has been an Audemars Piguet ambassador since 2014, and it’s about time that she had a Royal Oak bearing her name. The 38mm Selfwinding Chronograph pairs a white ceramic case and bracelet with a pink mother-of-pearl dial, tone-on-tone chronograph counters, 18-carat white gold hands and rhodium-toned 18-carat pink gold hour-markers. Powering it is AP’s new caliber 6401, a redesigned column-wheel chronograph movement with a vertical clutch system and 55 hours of power reserve.

 

Tech Specs: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Selfwinding Chronograph “Serena Williams” Limited Edition

Movement Self-winding manufacture Caliber 6401; 55-hour power reserve
Functions Hours, minutes, small seconds, instantaneous date and chronograph
Case 38mm × 11.1mm; white ceramic; sapphire crystal and display caseback; water resistant to 50m
Dial Pink mother-of-pearl; tone-on-tone chronograph counters; 18-carat white-gold hands and rhodium-toned 18-carat pink-gold hour markers
Bracelet Integrated white ceramic
Price CHF 70,000; limited to 500 pieces

 

IWC Ingenieur Automatic 40 50th Anniversary

 

 

IWC’s 50^th Anniversary Ingenieur Automatic 40 takes its cues from the original plain-dialled variant designed by Gérald Genta’s 1976 Ingenieur SL reference 1832. The grid dial gives way to a cleaner brushed silver-plated dial, while a tiny “50” is placed beneath the lightning bolt logo. The 40mm stainless steel watch also brings back a soft-iron inner case for magnetic protection, and is powered by the automatic caliber 32111 with 120 hours of autonomy. Production is limited to 1,150 pieces.

 

Tech Specs: IWC Ingenieur Automatic 40 50th Anniversary

Movement Self-winding manufacture Caliber 32111; 120-hour power reserve
Functions Hours, minutes, central hacking seconds and date
Case 40mm × 10.7mm; stainless steel; soft-iron inner case; screw-down crown; water resistant to 100m
Dial Brushed silver-plated; rhodium-plated hands and hour markers with Super-LumiNova; anniversary “50” emblem
Bracelet Integrated stainless steel
Price CHF 13,200; limited to 1,150 pieces

 

Girard-Perregaux × Atlassian Williams F1 Team

 

 

Girard-Perregaux’s first watches with the Atlassian Williams F1 Team are a pair of 42mm steel Laureatos, a time-only and a chronograph. Both watches use a blue-toned Clous de Paris dials inspired by the FW48 race car, with red accents, a discreet “W” at 12 and a Williams emblem on the sapphire caseback. The time-only model runs on the 54-hour GP01800, while the chronograph uses the 46-hour GP03300.

 

 

Tech Specs: Girard-Perregaux Laureato 42mm Williams Edition

Movement Self-winding manufacture Caliber GP01800; 54-hour power reserve
Functions Hours, minutes, central seconds and date
Case 42mm × 10.68mm; stainless steel; sapphire crystal and display caseback with metallised Williams emblem; water resistant to 100m
Dial Blue Clous de Paris; rhodium-plated hour markers with luminescent material; red-tipped seconds hand; Williams “W” at 12
Bracelet Integrated stainless steel with polished and satin-finished surfaces
Price USD 16,200

Tech Specs: Girard-Perregaux Laureato Chronograph 42mm Williams Edition

Movement Self-winding manufacture Caliber GP03300; 46-hour power reserve
Functions Hours, minutes, small seconds, date and chronograph
Case 42mm × 12.16mm; 904L stainless steel; sapphire crystal and display caseback with metallised Williams emblem; water resistant to 100m
Dial Blue Clous de Paris; three counters framed by rhodium-plated rings; red accents; Williams “W” at 12
Bracelet Integrated 904L stainless steel with polished and satin-finished surfaces
Price USD 20,900

 

Venezianico Redentore Levius

 

 

Venezianico closes the week with the Redentore Levius, a 38mm dress watch that treats lightness as the whole brief. The watch features a Grade 5 titanium case weighing just 48 grams without the strap, and is paired with the hand-wound V5000, designed and manufactured in Italy by OISA, with 60 hours of reserve. On the dial is a flowing Zefiro guilloché, cut by hand on an 1850 rose engine.

 

Read more about the Venezianico Redentore Levius here.

 

Tech Specs: Venezianico Redentore Levius

Movement Hand-wound Calibre V5000; 60-hour power reserve
Function Hours, minutes and seconds
Case 38mm × 8.9mm; 44.2mm lug-to-lug; brushed and polished Grade 5 titanium; polished titanium bezel; 12.9g case weight and 48g including strap; sapphire crystal; sapphire caseback; water resistant to 30m
Dial Fully engraved Zefiro guilloché; double-faceted alpha hands with polished and sandblasted finishes
Strap Italian-made leather strap; Grade 5 titanium buckle
Price EUR 4,750; first 100 pieces individually numbered