Watches And Wonders Continues With New Watches From IWC, Oris, Chopard, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Vacheron Constantin's, A. Lange & Söhne And TAG Heuer

In this issue:

• IWC Looks Far Into The Future With The Portugieser Eternal Calendar, Introduces New Portugieser Chronos And Three Hands

• Incremental Updates For The Oris Date In Three Sizes And A Number Of New Dials

• Chopard Keeps It Classy With The Beautiful L.U.C Quattro Spirit 25 And Qualité Fleurier, And Sporty With Four New Alpine Eagles

• Jaeger-LeCoultre Brings New Models To The Duometre Line, Updates The Master Ultra Thin Perpetual Calendar

• Luscious Green Overseas, A Titanium Tourbillon, 20 Years Of Patrimony And The Most Complicated Watch In The World Is Vacheron’s New Lineup

• A. Lange & Söhne Celebrates Two Anniversaries With First Honeygold Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon And Datograph Up/Down

• TAG Heuer Brings Copper Tones To Their 36mm Carrera Date

Today’s reading time: 12 minutes and 38 seconds

👂What’s new

1/

IWC Looks Far Into The Future With The Portugieser Eternal Calendar, Introduces New Portugieser Chronos And Three Hands

Looking at a collage of all the IWC releases at Watches and Wonders this year, it looks like they released four watches. It’s either a sand, black or pale blue dial, rendered in countless configurations and complications. It might seem excessive, but it makes sense as IWC is really making sure to cover all their bases. But most interesting is, of course, the IWC Portugieser Eternal Calendar, not something you see every day.

• Starting with the IWC Portugieser Eternal Calendar pictured above, this is truly a special watch. Sure, the platinum case that measures 44.4mm wide and 15mm thick is impressive in itself, just like the beautiful glass dial with white lacquer underneath it, but the true magic happens on the inside. The calibre 52460 is a perpetual calendar, only much, much more advanced. Set it once, and thanks to a new 400-year gear, the watch will be perfectly accurate until the year 3999. Not only that, but the Double Moon display will be accurate for the next 45 million years. to make sure that you don’t mess with the date once you set it, the movement has a 7 day power reserve. This watch will not be limited in number, but will be in production capabilites and pricing, which is set at $155,000.

• IWC is updating their regular Portugieser Perpetual Calendar 44 as well, if you can call it a regular watch. This is still a very capable QP, just not on the level of the Eternal. It comes in a 44mm wide and 14.9mm thick case that can be had in 18k white gold, or 18k 5N Armor Gold, which is IWC’s proprietary hardened gold alloy, with dials in one of four colors - obsidian, horizon blue, dune and silver-plated. Underneath the dial is the IWC manufacture calibre 52616, which has been their high spec perpetual calendar movement for several years and with the same 7 day power reserve. Priced at €51,500 in the Armor Gold and €52,500 in white gold.

• For sure not the most impressive tourbillon released at Watches and Wonders, but IWC Portugieser Hand-Wound Tourbillon Day & Night still has some very nifty features. Like, for example, the very unique day/night indicator at 9 o’clock which is a bi-color sphere. It comes in a 42.4mm wide and 10.8mm thick Armor Gold case with a simple black dial. Priced at €90,500.

• The Portugieser Chronograph is not new, but these three dial colors are. The watch comes in a 41mm wide and 13.1mm thick (with a 47.9mm lug-to-lug) case in three configurations - the stainless steel case gets a dune color dial, the red gold case gets an obsidian dial and the white gold case gets a horizon blue dial. Inside is the in-house calibre 69355, a reliable column wheel chronograph movement. Priced at €9,600 for the steel, €20,600 for the red gold and €21,500 for the white gold.

• You’re not seeing things, I didn’t repeat the same photo as the chronograph. These three watches look mighty familiar, with just a different layout of the sub-dials, right? Well, yes and no. These are not chrono models, instead they are the new Portugieser Automatic 42, a very traditional size for the model. Measuring in at 42.44mm wide and 13mm thick, the watch come sin three stainless steel configurations (with a silver dial and blue hands, a blue dial or a dune dial), a red gold case with an obsidian dial or a white gold case with a horizon blue dial. Sapphire crystals are on top and bottom, water resistance is 50 meters and the watches come on alligator leather straps. Prices range from €14,700 to €28,900.

• And last from IWC, an update to the Portugieser Automatic 40 with a small seconds indicator. There’s a new double glassbox caseback, and it comes in rad or white gold cases that measure 40.4mm wide and 12.4mm thick. Price is €20,000 for the red gold and €21,000 for the white gold.

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Incremental Updates For The Oris Date In Three Sizes And A Number Of New Dials

It’s all about the small changes for Oris this year at Watches and Wonders, and they are focusing on the Aquis. This is a bit of a shame as they have had an interesting showing last year. But still, the new and refined Aquis Date will surely be welcomed. There are small tweaks to the case, with more downturned lugs and reworked crown guards. The bracelet gets a broader center link. The updated Aquis references are available in three different sizes: 43.5mm, 41.5mm, and a new 36.5mm size. On the dial side, new and extremely welcomed is the color-matched date wheel on all the models except for the Upcycle, as that has a dial made out of recycled ocean plastic, which gives it a colorful look that’s unique to each watch.

Perhaps the most interesting will be the 43.5mm version, as that’s the only one that comes with the Oris Calibre 400 movement. The Caliber 400 is also the only one that gets a quick-adjust bracelet clasp. This is a crying shame, as I’m sure that the two smaller sizes would be warmly embraced with those two editions. The 43.5mm version comes with green, blue, and Upcycle dials, with either a bracelet or a rubber strap, and can also be had with the Oris 733 movement, based one the SW200-1. The Oris 733 is fitted to the 41.5mm and 36.5mm sizes, with the 41.5mm getting green, blue, black, and Upcycle dials and the 36.5mm black, cream mother-of-pearl and Upcycle dials.

The 43.5mm watches with the Oris Calibre 400 movement are priced at CHF 3,700 while all the Oris 733 powered watches, regardless of the size, is set at CHF 2,400. See more on the Oris website.

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Chopard Keeps It Classy With The Beautiful L.U.C Quattro Spirit 25 And Qualité Fleurier, And Sporty With Four New Alpine Eagles

This year, Chopard came strong to Watches and Wonders to prove that they are really good at two things - making elegant watches and making sporty watches. So let’s get into them.

• What you have pictured above is not a brand new watch, it’s the L.U.C XPS, but I like the new green dial so much, I had to lead with it. The sector dial gets a PVD treatment and the 40 mm wide case is made out of Lucent Steel, with the L.U.C 96.12-L movement inside. It’s paired with a beautiful saddle brown leather strap. Priced at $11,800

• Equally as elegant and pretty is the L.U.C Qualité Fleurier which comes in the Lucent Steel case that measures 39mm wide. The dial is a beautiful silver sector dial with sunburst satin-brushed, circular satin-finish, and finely snailed surfaces. The hands are elegantly syringe shaped. Inside is the COSC-certified L.U.C 96.09-L movement with 65 hours of power reserve. Priced at CHF 19,300

• The L.U.C Quattro Spirit 25 is an incredibly simple piece with an 18K white gold case and a black Grand Feu enamel dial that has a printed minute-railway track, a polished minute hand a jumping hour at 6 o’clock. The movement is the L.U.C 98.06-L movement, equipped with four barrels and visible through a transparent case-back and has an eight day power reserve. Limited to 100 pieces and priced at $50,200.

• The L.U.C Full Strike comes in an incredibly interesting 42.5mm wide anthracite ceramicised titanium case with a pastel green shade on the dial (and inside of the strap), contrasted with dark titanium hands, markers and chiming mechanism that strike the monobloc sapphire gongs. The minute repeater movement is called the L.U.C Calibre 08.01-L. Limited to 20 pieces with price on request.

• Moving on to the sporty Alpine Eagle collection from Chopard. First up is the new 44mm flyback chronograph model crafted entirely in ethical 18K rose gold. The watch comes with a grey dial with a deeply grooved sunray pattern that’s supposed to resemble an eagle’s iris, while the grey is named Bernina, after the famous mountain range. Inside is the Chopard 03.05-C movement that has a flyback function and 60 hours of power reserve. Priced at CHF 69,800

• Next is the same watch, but made in Grade 5 titanium for the first time. The dial is blue with black sub-dials. It comes on a rubber strap and retails for CHF 23,700.

• Then, there is the Chopard Alpine Eagle 41 XP TT, which ditches the eagle iris dial for a skeleton version. It also has a satin-brushed 41mm wide titanium case band with polished chamfers, and the bezel is Grade 5 titanium. Priced at CHF 22,500.

• Lastly, there’s the Alpine Frozen Summit which now comes in a 33mm wide case that joins the 41mm version. The case is made out of 18k gold and just completely covered with diamonds.

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Jaeger-LeCoultre Brings New Models To The Duometre Line, Updates The Master Ultra Thin Perpetual Calendar

Come on Jaeger Le-Coultre, how beautiful can watches get? You’re really pushing what’s possible, that’s for sure. The Duometer always stood for innovation and this year is no different. While the headline of the collection is the Duometre Chronograph Moon, there’s no denying that the Duometre Heliotourbillon Perpetual Calendar is the real showstopper.

• First up, the incredible Duometre Heliotourbillon Perpetual Calendar pictured above. It’s takes the original idea of the Gyrotourbillon, which was designed to compensate for the effect of gravity at every position and goes crazy with it. The watch has a cylindrical hairspring, as well as three titanium cages rotating on three axes: the first cage is set at a 90-degree angle to the balance wheel and rotates perpendicular to it; the second is set at 90 degrees to the first; the third is perpendicular to the second and makes a full rotation every 60 seconds. This is all supported by ceramic ball bearings and displayed in an extremely dramatic cutout in the dial. The price is equally as dramatic: $438,000 and limited to 20 pieces.

• Then we have the Duometre Chrono Moon. A stunning watch that comes in a 42.5mm wide and 14.2mm thick case that can be had in either a platinum with a salmon dial or rose gold and a silver dial. The cases have a mix of polished, brushed and micro-blasted surfaces. Time is told at the 10 o’clock sub-dial, with central chronograph seconds and multiple moon phase functions spread through the dial. The caliber 391 movement can be seen through the dial and retains the monopusher setup, as well as the two separate barrels and independent mainsprings that drive the timekeeping and complications, but are integrated into a single caliber and escapement. The Duometre Chronograph Moon in platinum has an price of $86,000, while the pink gold is $70,000.

• Last of the Duometre updates is the Quantieme Lunaire. Basically the same watch, but without the chronograph function. Well, not the same, but you know what I mean. It uses the same caliber 381 that we've seen in previous versions of the watch, but now it's in a new steel case, along with a blue opaline dial. Priced at $44,300.

• Last is the update to the Master Ultra Thin Perpetual Calendar. The differences to the old models are tiny on the outside and a bit more substantial on the inside. The new watches can be had in three 18k pink gold variants and one in stainless steel. The case measures 39mm wide and 9.2mm thick, with one variant carrying diamonds, and the biggest update on the outside are the slimmed and elongated lugs. The huge improvement is the use of the same Caliber 868, but now instead of 38 hours of power reserve you get a much more modern 70 hours.

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Luscious Green Overseas, A Titanium Tourbillon, 20 Years Of Patrimony And The Most Complicated Watch In The World Is Vacheron’s New Lineup

Vacheron Constantin pulled a bit of a “oh, and one more thing” at Watches and Wonders. Following releases of quite decent updates to their most popular watches, including the celebration of the Patrimony line, they just casually showed the Berkley Grand Complication with Chinese QP, the most complicated watch in the world. Good on them!

• Starting with what will likely be the most popular watch of their new releases, a green dial for a pink-gold Vacheron Overseas. There are four new versions, a 35mm version with a diamond set bezel, a 41mm time and date model, a 42.5mm chronograph, and a 41mm dual time. The watch can be had on either a solid gold bracelet or a green rubber strap. There’s no pricing available yet, but it will likely be similar to the blue-dial version which came in at $58,500 for the gem-set 35mm, $60,500 for the 41mm date, and $79,500 for the chronograph.

• The green and gold is stunning, but the new blue-dialed Overseas Tourbillon with a grade 5 titanium case and bracelet is nothing to sneer at. It measures in at 42.5mm wide and inside is the Caliber 2160 movement. Again, no pricing available now, but the same watch in steel was priced at $129,000. I can’t imagine this one being cheaper.

• From titanium, all the way to platinum. This is the new Traditionnelle Tourbillon Chronograph Collection Excellence Platine. It uses the existing tourbillon-equipped monopusher chrono and gives it a platnium case, platinum dial, platinum hands, platinum crown and a platinum buckle, all powered by a manually wound VC Caliber 3200. The watch is limited to 50 pieces and there’s no pricing yet, but you know it won’t be cheap.

• The Patrinomy had a simple task 20 years when it was first introduced - create modern versions of minimalist watches inspired by the 1950s. And it did it well. Now Vacheron is introducing two new sizes of a new Patrimony, a 39mm manual wind and a 41mm moonphase and retrograde date. The smaller versions come in pink or white gold, with antique silver colored dial with a sunburst-finish. Inside is the manual-winding Caliber 1440 with 42 hours of power reserve. The larger one comes in a white gold case with the same shade of dial, with a moonphase aperture at 6 o’clock and a retrograde date at 12. The watch is powered by the Caliber 2460 R31L.

• And finally, we have one of Vacheron’s pet projects - creating the most complicated watches in the world. Their previous model, the Tivoli, featured 57 complications while the new Berkley Grand Complication pocket watch has 63 complications. Made out of white gold, it weighs in at almost a kilo and measures 72mm across. The complications are just too many to list here, so head on over to the Hodinkee article on the watch to see every function it has.

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A. Lange & Söhne Celebrates Two Anniversaries With First Honeygold Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon And Datograph Up/Down

2024 is an important year for A. Lange & Söhne - they are celebrating the 30th anniversary of the brand and 25th anniversary of the Datograph model. That’s why it’s kind of weird that they unveiled only two watches at Watches and Wonders. Weird, but it also means that they have much more in store for the rest of the year. So let’s see these two.

• First up is the new Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon Honeygold Lumen. And just look at it. It comes in a 42.5mm wide case made out of Lange’s luscious Honeygold. But it’s not just the case that’s stunning, it’s also the fact that it’s part of the Lumen series - part of a collection of 6 LEs - which means that it has a translucent dial that glows in the dark, along with a lot of lumed details - the hour, minute and chronograph seconds hands, a tachymeter scale, the signature large date, as well as the moonphase and subdials are coated with lume. Inside is the L952.4, the latest generation of the manual wound Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon calibre which has a 50 hour power reserve. The watch is limited to 50 pieces and priced at a quite unbelievable $620,000.

• Next is a limited edition of 125 pieces of the Datograph Up/Down. It comes in a 41mm wide and 13.1mm thick white gold case and a blue dial, the two options that aren’t available in the regular lineup. It has central hour and minutes hands along with a flyback chronograph, a jumping elapsed minute display, a two-digit large date and a power reserve indocator. Inside is the hand wound L951.6 movement made out of German silver and hand finished. No word on pricing yet.

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TAG Heuer Brings Copper Tones To Their 36mm Carrera Date

The TAG Heuer Carrera Glassbox is absolutely killing it with retro styling and incredible choice of colors. But the brand has another brand that is inspired by the past, and that would be the 36mm Carrera Date, which is pretty true to the original Heuer Carrera from 1963. Now the line is getting three new colorways, all very copper in shade.

The three new models come in either a fully stainless steel case or a two-tone one that uses 18K 5N rose gold. Two versions get a mother-of-pearl dial, one with diamond hour markers, while one gets a snailed copper dial and a rose gold bezel and two-toned bracelet. A nice edition to the line with nothing revolutionary.

Inside is the Caliber 7, the very familiar movement that beats at 4Hz and has a 56 hour power reserve. Price is set at CHF 4,700 for the all steel version, CHF 4,850 for the copper dial version and CHF 6,750 for the diamond hour markers version. See more on the TAG Heuer website.

⏲️Wait a minute

A bunch of links that might or might not have something to do with watches. One thing’s for sure - they’re interesting

• I know there’s already enough reading in the Watches and Wonders coverage, but maybe you’d like a little break. Like, for example, this piece from New York Magazine which is the type of article that made me fall in love with that publication. It’s a history of New York told through its most legendary restaurants and their regulars.

• An abandoned truck appeared on a New Zealand beach. A father and three kids were missing. Then the story got darker—and stranger.

• Norval Morrisseau was one of the most famous Indigenous artists anywhere. Then the fakes of his works surfaced—and kept coming. This is the story of the “multi-multi-multi-million-dollar art fraud that shook the world.

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One video you have to watch today

You guys liked that I provided some music to go along with the Watches and Wonders coverage. Instead of running with our regular videos, here’s some more music, this time longer!