Registered under Swiss patent 158882, the caliber 490 oscillates at 18,000 vph and boasts a simple yet robust design. Additionally, the movement shows a high-quality finish, with beveled components and and a sunburst-ratchet decorated wheel.

The in-house caliber was designed, assembled and finished by one of the manufacturers of the historic Swiss Watchmakers Cooperative, Alpina’s first name, a distinction that was not commonplace in the 1930s, when sourcing generic movements from suppliers was the norm, and manufacture movements the exception. Caliber 490 was a benchmark movement at the time, with its patented crown that was protected against dust. Also noteworthy are the comparatively high power reserve for the time – 42 hours – and the special design of the pallet lever, which is elongated in order to fit into the rectangular shape.

After having been able to purchase around 50 pieces of this very caliber, Alpina designed a new custom-made case for 28 of them. It is made of highly polished silver and measures 29.5 x 35.7mm in diameter. With a thickness of just 9.71mm, it features anti-reflective sapphire crystals on both the front and back and is attached to a light brown ostrich leather strap with white vintage stitching and a pin buckle.

The two commemorative editions share the Alpina logo from this era, two thin central hands and a small seconds at 6 o’clock, which is typical of the 1930s. The chemin de fer minuterie surrounding the dial also dates from this period.

On the first version (Ref. AL-490BA3C10), the dial is black and displays full Arabic numerals and a circular small seconds. The hands are beige. The second version (Ref. AL-490SA3C10) comes with a silver dial, black hands, and Arabic numerals in a more upright font, typical of the “Années Folles”, while the subdial for the small seconds is square.

Pricing for the Heritage Carrée Mechanical 140 Years is marked at $5,400 when converted to USD (CHF 4,995).

To learn more, visit Alpina, here.

With the Seamaster Aqua Terra Ultra Light, Omega put its focus on a sporty look and innovative light weight. A fresh look at every detail resulted in a number of horological innovations. The hand-wound movement is Omega’s first titanium caliber — and implementation was no easy feat. After waiting over two years to get our hands on the watch, our editors had the opportunity to do a full hands-on test.

The “Ultra Light,” as we refer to this Omega watch, rather than by its full name, weighs only 55 grams on its black textile strap. According to our precision scale, the rubber strap with a titanium folding clasp bumps its weight up to 76 grams. For comparison, the Seamaster Planet Ocean with a titanium case, ceramic bezel and rubber strap weighs 104 grams, or about a third more. This is a valid comparison since the Ultra Light is made of exactly the same materials as the Planet Ocean while there are no comparable Aqua Terra models (apart from a couple of GoodPlanet versions). Titanium is the primary material used for the Ultra Light case. Not just any titanium — an alloy known as Gamma Titanium is used for the mid-section, the ring for the sapphire crystal threaded caseback and the crown. This is an absolute first for Omega.

This unusual material is an intermetallic compound of titanium and aluminum, also known by its scientific name: titanium aluminide (TiAl). Named after the third letter of the Greek alphabet, Gamma Titanium — or Γ-TiAl — consists of 50 to 55 percent aluminum, hence its light weight. TiAl-based alloys originated in 1970 but have only been used since the recent turn of the century.

Due to its robust properties and low density, titanium aluminide has found applications in aviation and aerospace as well as for sports equipment and in the automobile industry. Titanium aluminide is lighter and harder than conventional titanium. A discreetly engraved “Γ-TiAl” on the back of the upper left lug notes the use of this special material.

Titanium Grade 5, a much more common and the most widely used titanium alloy, is used for the sandblasted dial. This material is also light in weight, corrosion-resistant, biochemically neutral, and able to withstand extreme temperatures. Titanium Grade 5 is very similar in its light gray color to stainless steel and also goes well with the Ultra Light’s titanium aluminide case.

Omega conducted extensive research and testing with the goal of minimizing the amount of material needed for the dial. This, in turn, has reduced the overall weight of the watch without detracting from the recognizable look of the timepiece. The horizontal striping on the dial, which is typical for Seamaster models, makes its mark here in negative relief. Also recognizable without a doubt, are the triangular applied hour markers, which taper toward the center of the dial, and the striking hands with arrowhead tips on the minute and second hands. The second hand is made of aluminum — red aluminum for our test watch, which matches the Seamaster name below the raised Omega logo at 12 o’clock, the quarter-hour numerals on the minute or seconds track on the edge of the dial, and the contrasting stitching on the rubber or textile strap (also available in a choice of blue or green).

A ceramic bezel frames the titanium dial. This is a preferred material at Omega because it is especially scratch-resistant. It was developed in a unique color for the Ultra Light so that the bezel coordinates with the titanium case and titanium dial. Depending on the viewing angle and the angle of light, the fixed ring sometimes appears to be the same color, even though it is slightly darker than the case mid-section and dial.

When viewed from above, the case appears streamlined and symmetrical. The right flank, which is virtually invisible from this perspective, increases the size of the case by 2.5 mm, to a generous 43.5 mm across when measured from 9 to 3 o’clock, but only 41 mm from 12 to 6 o’clock. When viewed from the side, however, the diamond-shaped flank is a feature that stands out and accommodates the attractive crown.

Because this operating element is deeply seated in the flank, one wonders how to access it. This technology is unique: you press the crown like a push button to release it and allow it to glide out from its recess. This makes interacting with the manual-winding feature an exceptional experience in itself, and because the Ultra Light is a hand-wound watch, it can be enjoyed every day. With its three-day power reserve, it’s not necessary to wind the Ultra Light every day — but it’s tempting to use the telescopic crown once a day, or more.

Other operating elements are more conventional, and also slightly more difficult to use. The Gamma Titanium crown has to be pulled into the middle and outer position in the conventional way, with considerable effort and using your fingernails. The Ultra Light has no date display, so there is no quick-date adjustment in the middle position. Instead, there is the practical time-zone function that Omega adds to almost all of its newer movements. The hour hand can be moved forward or back as needed without affecting the precise setting of the time.

When traveling to a different time zone, this extremely practical and modern feature allows you to set the current local time very easily. And after winding the watch to the point of mild resistance, the crown turns back just a bit — and then a light push will return it to its secure position within the case.

If the crown was previously pulled to the middle or hand-setting position, you will hear an audible click and know that the crown is back in its original position. From the winding position, the telescopic crown glides just as smoothly back into the case as it exited. This also reveals another nice detail: the red Omega logo can be situated in any direction, exactly as you would like it to be. In contrast to a screw-down crown, the telescopic crown remains movable within the flank.

This unique crown is used to operate a unique movement — the Omega hand-wound Caliber 8928 Ti. As one has come to expect from Omega, this is a METAS-approved Master Chronometer. This means that the hand-wound movement and the watch have passed a series of tests that show that they are resistant to magnetic fields of at least 15,000 gauss. But because the Ultra Light was designed to be especially lightweight, a number of measures had to be taken with regard to the movement as well. Caliber 8928 Ti is Omega’s first titanium movement. It goes back to Caliber 8900, the first movement certified by METAS as a Master Chronometer, but it is even traceable back to the first chronometer movement with a Co-Axial escapement, Caliber 8500.

With Caliber 8928, not only is the balance wheel made of titanium, but the mainplate and bridges are made of ceramic titanium. This gives the hand-wound movement its coordinating dark-gray color, which is clearly visible through the sapphire crystal caseback. Its light weight also means there is less friction between the various components.

The free-sprung silicon hairspring vibrates at a rate of 25,200 vph and is powered by two serially arranged barrels for a power reserve of three days. According to Omega, the low weight does not reduce accuracy or performance of the movement, so Omega confidently offers a five year warranty for the Ultra Light. In our extensive testing process, we identified some rate variation, but the values remained within the chronometer range. When fully wound, the watch gained an average of only 1.4 seconds per day on the timing machine, but 2.3 seconds on the wrist with daily winding. The Ultra Light showed greater deviation after 24 hours or longer without winding but never exceeded 4 seconds per day.

A long, narrow needle, with a fine tip worthy of a precision timekeeping unit, points to the small time-unit scale on the dial side. Sometimes you need to turn the Ultra Light just the right way to see the seconds/minutes track around the edge of the dial or move it away from the light to avoid an occasional reflective flash from the polished and brushed finishes on the markers and hands. At night, all these elements glow a bright blue that lasts to a greater or lesser extent, depending on the charge of the Super-LumiNova.

Looking at this watch is always a pleasure and never overwhelming. Quite the opposite: both its size and its subdued color scheme give the Ultra Light a look of gray eminence. It comes on a distinctively patterned black rubber strap with contrasting red, blue or green stitching that matches the second hand and other details on the dial. A few waves on the back of the strap provide ventilation and ensure the best wearing comfort in addition to its lightness.

There will be times you forget you’ve got the Ultra Light on your wrist. The perforated end of the rubber strap is threaded through a titanium folding clasp and held securely in place with a pin. Switch to the additional textile strap if you want it to be even lighter.

The price also raises the Seamaster Aqua Terra Ultra Light above the rest of the pack. Even though there is no other directly comparable model, the Seamaster Aqua Terra collection itself offers an entry model in stainless steel (Ref. 220.13.41.21.01.001) priced at $5,400. With its list price of $48,600, a decision for this ultra-lightweight watch is certainly not to be taken lightly.

Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra 150 M Co-Axial Master Chronometer 41 MM Ultra Light Specs:

Manufacturer: Omega S.A., Stämpflistrasse 96, 2504 Biel/Bienne, Switzerland 

Reference number: 220.92.41.21.06.001 

Functions: Hours, minutes, central sweep seconds, time-zone function 

Movement: In-house movement 8928 Ti based on Omega 8900 automatic, manual winding, chronometer, 25,200 vph (3.5 Hz), 29 jewels, silicon Si 14 hairspring, titanium balance wheel, fine adjustment with regulating weights on balance wheel, Nivachoc shock absorber, 72-hour (3 days) power reserve, diameter = 29 mm, height = 4.2 mm 

Case: Titanium aluminide (Γ-TiAl), domed sapphire crystal with anti-glare coating on both sides (top), sapphire crystal caseback, water resistant to 150 m 

Strap and clasp: Rubber strap with one-sided titanium folding clasp, additional textile strap 

Rate results: Deviation in seconds per 24 hours (Fully wound / after 24 hours)

Dimensions: Diameter = 41.01 mm (from 12 to 6 o’clock), 43.52 mm (from 9 to 3), height = 13.74 mm, lug width = 19.5 (Omega-specific), weight = 76.0 g 

Variations: With dial details and strap stitching in blue (Ref. 220.92.41.21.06.002, $48,600) or in green (Ref. 220.92.41.21.06.003, $48,600) 

Price: $48,600

Scores:

Strap and clasp (max. 10 points): Lightweight ergonomic straps, high quality non-allergenic titanium clasp. 9

Case (10): Innovative material: Γ-TiAl, ceramic, two sapphire crystals, excellent workmanship, unique telescopic crown. 9

Dial and hands (10): Light-colored titanium dial, following the conceptual design of the watch; recognizable thanks to the horizontal striping, the hands and the markers. 9

Design (15): Designed with light weight as its ultimate goal with no negative impact to its look; clearly recognizable as a Seamaster Aqua Terra. 14

Legibility (5): Occasional reflections on the markers and hands, Super-LumiNova strength is limited. 4

Operation (5):
Innovative telescopic crown, the hand winding position works very well but it is more difficult to access the other crown positions, excellent clasp. 4

Wearing comfort (5): Very good wearing comfort thanks to the low weight and excellent ergonomic design. 5

Movement (20): Master Chronometer is one of today’s highest quality movements, the titanium movement matches the overall concept of this watch. 19

Rate results (10): The hand-wound watch runs with minor variations depending on the winding state, but always remains within chronometer specs and always in the plus range. 9

Overall value (10): Omega has created a “talking piece” with a very high innovation level, but at a perplexingly high price. 7

TOTAL: 89 points

To learn more about Omega, click here, and to subscribe to the WatchTime print magazine, click here.    

Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF Flying Tourbillon

This year’s limited edition of the Tonda PF Flying Tourbillon from Parmigiani Fleurier appears clad in 950 platinum. The elegant Milano blue dial is framed by the line’s signature knurled bezel, also made of platinum. The dial has delta-shaped skeletonized hands and applied markers, celebrating contemporary minimalism. The eye-catching feature is the flying tourbillon, which completes one revolution per minute between 6 and 7 o’clock.

Inside the 42-mm case, which measures just 8.6 mm in height, beats the automatic manufacture caliber PF517. It is wound by a 950 platinum micro-rotor decorated with a fine barleycorn guilloché pattern. Other exquisite finishes, such as circular Geneva Waves, perlage and angled bridges, can be admired through the sapphire crystal case back. Thanks to a screw-down crown, this haute-horlogerie watch, which is limited to 25 pieces, is water resistant to 100 meters. Pricing is available upon request.

To learn more, visit Parmigiani Fleurier, here.

Hublot MP-13 Tourbillon BI-Axis BI-Retrograde

The somewhat long name already hints at the technical complexity of the Hublot MP-13 Tourbillon BI-Axis BI-Retrograde. This exceptional timepiece combines a double-axis tourbillon with two retrograde displays for the hour and minute. This symphony of mechanics is orchestrated by the manufacture caliber HUB6200 with manual winding, which offers a power autonomy of a full four days and consists of a total of 374 components. Some of the intricately decorated parts are revealed through the open-worked dial.

Yet, the flying double-axis tourbillon, positioned at 6 o’clock, is the undisputed star of the dial. On one axis, it completes one full rotation per minute, on the other every 30 seconds. To make this precise performance visible from all sides, the bezel is extended downwards.

The Hublot MP-13 Tourbillon BI-Axis BI-Retrograde is housed in a 44-mm titanium case and is limited to 50 pieces. Pricing is marked at $158,000.

To learn more, visit Hublot, here.

Bulgari Octo Roma Striking Papillon Tourbillon

This new interpretation of the Bulgari Octo Roma Papillon Tourbillon is rightly named “Striking”, as it stages the exceptionally creative form of time display. The hour is jumping and the minutes, arranged on a semicircle, are alternately indexed by two diamond-shaped hands in “Papillon” style, with new sophistication. It also offers fascinating insights into its mechanical inner workings through the partly skeletonized dial.

The characteristic Octo case in black-coated titanium is closed with a sapphire crystal that enhances the dial. As such, the dial illuminates via indications that are coated in vibrant green Superluminova. The same applies to some components of the genuine hand-wound movement, the BVL348 caliber, which provides a 60-hour power reserve.

It goes without saying that this beauty is visible through the sapphire crystal caseback of the 44 mm case. The highlight of the sporty and modern Octo Roma Striking Papillon Tourbillon is the flying tourbillon, which sits in the center of the dial.

Pricing is marked at approximately $140,000 when converted to USD.

To learn more, visit Bulgari, here.

Note that I was only able to see/photograph the chronograph, and that photos of the PF Sport Automatic are provided by Parmigiani.

Both the PF Sport Automatic and Chronograph have a knurled bezel like the Tonda PF but done with 160 notches rather than 225. The steel models forego platinum for the bezel which keeps in line with the more casual attitude here. They also carry over the hand-done “cloud triangulaire” guilloché from the GT collection as well as lumed hands and indices. 

I was able to get some hands-on time with the steel chronograph iteration so let’s begin with that. Done with a panda dial layout, the case measures 42mm wide and 12.9mm thick with 100 m of water resistance. It shares the same PF070 COSC-certified movement as the standard PF chronograph which operates at 5 Hz and has a 65-hour power reserve. You’ll notice that the 22k gold rotor is redesigned as well with inspiration coming from the steering wheel of the Ferrari 250 GTO. As with the existing Tonda PF Chronograph, the date window is at 4:30 and done in black which contrasts with the dial. You could say it’s like a Panda’s version of a beauty mark a la Cindy Crawford.

The simpler Tonda PF Sport Automatic takes a similar approach of applying the sportier design elements of the outgoing GT to create a more everyday casual leisure watch. Note that this isn’t a repackaging of the Tonda PF with micro-rotor but rather uses the PF 770 movement we saw used in the 36mm Tonda PF Automatic released last year. The PF770 operates at 4 Hz and has a 60-hour power reserve with the same stylized rotor as the chronograph. The case measures 41mm wide and 9.8m thick with 100 m of water resistance. This larger case makes for a smaller exhibition window than I’d like to see but there’s really not much else to find fault with here. Personally, I would likely add the premium of a couple of thousand dollars to get the standard Tonda PF micro-rotor with platinum bezel and bracelet but the PF Sport Automatic will certainly appeal to a lot of consumers looking for that more casual leisure watch.

All the Tonda PF Sport watches come on a Cordura-treated rubber strap that is both comfortable and really does seem tailor made for these pieces as there’s not even a hint of a gap anywhere. I think the consolidation of the sportier Tonda GT collection into these Tonda PF Sport watches makes for a more consistent design language (even though I always had a soft spot for the big date windows on the GT). Price for the Parmigiani Tonda PF Sport Automatic in steel is $21,300 and $38,200 in rose gold while the Tonda PF Sport Chronograph is $29,000 in steel and $50,200 in rose gold.

To learn more, visit Parmigiani Fleurier, here. 

With Charles Zuber, you are building a relatively young brand with a lot of experience behind it. What do you consider the major challenges of this ?

With Charles Zuber, it’s more about revealing a brand than about building one. That makes it especially exciting, but not any less challenging, I might add. Usually, the brand is created by the individual, the creative genius who demonstrates distinctive artistry and craftsmanship, and, with the years, comes the history and the heritage. The difference with Charles Zuber is that the history, the heritage, it’s all there, but he preferred to remain behind the scenes, working for the biggest names in jewelry. In fact, you will find his DNA in many magnificent creations that helped to define some of the greatest brands. Charles Zuber signed and hallmarked all his pieces. So, we did it for him. Because revealing the Charles Zuber brand not only honors the man and his achievements, but it also offers an amazing opportunity to continue his story and delight lovers of high jewelry and watchmaking with his unique aesthetic. If the very special spirit of Charles Zuber lives on, it is also thanks to the full support of his family, and especially his widow.

Speaking of challenges, the first was to delve into the history, to capture the quintessence of a great creator and express it in a modern, contemporary and distinctive brand platform – and a compelling product line-up! In this creative process we refined our ‘neo-Swiss’ aesthetic, with the idea of bringing a freshness, a ‘roundness’ and a sense of wonder and surprise to our collections and our communications. 

The second challenge comes after the success we were fortunate to have at Watches & Wonders. We must now make the brand come alive through retail partners and make it accessible to the community of watch enthusiasts and connoisseurs. This is why we are gradually establishing strategic partnerships in key areas. For example, we are planning a strong presence at the Beau Rivage Hotel in Geneva throughout the summer with a pop-up store to attract visiting customers.

What do you consider the DNA of the brand?

Charles Zuber is a ‘neo-Swiss’ luxury brand. In other words, we capitalize on our Swiss origins and reinforce our roots in a daring communication platform. We are born in Geneva, inspired by the Swiss Master Jeweler Charles Zuber. Our DNA echoes the values of the man himself: we are fueled by obsessive creativity, and we are driven by the beauty of simplicity. It shows in our PERFOS and POMANDER collections, which perfectly channel Charles’s sunny, audacious personality.

I first met Charles Zuber at the ASMEBI (Swiss Association of Jewelry and Watchmaking Professions), this was in Geneva. At the time, I had a watchmaking and jewelry subcontracting business and we collaborated on a project for Harry Winston. He loved to tell his stories, a cigarette in one hand and a pencil dancing over graph paper in the other. I had and still have the greatest admiration for him. Charles was a passionate daredevil, an inquisitive explorer who knew all the intricacies of the jewelry and watches business, yet kept pushing boundaries and made the most of his potential. 

You could start with a clean sheet of paper in terms of design. How did you decide which direction to take with this? 

Charles Zuber left us a treasure trove of over 3000 documents, including sketches and photographs. A lot of the work was commissioned by brands so we can’t take back the designs, of course, but that still leaves an abundance of material for the evolution on future jewelry pieces. 

As to the watch collection, we wanted to step onto the stage with a strong proposition centered on a steel watch with an integrated bracelet. Obviously, we wanted to work with one of the geniuses of watch design and that’s why the name of Eric Giroud naturally came to mind. He has an instinctive sensibility. Eric has done a remarkable and highly acclaimed job on the PERFOS model, which is unlike any other watch.

Jewelry is also a part of the Charles Zuber brand; how does that interact with watchmaking? 

The Charles Zuber brand pays tribute to Charles Zuber himself: it was an obvious choice to make jewelry, since it has always been at the core of his art. We are jewelers who make watches. It’s a jewelry brand with a watch offering. Everything we do, quite simply, must be beautiful. And underlying the beauty is also an extraordinary complexity: cushion shape, shaped movement, micro-rotor, sandwich construction, 60 sunburst indexes, multi-layer dial (highly complex to achieve), impeccable finishes, and so on. As you can imagine, we don’t do things because they are easy, but because they are hard.  

In all cases, the bridge or connection that can be made between jewelry and watchmaking is very simple: the search for perfection in the execution. The jeweler and the watchmaker are both adepts of the ultra-precise and ultra-small.

Charles Zuber was also present at Watches & Wonders this year. How was that?

Apparently, the watch to watch! 

Being recognized for our ‘neo-Swiss’ touch was especially gratifying, as we respect all the Swiss tradition in watchmaking but with this little extra that no one can really define, and which triggers a lot of amazing memories and strong emotions. And that is exactly what we were after. The press welcomed us so well, many retailers and even other brands came to us to congratulate us for the achievements. In a nutshell: it was a brilliant. 

Where do you want to be with the brand in 5 years?

On the wrists of all lovers of the finer things. 

To learn more, visit Charles Zuber, here