Passionate about aviation since its creation, the watches by Bell & Ross have always drawn inspiration from the design and technology of on-board flight instruments. Their design very often matches specifications created by professional users. The new BR V2-93 GMT 24H displays the time in three time zones. It is considered an indispensable tool for air pilots and the ideal companion for globetrotters.

Breguet – Reine de Naples 8908

As well as having royal connections, the Reine de Naples can trace its origin back to the first oval wristwatch, which was perhaps the very first wristwatch of any shape. On 8 June 1810, according to the special order book kept by Abraham-Louis Breguet (now housed in the Breguet company archives), Caroline Murat, Queen of Naples, ordered “a repeater watch [a quarter repeater, in fact] of oblong shape, for a bracelet”. The timepiece was completed on 21 December 1812, and allocated the number 2639. In 2002, almost 200 years later, Breguet introduced its Reine de Naples line. The model 8908, launched at this year’s Baselworld, is a variation on the first watch in this collection, which itself was inspired by the 1812 watch. It features the moon phase indicator and power reserve at 12 o’clock, the off-centre hours register in the lower half of the ovoid dial, and the small seconds at 7 o’clock. The 18K rose gold case, which measures 36.50 x 28.45 mm, is complemented by a Tahitian mother-of-pearl dial. Inside beats the self-winding mechanical calibre 537, with escape wheel, Swiss pallet and silicon balance spring. It’s a history of luxury watchmaking in miniature – yours for 35'200 Swiss francs for the satin strap version (see the picture below) or 60'300 Swiss francs for the gold strap version.

The Admiral Legend 42 Bamford at Nous...

Widely recognised as a global market leader in the customisation of exceptional timepieces, Bamford (Bamford Watch Department, BWD) has partnered for the first time with Corum to create a completely unique Admiral watch. Stealthy and modern, this piece combines the Bamford hallmark blue and grey to produce a pure, timeless, limited edition watch. This timepiece retains all the attributes of an Admiral watch (12 faceted bezel, large skeleton hands, natural rubber sports strap) but this time, it is presented as a collector’s edition “co-branded”, the first in the history of the brand.

Since 2016, Frederique Constant has partnered with Gwyneth Paltrow, as its Global Charity Brand Ambassador. As part of the campaign, the Academy Award winning actress and philanthropist chose to align with charity organization, DonorsChoose.org, involved in supporting education for children, making it easy for anyone to help a classroom in need, whether it is through books, school supplies or funding field trips.

Epitomizing contemporary casual chic with its youthful, modern, and unusual style, the Aquanaut was introduced in 1997. The Aquanaut was presented in feminine (the Aquanaut Luce with a diamond-set bezel) and masculine versions, and is available with the exclusive Travel Time mechanism that displays a second time zone with persuasive simplicity and remarkable clarity. 

Jaquet Droz embraces the natural world once again in a new ultra-limited series of 28 pieces. The Ateliers d’Art at Jaquet Droz are breaking creative boundaries to immortalize the mighty lion. The king of the animals is a mystical and mythological icon of power and strength. This symbol of majesty now gazes out from the Petite Heure Minute by Jaquet Droz. The brand manages to capture the intensity of the lion’s expression: a quiet strength at rest that transforms into breathtaking speed as he hunts his prey.

France Galop and Longines - the Title Partner, Official Timekeeper and Official Watch of the event - presented on 17 May to the press the 169th edition of the Prix de Diane Longines, which will take place on Sunday 17 June 2018 at the Chantilly Racecourse. This day embodies the elegance true to the Prix de Diane Longines and will be punctuated by eight thoroughbred races, including the Prix de Diane Longines, which is known as the world’s most important race for fillies.

The Navitimer 1 Automatic 38 is part of a legendary watch family, but it has its own personality, harking back to the 1950s when Breitling introduced the Reference 66, a three-hand Navitimer. There are no chronograph subdials, so its dial is refreshingly clean. With a 38 millimeter case, it is perfectly sized both for men who prefer smaller watches and for the many women who, over the years, have asked for a Navitimer with a smaller diameter.

Some call them milestones, while for others they are anniversaries and in some cases commemorations. The choice of terminology can be telling, since not all of these milestones carry the same weight, as the examples below illustrate. We list them in order of seniority according to the brands themselves.

The ladies' chronograph presented by Patek Philippe for 2018 is one of just three references for ladies out of a total of 14 new watches in the collection this year. It replaces the Ref. 7071, which was the brand's first ladies' chronograph, launched in 2009, and is still the only ladies’ chronograph in the Patek Philippe collection. The original model was presented in a cushion-shaped case and marked the introduction of Patek Philippe's first in-house manual chronograph movement, the CH 29-535 PS, to replace the venerable Lemania CH 27-70 calibre that the company had been using in its chronographs for a couple of decades. This movement has a column wheel and horizontal clutch and introduced six patented innovations [see below].

With its proud, historic ties to the world of aviation, Longines has chosen to celebrate Charles Lindbergh’s first solo, nonstop transatlantic flight, an event timed by the Swiss watchmaker in 1927, by creating the Longines Lindbergh Award. Erik Lindbergh, grandson to the celebrated American pilot who performed the inaugural voyage on May 21, 1927, is the first recipient of the Longines Lindbergh Award.

The special hand-engraving of acanthus leaves on the case and crown of the new Tourbillon Suspendu Ici et Ailleurs is done by one of the top artists in her field, Michèle Rothen Rebetez. This example of Haute Horlogerie craftsmanship is only available on special order, making each watch a unique piece.

Audemars Piguet announces its first ever book dedicated entirely to the history of the manufacturers complicated wristwatches, following 4 years of Archival research and writing on the part of the Heritage Department. Since the origins of the brand, the company has sought to break new ground in the creation of complications while simultaneously embracing immense creativity in regards to form language and design aesthetics.

At Baselworld 2018, Alpina presented the AlpinerX. The brand decided to come to Kickstarter from March 22 to April 21, 2018, to let the community influence design and specification. One of the main goal of this crowdfunding campaign was to strengthen its sense of community and involve future customers in the project. Kickstarter Backers had the opportunity to chose their color variant from the 3200 available combinations with the Watch Configurator.

It’s rare to even come across one. To see one dismantled, even rarer. So to be present to watch one being reassembled by master watchmakers at the manufacture is the stuff of dreams. And yet, that’s what happened on 17 May. WorldTempus was able to witness the dismantling and reassembly of the Ferdinand Berthoud manufacture movement, in the company of three of the brand’s watchmakers. It was a unique opportunity to get up close and personal with one of the most original movements in the watchmaking world.

In its new collection, Écritures de Chaumet, the Maison - which has always had strong ties to the arts - pays homage to impressionist painting. Capturing the essence of works by Manet, Renoir, Monet, Van Gogh, Redon and Caillebotte, the limited-edition collection reinterprets the great paintings of the nineteenth century. As if captured by a zoom, the abstract compositions of these watch dials evoke the artists’ iconic brush strokes in an ode to light and to the arts.