Pre-Basel - Angelus Releases the U21

In 2016 Angelus released three highly technical watches that joined the U10 Tourbillon Lumiere in the relaunch of the brand. The U20 was released featuring a stunning truly minimalist movement that seemed to float between the crystals. Very much a cutting edge work of art.

For 2017, two new versions of the U20 have been released. The U21 features a carbon fiber main plate, and is set into a 42mm carbon fiber and red gold case. There is no bezel on this watch, in order to allow the wearer to gaze at the movement from the side of the case, as well as above. This is by no means an easy feat to accomplish.  

On the dial, the skeletonized bridges are solid gold and the flying tourbillon sits proudly at 6 o'clock. 

Finished to the highest standard of haute horlogerie, the Angelus U22 is available in a limited edition of 18 pieces. 

Pre-Basel - Arnold & Son HM Falcon

Arnold & Son has just released a the HM Falcon Unique Piece as part of their Métiers d’Art collection. The hand painted falcon is set on a mother-of-pearl dial and the artist uses delicate nuances of colors and tones, using tiny brushstrokes and texturing gradually to build-up the entire image, which results in a stunning finished design, full of depth. 

Human love of falcons goes back many centuries. In ancient Egypt, the falcon was deified as Horus, the god of the sky and kingship. In other civilizations and cultures, the falcon symbolizes vision, agility and victory. Falconry can also be traced back to early China, where records indicate they were being used by humans to hunt. They were also used as royal gifts in the Heian dynasty in China, dating back to 2205 BC.

The unique piece comes with an ultra-thin A&S1001 manufacture movement with over 90 hours of power reserve; and is housed in an 18-karat rose gold case, with a brown alligator strap. The case can also be adorned with a diamond set bezel if desired.

Favorite Watches of 2016 - Arnold & Son

I absolutely loved this Arnold & Son UTTE Skeleton, even more so when I learned from Arnold & Son head of innovation that the movement was redesigned from scratch, it wasn’t just the movement from the previously releases UTTE. That piece was never intended to have the dial removed, and would not have held up to the high standards of Arnold & Son design, so the entire movement was rethought out. The result, a stunning piece of machinery that also happened to be the thinnest skeleton tourbillon on the market when it was released.