Topside, Montblanc’s 43.5mm Vintage Chronograph sets the stage for its marvelous mechanism within. A mother-of-pearl crown insert confirms that this watch is an image-builder for the larger house of Meisterstück.
In 2014, Girard-Perregaux induced triple-takes at Baselworld with its Tri-Axial Tourbillon. While the name is clinically literal, the romance is in the dance. And GP’s mega-watch is a thrilling dance partner.
In Tim Mosso’s opinion, a tourbillon watch like the Breguet Classique Grande Complication 5317 would cause a sensation. On its own terms as a modern luxury article, the 5317 is both a wonder and a comparative value.
The Patek Philippe 5002 Sky Moon Tourbillon launched in platinum for the 2001 model year, the 12-complication featured two dials. Dial one was devoted to a moonphase indicator and a perpetual calendar with retrograde date display. On the sub-dial display for months, simple text promised a tourbillon regulator within the case.
The Patek Philippe 5101 ten-day tourbillon isn’t perfect: it’s not notably shock tolerant, there’s no lume, and one could fault its 25-meter water resistance. But most important of all for Tim Mosso is that he can’t afford it! However, since its supernova 2003 debut, the 5101 has established a towering reputation that is, if anything, insufficient to convey the eye-watering beauty and milestone status of this sinuously shaped machine.
Patek Philippe has no meaningful history of pilot’s watches, so the 2015 advent of the Calatrava Pilot collection was both an exercise in grasping at straws and a flight of fancy. The Pilot Annual Calendar Travel Time 5326G breaks new ground in design while offering enough features to justify itself
Day one for the Zenith Chronomaster Sport was January 21, 2021. And it seemed like everyone had the same reaction: “That is one aggressive Rolex tribute.” Tim Mosso thinks that the Chronomaster Sport is a distinctive product with its own identity and takes a look here at how it stacks up against the ever-popular Rolex Cosmograph Daytona.
It’s been more than ten years since the De Bethune DB28 won the Aiguille d’Or at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève. Effectively the “Best Picture” at the “Oscars” of watchmaking, this recognition placed De Bethune among the elite company of Aiguille d’Or winners such as F.P. Journe, Greubel Forsey, Breguet, Audemars Piguet, A. Lange & Söhne, and Patek Philippe. A decade removed from its Hollywood ending, the DB28 remains a grail watch in every sense.
The Romain Gauthier Prestige HM is a rare instance of a creator finding his voice on the first attempt. Even through the lens of 17 years of the brand’s evolution, the Prestige HM remains immediately recognizable as a product of the engineer-turned-entrepreneur whose name it bears.
In Tim Mosso’s opinion, the Moser Endeavour Perpetual Calendar Tantalum Blue Enamel certainly appeals to the rational mind. It’s technically impressive, performs useful functions, and features sensible engineering. But selecting tantalum and enamel casts practical considerations to the wind. It’s simply stunning!