A New Case for an Old Classic: Patek Philippe’s New Calatravas
Patek Philippe has a well-deserved reputation for being rather conservative in its watch designs and rarely giving in to transient trends. Thus, even a subtle change to one of its classic models garners attention among watch cognoscenti. At this year’s Baselworld, the brand introduced the new Ref. 5227, a Calatrava in a slightly larger case and a new, hinged dustcover over the exhibition caseback.The first Calatrava, Reference 96, was launched in 1932, the same year that Patek Philippe was acquired by its longtime owners, the Stern family, and has been a mainstay of the brand’s portfolio ever since. And while most watch aficionados know that Patek Philippe is a full-fledged manufacture that makes its own movements, many may not realize that for decades now it has also made its own cases, from sketches to final, polished product. Thus it is with pride that the company touts the new “officer’s style” case of the Ref. 5227, which is slightly larger than those

JLC Master Compressor Diving Alarm Navy SEALs Incursion Edition
Jaeger-LeCoultre announced today they will produce the Master Compressor Diving Alarm Navy SEALs Incursion Edition. Limited to 19 pieces in black gold and 62 pieces in titanium grey PVD, this series will only be available for sale at the Jaeger-LeCoultre Beverly Hills Boutique. The JLC Beverly Hills Boutique Connoisseurs Club had direct input with the Manufacture in creating these pieces. These series represent the first use of black gold and grey PVD titanium in Jaeger-LeCoultre timepieces. The 44mm case houses JLC Caliber 956. Custom accessories include 2 special straps with each watch. The black leather cordura strap will have matching accent colors in the stitching and alcantara strap backing. The second strap will be a black cordura made of especially rugged material suited to diving. JLC will host special delivery events for buyers. Complete technical specifications appear below. The black gold model is priced at $24,000 and the Titanium PVD model is priced at $14,000.Technical C

Hands-On: With The Blancpain Tourbillon Carrousel, A Combination Of Two Rotating Complications (Live Pics & Pricing)
This year is the 60th anniversary of Blancpain's legendary Fifty Fathoms dive watch collection, but at Basel World we caught sight of something completely different from the brand. The Collection Le Brassus Tourbillon Carrousel takes the aesthetic of the Villeret collection and adds two rotating escapements, a tourbillon at 12 o'clock and a carrousel at 6 o'clock. Not only is the watch captivating to look at, but it also gets more and more fascinating as you begin to notice all the little things that make it exceptional. 2 OF 25 Closer Look At The Blancpain Tourbillon Carrousel First off, it's important to understand what exactly separates a tourbillon from a carrousel, since they can look very similar to the naked eye. A tourbillon uses one source of power to both move the balance wheel and rotate the cage, while a carrousel uses two sources of power, one for the escapement itself and a second to regulate the rotation of the enclosure. These are two

NEW to AP. DUAL TIME
I recently was able to get my first AP. I chose to get a AP dual time SS in black as the GMT feature is what I need.My wrist is not big with barely 6.5 inches, so the watch size is perfect. I wear the watch everyday and have got used to it. Couple of things to note are1. No second hand. This is weird as I cant tell how much seconds I'm gaining or losing per day or tell if the watch is running lol2. scratches very easily. This I dont mind as I wear this watch everyday. But recently i banged it lightly on a door and there are three big dents on the edge of the bezel.3. the luminescence is not bright at all. I dont know if any other AP watch is like this, but unless I put the watch in front of direct light for a couple of minutes, I can barely tell time in the dark.4. No one recognizes this watch at all. Only one person has asked about it and that was at a rolex AD. I hope to get another AP soon or maybe a nautilus next. Will try to add pictures later if I find out how.

Oystersteel?
Why would Rolex remove all references to 904L steel from its website except these two articles and begin calling their watch material Oystersteel?materials.htmlOne of the articles says: Rolex became the first watchmaking brand to pioneer the use of 904L steel for the cases of all its steel watches. Most commonly used in high‑technology and in the aerospace and chemical industries, its excellent anti-corrosion properties are comparable to those of precious metals and it offers a final polish of exceptional sheen.Sounds perfect! Why can't Rolex just leave it at that? I guess it wants to differentiate itself from other future watch company users of 904L? It just seems silly. It was a nice development in 1985 when Rolex started using 904L and its easy for people to understand what 904L is once explained to them. Period.There is no need to give 904L a weird name to impress the unwashed masses. I guess Rolex should just start saying Oysterbezel, Oystercrown, Oystercrystal, etc.