Going green with the Hublot Big Bang MP-11 SAXEM
Hublot has just dropped the Big Bang MP-11 SAXEM, once again demonstrating why they are the vanguards of the horological industry when it comes to innovating new materials for wristwatches. The stunningly green case of the new Big Bang MP-11 is hewn from a material that has never been used before in a timepiece’s case – SAXEM. An abbreviation of Sapphire Aluminium Oxide and rare Earth Mineral, the high-tech material receives its brilliant emerald green colour as a result of the Hublot Manufacture mixing materials such Aluminium oxide, which is the basic component of sapphire, with rare-earth elements such as thulium, holmium and chromium. The outcome of this process is a case material with several benefits. For example, SAXEM is not only far stronger than emerald, it also possesses a much richer and deeper colour than sapphire. Housed inside the revolutionary new case, which measures an impressive 45mm, is Hublot’s highly technical Caliber HUB9011, a manually wound skeletonised movement that features no less than seven barrels and a whopping 14 days of power reserve. Speaking about the watch, Ricardo Guadalupe, CEO Hublot said: “With this new Big Bang MP-11, Hublot once more asserts its regal mastery of innovation, at both…
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It will surprise precisely no one to learn that round watches are the most popular category. But, versatile as the circle is, the round watch can be a bit same-samey. That’s not an issue with this fancy pair of Glashütte Original Seventies Chronograph Panorama Dates, offered in some stylish new dial variations. Before we get to the dials, let’s check in on the watches themselves. They’re 40mm steel watches, in a very ’70s ‘television’ case shape which looks funky and wears great. They’re chronographs (obviously), and 4Hz column-wheel flybacks at that. With a very nice 70 hours of power reserve (appropriate). But really, the party is on the dials. As you can see, there are two options, one a little more muted than the other, but both stunners. There’s a galvanised grey option with sunray finish and black dégradé, or if you’re feeling like living your best ’70s life, a green version. And while the dials have plenty of flash and sizzle on their own merits, for me the real winner is the combination of these period-correct Pforzheim-produced dials with the sensuous lines of that polished steel case. Very nice. Glashütte Original Seventies Chronograph Panorama Date price Glashütte Original Seventies…
Vacheron Constantin is one of the grand dames of Genevan watchmaking — tracing their lineage and continuous operation back to 1755, or 260-odd years. Shortly after Vacheron Constantin’s founding, Captain Cook set sail for Australian shores, claiming it as British sovereign territory in 1770. It took Vacheron Constantin a little longer to make its way down under. In 1881, Australian astronomer William Ernest Cooke commissioned a pocket watch. Fast forward to 2019, and the brand has finally opened its own doors, in the heart of Melbourne’s prestigious Collins Street, giving Australian connoisseurs greater access than ever before to one of watchmaking’s ‘holy trinity’. In addition to watches from the sporty Overseas line and the dressy Patrimony, we look forward to checking out nine restored vintage pieces from their Les Collectionneurs program, as well as access to the Les Cabinotiers bespoke program. Exciting times for Australian fans of Vacheron Constantin. The Vacheron Constantin Melbourne boutique is located at 88 Collins Street. 
$2.5K can buy you quite a lot in this world – an economy plane ticket to just about anywhere on the planet, a car that’s probably (definitely) going to have questionable reliability or, if you’re so inclined, a really, really nice bottle of wine. And for us watch enthusiasts out there who already have a varied and sizeable collection, $2500 is enough to access a veritable cornucopia of brilliant timepieces from dozens of different manufacturers. But what if you’re a budding horological enthusiast and you don’t have any watches yet? Is it possible to create a great watch collection that covers all the contextual bases for less than a bottle of Penfolds Grange or a clapped-out 2001 Mitsubishi Magna? The short answer is … yes, it is possible, and here are the five watches that can do it: Tissot Heritage Visodate – The Dress Watch Any good watch collection needs a timepiece that you can don when the double monks and the double-breasts come out to play, and this Tissot Heritage Visodate, complete with its well-proportioned and cuff-friendly 40mm stainless steel case, is a great example. The Visodate’s understated silver opalin dial ensures versatility with most outfits, and thanks…