Senfine: the concept watch with a 70-day power reserve

Parmigiani Fleurier has announced the creation of Senfine, an innovative concept watch that features an impressive autonomy of 70 days.

The new timepiece was based on an invention by Pierre Genequand, a physicist at the Swiss Center for Electronics and Microtechnology. Parmigiani Fleurier developed a mechanical watch that eliminates the energy-consuming elements found in a traditional regulator.

As a result, the Senfine reduces the energy consumption to a fraction thanks to a system of flexible, frictionless joints in silicon commonly found in the aerospace technology.

James Bond’s Omega Seamaster 300 wrist watch sold for £92,500

The Omega Seamaster 300 wrist watch worn by James Bond in “Spectre” was sold for at a Christie’s charity auction, in London.

Prototype one of eight Omega Seamaster 300 timepieces used by Daniel Craig had an estimated price of between £15,000 and £20,000, but the new owner paid nearly five times more for it.

The Omega Seamaster 300 is the only gadget given to James Bond by Q in “Spectre”; the wrist watch helps save 007 in the Moroccan lair scene. The limited commercial edition of 7007 units was tagged at €5,500.

Smartwatch sales outshine Swiss wrist watches

The global sales of smart watches have outpaced Swiss watches in the fourth quarter of 2015. Are there winds of change blowing in the watch industry?

According to the market researcher Strategy Analytics, it is the first time ever that high-tech timepieces overtake the classic, “organic” watches made in Switzerland.

In the last four months of 2015, there were 8.1 million smart watch shipments (316 percent more than in Q4 2014), compared with 7.9 million Swiss wrist watch shipments (5 percent than in Q4 2014).

Harry Winston is on a “Countdown to a Cure”

American jeweler and watchmaker Harry Winston launched the “Countdown to a Cure,” a timepiece honoring the brand’s partnership with amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research.

The “Countdown to a Cure” is a limited edition of 20 women’s and 20 men’s watch models. They will be sold exclusively at Harry Winston stores, with 20 percent of the retail sales price from each timepiece being donated to amfAR.

Each model is produced in white gold and was designed to showcase the campaign colors that symbolize the fade of the disease from crisis to cure. The “Countdown to a Cure Timepiece” is part of Harry Winston’s Midnight Collection.

Hublot’s Big Bang Broderie watch blends tradition and modernity

Swiss manufacturer Hublot has launched the Big Bang Broderie watch series, an exquisite blend of femininity and technology.

It’s innovation and creativity at the highest level. The two-model series – Big Bang Broderie Sugar Skull 41mm, and Big Bang Broderie 41mm – brings together Saint Gallen embroidery and precision watch technology.

You’ll find intense colors – violet, orange, yellow, fuchsia, pale pink, navy blue, and turquoise – alongside 12 precious stones in the dial, a bezel set with 36 red spinels, and floral arabesques on the strap.

Exospace B55, the smartwatch for aviation professionals

Breitling has launched Exospace B55, the brand’s first smart watch.

The new timepiece was specially designed for aviation professionals. The Exospace B55 receives notifications of the smartphone’s incoming emails, messages (SMS, WhatsApp) or phone calls (with caller’s name or number) as well as reminders of upcoming appointments.

Breitling’s first ever connected chronograph allows the user to share the results of various measurements (flight times, recorded times with split times, lap times, etc.) with a mobile phone.

Apple and Hermès launch innovative watch

Apple and Hermès have announced the launch of the Apple Watch Hermès, an innovative timepiece combining the best of both brands.

The Apple Watch Hermès features a stainless steel construction with finely crafted leather bands in distinctive styles designed by Hermès, including the Single Tour, Double Tour and Cuff.

“We are strongly united by the same deeply held ideas and principles. I see it as the establishment of an alliance in excellence; like horse and carriage, a perfect team,” notes Pierre-Alexis Dumas, artistic executive at Hermès.

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