HANDS-ON: Top of the world – the epic, awesome Jaeger-LeCoultre Tourbillon Geophysic Universal Time
As far as boss complications go, the world timer is pretty up there. Not only is it technically impressive, it’s also visually arresting: the city ring and typically colourful layout make walking around with one of these on your wrist the watch equivalent of playing Beyoncé’s ‘Run the World (Girls)’ wherever you go. Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Geophysic Tourbillon Universal Time takes it to the next level by adding — yes, you guessed it — a flying tourbillon into the mix, for that extra horological pop. But before we get to the tourbillon, let’s take a step back and talk Geophysic. The Geophysic collection, relaunched a few years ago, is a typically sober and not-too-dressy take on a scientist’s watch. A key feature of the line is the true second, which sees the hand move in crisp, one-second increments rather than the typical mechanical sweep. The true second featured on the regular production world timer, but hasn’t made it to this Tourbillon model. In fact, any form of seconds hand has dropped from the equation, to give all the more space for the flying tourbillon (the first ever integrated into a world timer), that forms the heart of calibre 948. For me, the…
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Last year, Longines doubled down with the release of the Record collection. Illustrating just how serious they are about creating classically handsome and highly accurate watches, with price tags that won’t break the bank. The result was their first ever COSC-certified collection that combined a variety of dial options and colours, with four different sizes of stainless-steel cases. I’ll admit that while the collection remained steady in the Longines wheelhouse, there was just that little something missing to completely draw me in. That was until this year when, at Baselworld 2018, Longines launched a decidedly luxe version with a blue dial and 18k rose gold case. Vital statistics The greatest thing about the Record collection is that each and every version is powered by a chronometer certified automatic movement, with this version using the Caliber L888.4 (ETA A31.L11). Exclusively manufactured for Longines by ETA, the COSC-certified movement uses a silicon balance spring and maintains a power reserve of 64 hours. The case is sized at 38.5mm and made of 18k rose gold with a transparent case back and a water resistance rating of 30 metres. While the sunray blue dial is kept clean and simple, with golden bar indexes marking…
While Bell & Ross are well known for their aviation-inspired designs, there’s another side to the French watch brand that takes them from the flight deck to the boat deck. A side that saw them introduce their first ever dive watch in 1997. The oil-filled, and more round than square, Hydromax — with an unbelievable water resistance of 11,100 metres. It’s also a side that last year welcomed their first ever square-cased dive watch, the BR 03-92 Diver. Beginning a collection, that for Baselworld 2018, grew by two. One of which is the brand new BR 03-92 Diver Bronze, which, as the name suggests, is all diver and all bronze. Vital statistics Updating the colour and material of last year’s BR 03-92, this new version features a black dial with gold-plated indices and hands, as well as a 42mm x 42mm square case that’s constructed from a chunk of satin-polished CuSn8 bronze. To match the case is an all bronze – without aluminium insert – unidirectional rotating bezel with 60-minute scale, and proud crown guards that flank a black rubber-coated crown. Water resistance is kept at 300m, while inside is the same BR-CAL.302 movement – based on the automatic Sellita SW300…