In a first-of-its-kind collaboration, Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer and performance carmaker Porsche have joined forces to create just 10 pairings of a special co-designed Phenom 300E business jet and a Porsche 911 Turbo S vehicle, elegantly dubbed Duet, for a projected sticker price of about $11 million. In their quest to create "a truly seamless experience from road to sky," the partners tasked sibling watchmaker Porsche Design (who also designed some exclusive bespoke luggage for the project) with outfitting corporate baller Duet buyers with a fine wrist instrument. I mean, Best Replica Watches you wouldn't want to fly without one. 

Of course, design and vibe overlaps abound between the business jet, automobile, and the watch itself. The 10 cockpit-inspired titanium Porsche Design 1919 Globetimer UTC Embraer Edition watches carry the special Duet project logo, feature an instrumentation-style virtual horizon across an anthracite center dial, and add a jet icon riding on the end of its central date hand. When you consider that even the cost of the 911 Turbo S is kind of a rounding error on the price of the business jet, that's a good amount of attention to pay to a watch. And, literally, the only way to acquire one is to purchase a Duet pairing. 

The COSC-certified 1919 Globetimer UTC is already regarded as an innovative travel timepiece and utilizes what at first appear to be chronograph pushers to simply and easily jump the time back and forth an hour while you are in transit (plus and minus symbols are embossed on the hardware). A dot-style day/night indicator rides at nine o'clock, while inner bezels register the numerical date (as mentioned), carry 12-hour indices, and also deliver 24-hour UTC "military" time on the outer rehaut ring. fake rolex watches

Certainly, while winging your way across time-zones in your six-passenger, 464 ktas (about 533 mph) Phenom 300E – the fastest, longest-range single-pilot business jet in the world – such an intuitive solution to staying on time in flight will be as welcome as your next cocktail or legal vindication. And behind the wheel of your 640 hp, 2.2-second giddyup from 0 to 60 mph Porsche 911 Turbo S, the gold standard in performance automobiles? You’ll be gripping a steering wheel that picks up the timepiece's design cues and glancing at an analog/digital dash clock that also mimics the watch's special aviation details.

The Basics

Brand: Porsche Design

Model: 1919 Globetimer UTC Embraer Edition, limited to 10 executions

Diameter: 42mm

Thickness: 14.9mm

Case Material: Titanium

Dial Color: Anthracite on black

Indexes: Arabic numerals and batons

Water Resistance: 10 bars

Strap/Bracelet: Contrast-stitched Porsche interior leather

The Movement

Caliber: WERK 04.110

Functions: Hours, minutes, central seconds, date, day/night indicator

Power Reserve: 38 hours

Winding: Automatic

Frequency: 4 Hz

Jewels: 28

Chronometer Certified: Yes, COSC

The best-known range to hail from the Micro Artist Studio is that of Credor's Eichi watches, simple-enough-looking designs with indication for the power reserve (on the dial in the case of Eichi, on the movement in the case of the Eichi II), produced in extremely small quantities, which evince a character of simple perfection that I've come to expect from Seiko's higher-end products. This includes Grand Seiko, of course, as we've seen in another recent release here on the site. Still, Credor is, in my mind, the highest expression of what Seiko can do in the world of watches, and the Eichi II, which is now being presented with a stunning blue dial, is the apotheosis of Credor. At present, only select Grand Seiko and Credor watches are made in the Micro Artist Studio.

We've already covered the Eichi II at length. It came out 2014, following on the original Eichi watch of 2008. The original Eichi II was designed to invite repeated close looks and stand up to examination under a loupe. Pre-COVID, there was a day when we happened to have an Eichi II in the office for photography, and Jack was editing some photos on his large desktop monitor. As he zoomed further and further in, the Eichi II's perfect mainplate simply wouldn't quit, nor would its crisp blue writing, beveled edges, or jewel sinks. It was a revelatory moment for me in terms of understanding what high-end finishing can mean in watches. The Eichi II's Spring Drive cal. 7R14 is one of the few watches in the world that can be shot in extremely high resolution with a good camera without revealing any discernible flaws.

Initial Thoughts Rolex replica

We've already covered the Eichi II in its original white-dial versions in depth, of course. What distinguishes the new version you see here, created to mark the 140th anniversary of Seiko's founding by Kintaro Hattori, taking place in 2021, is its hand-painted blue porcelain dial. It's been rendered in a color that Seiko and Credor are calling Ruri, the Japanese word for lapis lazuli. You'll find the familiar Credor "C" seconds hand and finely executed hour and minute hands, as well as hand-painting for the hour markers and for the Credor name. 

The Eichi II ref. GBLT997 is presented in a 950 platinum case that, like the original Eichi II, measures a wearable 39mm across and 10.3mm tall. Seiko says that Eichi means wisdom. I spoke to someone who is fluent in Japanese, and they told me that eichi is a beautiful, poetic word that denotes deep knowledge. Interestingly, there are three ways to write eichi in Japanese kanji characters, they told me. While all three mean "wisdom" or "knowledge," the kanji that Seiko uses on its Japanese-language website is associated with wisdom so great as to be compared with that of the divine. 

Viewed from the other side, you'll find the equally stunning Spring Drive cal. 7R14. Just as with the original Eichi II, the beveled edges, mirror-polished ruby sinks, and heat-blued screws offer a compelling visual argument for what Seiko can do in the arena of finishing. The 7R14 as seen in the Eichi II eschews the boisterously baroque decoration one might find in watches made elsewhere; its relative simplicity of layout provides no hiding places for mistakes.

One of the hallmark characteristics of this movement is its torque return system. Because Spring Drive uses mechanical power from an unfurling mainspring, it operates with more torque than needed at the height of its power reserve. And it's not an insignificant amount: about 30%. The 7R14 reclaims this energy and uses it to rewind the mainspring, resulting in a more efficient movement and a power reserve of 60 hours. The mainspring is contained within a stylized, openworked Bellflower, a motif that will be familiar from both the original version of the Eichi II and, in a slightly different form, in the 9R02 movement, a similar Spring Drive caliber (but with a much longer eight-day power reserve) used in the highest-end Grand Seiko Spring Drive watches.

On a purely aesthetic level, I think this watch sings. There is something about an incredibly deep blue dial matched to the relative austerity of a white metal case that tends to get me. And this pairing really gets me.

Still, tourbillons continue to fascinate watch enthusiasts and watchmakers alike – no less a master than Roger Smith has gone on record as saying he'd like to make one – and given the number of tourbillons of all kinds released every year, it's clear that folks are still very much interested in owning them as well. As with most mechanical watchmaking, how you do it is at least as important nowadays as what it is you do, and a well-made tourbillon is still not only interesting to look at, but also a legitimate demonstration of watchmaking as an art as well as a technical exercise.

Jaeger-LeCoultre's new Master Ultra-Thin Tourbillon Moon is a quite beautiful example of the genre, with some interesting additional technical features which help distinguish it from the rest of the crowd. The full-rotor tourbillon movement is a relative rarity – JLC caliber 983, which looks to be the JLC cal. 973 automatic tourbillon, but with the addition of a moon-phase and date indication. The date indicator is a centrally mounted hand, which has a neat little trick up its sleeve (one we've seen before from JLC), which is that at midnight on the 14th, it jumps from one side of the aperture for the tourbillon to the other, landing on the 15. This is to keep the date hand from partially obscuring the view of the flying tourbillon (and it gives owners a reason to stay up until midnight on the 14th, too). The main moon-phase display shows the Moon as seen from the Northern Hemisphere, but there is also, around the main display, a double-sided hand that shows the moon-phase in the replica rolex Southern Hemisphere on the left, and the age of the Moon on the right.

This is a complicated tourbillon in a pretty classic idiom. The round, rose-gold case is 41.5mm x 12.10mm. That does not, at first, sound particularly thin these days – not with the number of extremely flat tourbillon movements that have debuted over the last decade or so (and culminating, of course, with the Bulgari Octo-Finissimo Tourbillon Automatic). The case alloy is JLC's proprietary Le Grand Rose alloy, in which a small amount of palladium is added to help resist corrosion and discoloration. (Rose-gold alloys stabilized with metals from the platinum group have become increasingly popular in the watch industry since the introduction of Everose by Rolex in 2005.)

However, it helps to keep a few points in mind. The calibers 983 and 973 are full-rotor self-winding tourbillons – this is a surprisingly rare sub-genre in the world of automatic tourbillons which have tended, especially as the race to produce extra-flat tourbies heated up, to have either micro-rotor (the Piaget caliber 1270P) or peripheral rotor designs (Bulgari, Breguet). There are other full-rotor tourbillons – most recently from Audemars Piguet in the Code 11.59 collection. AP's Code 11.59 Flying Tourbillon uses the central rotor caliber 2950, and it's the first time AP has had a central rotor flying tourbillon in its collection – in a watch which, with no complications, comes in at 41mm x 11.80mm.  

A full-rotor design is always going to be thicker than a micro-rotor or peripheral rotor design, and the JLC manages to be just 0.30mm thicker than the Code with the addition of the moon-phase display and date. That said, I don't think this watch is going to necessarily make anyone emit a low whistle of wonder at its slim profile, but considering the fact that the very flattest automatic tourbillons, with peripheral or micro-rotor winding systems, are roughly 5-7mm affairs, a 12.10mm-thick full-rotor complicated tourbillon ain't too shabby.

The first Royal Oak Tourbillon dates back to the model's 25th anniversary and was launched in 1997. The new Royal Oak Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon follows that late-'90s lead within the now-modern 41mm format. AP reference nerds will want to take note of a new brand signature featured on these models, which for the first time is rendered in galvanic growth 18k gold (Audemars Piguet says the process is similar to 3D printing), a delicate process that was originally used for the lacquered dials of the Code 11.59 family. 

The three references are easily differentiated by their dials, with the steel 26530ST model featuring a radiant blue coloring over a tappisserie pattern that emanates from the center of the tourbillon. Likewise Fake Rolex, the gold 26530OR model has a smoked grey iteration of the same dial design. Finally, the titanium 26530TI goes its own way with a truly gorgeous and entirely understated sandblasted slate grey dial. As a quiet backdrop for a very flashy complication, this pairing strikes a lovely balance that looks to work beautifully with the 26530TI's titanium case and bracelet. 

These Royal Oaks deliver their high-flying functionality from Audemars Piguet's Calibre 2950, an automatically wound movement that ticks at 3 Hz while offering 65 hours of power reserve to keep the hands moving and that tourbillon spinning. While the 2950 was originally launched in the Code 11.59 line, flying tourbillons are a flagship complication for Audemars Piguet and are characterized by a tourbillon that does not have an upper (dial side) tourbillon bridge. Supported by the backside of the mechanism (via a component called the arbor), flying tourbillons allow a better view of the animated function as it spins. Since that captivating motion is a huge part of a tourbillon's appeal, if you're going to pay for a tourbillon, you might as well see as much of it as possible, right?

As is the case with all Royal Oaks, one really must see them in the metal, and I'm quite excited to see live photos and wrist shots (especially of the titanium version) as these undoubtedly exclusive watches start to find homes with lucky new owners. Pricing is stated as "available upon request" and, while I most certainly did request, AP must have known there was no way I could consider myself a qualified buyer. Tourbillon or not, I suppose I need not fly too close to the sun.  

Brand: Audemars Piguet

Model: Royal Oak Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon

Reference Number: 26530ST, 26530TI, 26530OR

Diameter: 41mm

Case Material: Steel, titanium, or 18k pink gold

Dial Color: Blue (steel), grey (titanium), grey with Evolutive Tapisserie (pink gold)

Indexes: Applied

Water Resistance: 50 meters

Strap/Bracelet: Integrated matched metal bracelet

Not all GMTs are created equal, though. Among current production GMTs, those featuring a jumping local hour connected to the date are, in my opinion, the most intuitive and easy-to-use travel watches out there. Landing in a new time-zone, one merely has to extend the crown and jump the hour however many time zones forward or backward he has traveled, and the work is done.

With the recently released Norqain Freedom 60 GMT, there is a new watch that uses this type of movement, while eschewing the rotating 24-hour bezel one finds on the watches many consider the leaders in the type – the Rolex GMT-Master II, and more recently, from Rolex's sibling brand, Tudor, the Black Bay GMT. 

Placing the 24-hour scale on the dial rather than on a rotating bezel allows for a legible and highly functional display of a second time-zone while maintaining a design that feels clean, even a bit dressy, though you do lose the ability to track a third time-zone. The Norqain Freedom 60's feature set reminds me quite a bit of my Grand Seiko SBGM221, a watch that manages to bring much of the best of the GMT to bear without ever tip-toeing around tool-watch territory. It's a dress watch; heck, I wore it to my own wedding. hublot big bang replica

I recently spent some hands-on time with two versions of the Norqain Freedom 60 GMT – one in stainless steel, the other a limited edition in bronze. Each felt solid and well built, with a design and construction that belied the fact that Norqain is a company launched fairly recently. I learned of it for the first time only about a year ago. To say the company's ascent has been rapid feels like an understatement. 

When Norqain announced that it would begin using movements made by Kenissi, the Tudor-owned movement maker, a lot of people stood up and started paying real attention. The most salient feature of Norqain's new GMT is its NN20/2 GMT movement with 70 hours of power reserve, running rate of 28,800 vph, and jumping local hour feature. In terms of appearance and specs, this movement is similar to the Tudor cal. MT 5652, also made by Kenissi, which powers Tudor's excellent and much-written-about Black Bay GMT. The finishing, decoration, and regulation, as well as the oscillating weight, are different in the Norqain caliber. And while the hairspring in the Kenissi-made Norqain movement you see here is Nivarox, the Tudor version features a hairspring in silicium.

The Norqain's movement has nice industrial finishing and includes a branded rotor and a balance bridge traversing the balance wheel. Its more than ample power reserve means that this is a watch one can wear all week before switching to something different on the weekend and coming back to it on Monday. I've said it before, but power reserves of about three days or longer have made a difference in the way I tend to wear watches. It makes switching them out less of a chore. They can feel like a sign from a brand that they get it, you like watches, and this is not the only one you are going to be wearing. The fact that you can take the Freedom 60 GMT off for more than two days and come back to it without skipping a beat is a plus in my book.

Due to the use of the jumping hour GMT movement, one factor that Norqain had to navigate was the additional thickness of the watch. The Freedom 60 GMT measures 40mm in diameter, 14.5mm thick, and 49.2mm lug-to-lug. It's not a thin or small watch by any stretch, but given its overall sporty design, I thought it looked really nice and felt very balanced on my wrist. Whether a watch will have that coveted balanced feel comes down to more than merely strict case dimensions. Of course, it also has to do with the shape and size of one's wrist, the watch's center of mass, and what role the lugs play in providing stability. On my seven-inch wrist, the Freedom 60 GMT in both steel and bronze, on the leather straps shown here, offered a very comfortable wearing experience. As we've seen in other Norqains, there is an engravable plate on the side of the caseband that offers a nice canvas for a personal touch.

Arguably, the most important facet of a watch's design is the dial. It's the interface, what you look at, after all, and a nice watch ought to be pleasing to the eye while also being legible. Do you glance down at your wrist just for a look at the dial, even if you don't really care what time it is? With the right watch, of course you do. But is all the information right there where you need it at a glance? It should be. Striking such a balance can be a challenge, particularly when there are extra displays or complications to be factored in. 

The Freedom 60 GMT takes a page from the vintage watch playbook with large applied markers and a GMT track located toward the center of the dial, divided into two easily distinguishable daytime and nighttime hemispheres. The 24-hour hand is tipped in bright red, making reading one's home time along this track easy. The hours and the minutes come via vintage-inspired syringe hands. In the bronze limited edition, the dial is a warm brown, and the hand-applied markers in this version are actually themselves made of bronze too. In the steel version, you get markers matched with a slightly more noticeable fauxtina lume effect (owing to the greater contrast with dial and makers) set against a black dial. 

As this is a GMT, a date display makes perfect sense, and in the Freedom 60, this function is controlled easily by jumping the local hour hand forward or back. While it's pretty well integrated into the design overall, I found it personally to be less obtrusive in the steel variation, my favorite of the two Freedom 60 GMTs. I totally get the appeal of bronze, with its patination over time, and how one can forge a relationship with a bronze watch through this patination. Still, I think the steel version of the Freedom 60 GMT is simply a sharper-looking watch.