Wristwatch Updates: Breitling, Cartier, Hublot, & More

The Cartier developments are impressive, Omega has a new web site, Hublot refuses to be left behind, and who will fill in for ETA? Cool Breitling pic courtesy of our friends at Perpetuelle.

Baselworld 2010: Breitling Avenger Seawolf Chrono Blacksteel - Perpetuelle: "Water resistant to 3,300 feet (1,000 meters), the big and bold Breitling Avenger Seawolf Chrono Blacksteel is definitely a watch that will turn some heads. The case is 45mm in diameter and very tough looking with a lot of depth to it as well. The movement is Breitling’s Caliber 73, a Breitling “SuperQuartz” certified chronometer movement. Also worth noting is that the watch utilizes a Breitling patented “magnetic pushpiece” system which enables the chronograph functions to be fully functional even at 3,300 feet deep (most chronographs can not be used at meaningful depths because it can compromise the watertight-ness of the watch." (more)

Does The Movement Really Matter? – The End Of The ETA Era - The Watch Lounge: "In anticipation of this many brands have turned to another Swiss movement maker, Sellita. I recently read an excellent article about this manufacturer, specifically focusing on their new chronograph movement, on Perpetuelle’s excellent and always informative blog. If you haven’t had a chance to read it yet, I highly recommend it."

Until the End of the Earth: Cartier's ID One: "Close your eyes. Now imagine a concert piano that never needs retuning or a racecar that miraculously never needs to be serviced despite being ridden hard and put away wet each and every time you turn the key. Foolish, you say? Well, you’re right. The point is, the world’s most high-performance objects are in constant need of readjustment — beneath their indomitable majesty, there lays an underlying fragility."

A Glance At The New Hublot: Jean-Claude Talks Giving Back, BNB, & The Future of the Big Bang - Hodinkee: "While we were there, we were graced with the presence of someone whom we've admired from afar for quite some time, and while that is not untrue to say about Ms. Varekova, we are talking about Jean-Claude Biver, CEO of Hublot. Below is a small sampling of what we learned from Mr. Biver both in his public presentation and in a personal chat we had with the watch industry legend."

Official Press Release : Panerai - Galileo Stockholm: "STOCKHOLM - On the occasion of the International Year of Astronomy 2009, the Nobel Museum in Stockholm hosts the exhibition “Galileo’s Telescope - The Instrument that Changed the World” conceived by the Istituto e Museo di Storia della Scienza in Florence to mark the 400th anniversary of Galileo’s first celestial discoveries. The exhibition, opening on October 10th, is adorned by the extraordinary display of one of the only two surviving telescopes made by Galileo and this unique occasion to discover one of the treasures of all time history of science is possible thanks to the financial support of Italian high-end watchmaker Officine Panerai, main sponsor of the exhibition."

The Luxury bermensch: Interview with Jean-Claude Biver: "Jean-Claude Biver, the CEO Hublot should teach a mandatory class for all watch industry leaders. His track record speaks for itself. On three separate occasions, he’s brought his brands, Blancpain, Omega and Hublot, from relative obscurity to dizzying levels of success. In the frothy pre-crisis era, he was the uncontested hero of the luxury watch world who stewarded Hublot into a sale to the LVMH Group."

Additional links:
BaselWorld 2010: Sellita SW500 Chronograph Movement
A closer look into "Handmade"
Matching Grandfather Clock & Wriistwatch anyone?
Jake's Rolex Watch Blog: Rolex Dreams...
Watch photos No. 3 - Watches and Water
The Chuck Yaeger GMT: Japan Goes Crazy For The Flyboys Again And Creates Some Rolex Kitsch
RESCO Patriot - Gear Patrol
Ever been a guinea pig for watches? Well, that might happen if Ludwig Oechslin suddenly appears...
*** Paneristi Public Forum ***: New strap for interviews
Hublot Photofest: visit new factory, new (and old) watches and new movement