MB&F HM4 Thunderbolt Watch

July 9, 2010

MB&F has just announced the Horological Machine No4 Thunderbolt watch. The watch inspired by aviation, it is made of titanium and and crystal. Only 20 watches will be made this year and will be for $158,000! Watch a video of it after more.
“The sleek aerodynamic form of the Thunderbolt’s titanium and sapphire envelope has its roots in Maximilian Büsser’s childhood passion for assembling model plane kits, though none looked remotely as futuristic as this. The striking transparent sapphire section of the case requires over 100 hours of machining and polishing to transform an opaque solid block of crystal into a complex, exquisitely curved panel allowing the light to come in and the beauty of Thunderbolt’s engine to stand out. Every component and form has a technical purpose; nothing is superfluous and every line and curve is in poetic harmony. Articulated lugs ensure supreme comfort. Highly legible time is a fringe benefit.” source

Urwerk UR-CC1 Black Cobra Watch

June 21, 2010

The new Black Cobra is in a black PVD coated case made from black AlTiN – a complex aluminum titanium alloy, better known as Aluminum Titane Nitride. 42mm wide on your wrist, the watch is almost 54mm tall. Inside the watch is a Urwerk made calibre UR-8.02 manually wound mechanical movement. The well over $100,000 Urwerk UR-CC1 Black Cobra watch will be limited to just 25 pieces.

Time is told on a few linear scales – styled like some retro speedometers. The lower scale is for the hours, then higher up you have the minutes, and at the top of the case is a seconds indicator. The hour and minute scales “jump” back to their starting positions when they reach the end of the line (according the Urwerk, that last little operation was a pain to develop). Actually, the watch as a whole took about three years to develop. source

Howard Hughes ‘Patek Philippe’ up for auction!

June 8, 2010

A 1949 Patek Philippe chronograph that belonged to Howard Hughes, the dashing movie mogul portrayed by Leo DiCaprio in The Aviator (one of the best movies of all time!), is being offered in Christie’s’ Important Watches Featuring the Leo Collection sale in New York on June 16.

The gold wristwatch, Ref. 1463, with breguet numerals is estimated at $150,000 – $200,000. In the 1960s the increasingly-paranoid Hughes gifted the watch to a private detective who carried out a number of surveillance assignments for him, and it comes accompanied by a note from Hughes to that effect.

Also featured in the sale is Roy Rogers’ Rolex, a stainless steel triple calendar chronograph Ref. 6036, manufactured circa 1952 and estimated at $40,000-$60,000, consigned from the estate of the so-called “King of Cowboys”; and a rare and extremely important platinum Patek Philippe Ref. 5016, estimated at $350,000 – $500,000

7000 fake Rolex watches CRUSHED!

May 26, 2010

A major dealer of fake luxury goods including Rolex watches who was arrested last year had his good endure a unique public spectacle. The take down was operated by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE), who apparently worked closely with Rolex. The arrest last year was after years of investigation and gathering evidence. The culprit was one Binh Cam Tran of Pennsylvania. After importing the parts for the fake watches, the replica timepieces were assembled in his home outside of Philadelphia. Tran is currently serving 6 years in jail and has been ordered to pay over $2 million dollars to Rolex USA.

Hublot F1 King

March 17, 2010

The F1 season kicked off this past weekend in Bahrain. But in addition to the race action, Formula One Management signed there a new commercial agreement with Swiss watchmaker Hublot. The arrangement gives Hublot the right to use the F1 name commercially, and will see the brand represented at select races with unique hospitality events throughout the year. But more than that, it means that Hublot will begin marketing a special F1-branded line of watches.

The first example is what you see here: the Hublot F1 King. The opposite of the kind of bling you’d typically associate with grand prix racing, the timepiece is based on the King Power model, with everything blacked out for a sleek, matte look. Only 500 examples, each individually numbered, will be on offer before Hublot unveils its next F1 edition.

This watch along with AP are some of the finest time pieces in the world.

Hit the jump for pics of Hublot and Formula One CEO’s

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