- It's About Time
- Posts
- Zenith Debuts Stunning Chronomaster Original Triple Calendar, Bulgari's Octo Finissimo Yellow Gold And Tuscan Copper, CW Introduces New The Twelve 36mm Titanium, New From TAG Heuer And Hublot
Zenith Debuts Stunning Chronomaster Original Triple Calendar, Bulgari's Octo Finissimo Yellow Gold And Tuscan Copper, CW Introduces New The Twelve 36mm Titanium, New From TAG Heuer And Hublot
Make fun of Hublot all you want, they can really knock it out of the park sometimes
It's About Time
January 30, 2024
Hey friends, welcome back to It’s About Time. LVMH Watch Week continues with releases from Zenith, Bulgari, Hublot and more TAG. It really is an interesting lineup over there at the largest fashion company in the world.
If you like this newsletter, you might consider supporting it. You can do so in two ways. Forward it to someone you know loves watches and ask them to subscribe, or you can directly support it through Patreon.
In this issue:
Zenith Debuts Stunning Chronomaster Original Triple Calendar With Moonphase, Paying Tribute To A Rare Prototype
Bulgari Brings The Octo Finissimo Yellow Gold And Tuscan Copper To The Regular Lineup
Christopher Ward Expand The Twelve Collection With New 36mm Titanium Model And New Colors
TAG Heuer Continues Lab-Grown Diamond Extravaganza With New Carrera Date 36mm Plasma Diamant d’Avant-Garde
Hublot Breaks Every Watchmaking Rule Out There With The Crazy MP-10 Tourbillon Weight Energy System Titanium
Today’s reading time: 8 minutes and 36 seconds
Number of dragon-themed watches this Year (so far, and including today): 18
👂What’s new
1/
Almost 55 years ago, Zenith produced 25 pieces of a prototype of an El Primero that was supposed to serve as a proof of concpet. The A386 as it was called was redesigned to accommodate a triple calendar, moonphase, and chronograph. At the same time, people went crazy for their El Primero chronograph so Zenith moved away from the complicated watch and moved into the 70s with variations of the chrono. Only a few of these prototypes foudn their way to the public and in 2012 one was auctioned off for $40,000. Turns out, it was Zenith that bought that watch at auction and now they’re releasing the absolutely spectacular Chronomaster Triple Calendar with a new complete calendar caliber in three great colors.
Even though the new Zenith Chronomaster Triple Calendar is not an exact copy of the A386 prototype, Zenith did point out that they used the exact blueprint and proportions of the original case. This means it’s 38mm wide, 13mm thick and has a lug-to-lug of 46mm. It’s made of stainless steel and has a raised and domed sapphire crystal on top. It’s all very retro with a sharp and sloped profile, pump-style chronograph pushers, faceted lugs, and a combination of radial brushed and polished surfaces.
The dial is where things get really nice. At first you notice that there’s a date window at 4.30, the worst of all the date positions despite it being traditional for the El Primero, but then you notice that there’s a day indicator next to the 10 o’clock marker and a month indicator at 2 o’clock. Zenith’s effort to include a triple calendar, as well as a moonphase which is integrated into the chronograph’s 60-minute counter at 6 o’clock, works like a charm here. The dial is just beautiful.
The dial also comes in three different colors. First up is a slate-gray opaline dial with silvery-white sub-dials and scale directly inspired by the 1970s prototypes it is based on and the second is the silvery-white opaline dial with black sub-dials. Both of these feature rose-gold-colored applied indices and hands filled with Super-LumiNova, while the moon is also rendered in rose gold on a metallic blue sunray-patterned disc. Lastly, there’s the special edition that will be available only in boutiques, with a deep moss green color, yellow-gold-colored applied hour markers and hands filled with Super-LumiNova. All three versions feature calendar discs that match the dial colors, which is really appreciated.
Inside all three versions is Zenith’s new in-house-produced El Primero 3610 caliber. It beats at 36,000vph, has a 60-hour power reserve and seeing how it’s an evolution of the El Primero caliber 3600 that powers the regular Chronomaster Original, it’s precise down to 1/10th of a second. All three watches can be had on a matching calfskin leather strap or a three-row stainless steel bracelet.
The Zenith Chronomaster Original Triple Calendar is available now, with the green version just available in boutiques, with all three costing the same and only difference being strap options. If you go for the leather, the watch will set you back CHF 12,900, while the stainless steel bracelet will cost you CHF 13,400. See more on the Zenith website.
2/
Some time last year, Bulgari revamped their Octo Roma line, announcing a big push into developing this smaller, gentler and more affordable brother to the Octo Finissimo line. At the same time, they said they will be stopping releases of new Finissimo models to focus on the Roma. So much for that… They released at least three new Finissimo models after that in the last year and now they’re introducing two new regular-production models: the Bulgari Octo Finissimo Yellow Gold and the Bulgari Octo Finissimo Tuscan Copper.
Both models come in the same very familiar, very spectacular Octo Finissimo case which is 40mm wide and traditionally thin at 6.4mm. They differ, however, in case material, with the Yellow Gold rendered in, expectedly, 18k yellow gold, and the Tuscan Copper made out of 904L stainless. Both, however, have a brushed finish and a polished octagonal bezel.
Starting with the Yellow Gold, it gets a beautiful blue dial, the same shade as many other Octo models, but for the first time paired with the gold case. Blue and gold go fantastically together, as evident here. The applied indices and hands are all in matching gold. The Tuscan Copper, however, is not the first time you see this color combination, as Bulgari released this salmon dial as a 50 piece limited edition last year. It’s not really a cool move by Bulgari to sell a dial as an LE and then release it as a regular production watch.
Inside both watches is the in-house BVL138 caliber, a super thin movement wound by a platinum micro-rotor. It beats at 21,600 vph and has a decent 60 hour power reserve. Both also come on the beautiful matching bracelet the Octo Finissimo is famous for.
Price is pretty much expected - the Bulgari Octo Finissimo Tuscan Copper is priced at $13,300, while the Bulgari Octo Finissimo Yellow Gold is priced at $45,500. See more on the Bulgari website.
3/
The meteoric rise of Christopher Ward from an ambitious microbrand into one of the most important watch brands in the UK has been a sight to behold. From fantastic divers, great looking field watches to incredible machines like the Bel Canto, they have really put out some bangers. So, it’s no surprise that they jumped onto the integrated bracelet sports watch bandwagon last year with The Twelve, one of the best renditions of the trend. Now, they’re expanding The Twelve lineup with six new watches, including a brand new 36mm version in titanium.
The Twelve 36 (Ti) was very much an expected watch, since we already had a steel and titanium versions of the 40mm Twelve, but just a steel version of the 36mm. Seeing as how the steel versions of both the 36 and 40 have single color dials, it was also expected that the smaller titanium watch would get the gradient dials of the larger brother. But I’m getting in front of myself.
The new The Twelve 36 (Ti) comes in a titanium case that measures 36mm wide and is 8.95mm thick. Just like the larger model it has flat sapphire crystals on both sides, and the case still has the same signature 12-sided bezel with brushed, sandblasted, and high-polished surfaces. The strap is also made out of titanium and looks a bit like the Bulgari bracelet up top, but you can also have it on a rubber strap.
The dials have a texture made up of small CW dual-flag logos and a gradient color that starts out lighter in the center and goes much darker on the outskirts, but never black. The three new colors are called Cosmic Purple, Nardus Green, and Lagoon Blue and are pretty easy to figure out what they are. They do look amazing.
Inside the watch is a COSC certified Sellita SW 300-1, making it the first 36mm model to achieve chronometer status. It’s an automatic movement with 56-hour power reserve and accuracy of -4/+6 seconds per day.
Price is the same for all three and you will be looking at €1,595 for the rubber strap version and €2,075 for the full titanium bracelet.
CW is also introducing three new colors to the rest of The Twelve lineup. First up is a new color for the The Twelve (Ti) 40mm version called the Aurora Green which is a vibrant green going all the way to black on the outside. Then there’s the steel Twelve which gets Mineral Blue and lastly there’s a new Twelve 36 that gets a Frosted Lavender shade which looks mighty fine. See more on the Christopher Ward website.
4/
While reading this, keep in mind that not every watch needs to be made to suit every single person’s taste. Hell, they don’t even have to be made to suit anybody’s taste. Sometimes they can just be demonstrations of what a brand can do, how far they can push a new technology they are working on. And this is exactly what you have to keep in mind when reading about TAG Heuer’s experiments with lab-grown diamond technology which started in 2022. Last year they showed that they can grow pink diamonds as well and now they’re showing off a brand new Carrera Date 36mm Plasma Diamant d’Avant-Garde that features yellow diamonds.
The watch comes in the familiar 36mm version of the time and date Carrera, but who cares about the case in this case? Staring off with, of all places, the crown. It’s made out of a single 1.3-carat yellow diamond which is, like all the other diamonds on the watch, completely lab grown. Moving on to the dial, TAG calls it a poly-crystalline dial, was created by growing a large number of diamond crystals as one piece, resulting in a myriad of reflections. The hour markers are made out of 12 baguette-cut lab-grown transparent diamonds, while another large lab-grown yellow diamond is set into the company’s shield logo.
Inside is the Caliber 7 automatic movement which beats at 28,800vph and has a 56 hour power reserve. The watch comes on a white alligator strap, fitted with a white gold pin buckle.
Price for the Carrera Date 36mm Plasma Diamant d’Avant-Garde is, expectedly, on request. But if it’s in the range of the previous pink diamond version, expect to pay about CHF 90,000. See more on the TAG Heuer website.
5/
It’s just too easy to make fun of Hublot. Sure, they have made some mistakes and they make some truly ridiculous watches, but there is no denying that they can make a watch. A truly great watch, one that is almost no longer a watch and more of a sculpture. While the majority of our focus on the Big Bang series, Hublot also has the MP line, where Hublot’s designers and watchmakers are free to experiment and come up with whatever they want. So, this is the Hublot MP-10 Tourbillon Weight Energy System Titanium, visually and mechanically something you don’t see every day, as it displays the hours and minutes on rollers, the seconds on an inclined tourbillon cage and the power reserve on a third roller, and that’s just the start of it’s strangeness.
The MP-10 comes in a rectangular case that has super-rounded edges and measures 41.5mm wide, a whopping 22.4mm thick and has a lug-to-lug of 54.1mm. The sapphire crystal on top cuts into the sides of the case and resembles a puzzle piece, letting you see everything that’s going on inside. And there’s so much to see.
The MP-10 uses rollers to tell the time, but this comes at a cost as rollers are much heavier than hands so they require more energy to move. It gets even more complicated, all wheels are not on the same plane so Hublot has to transfer the driving force through a 90-degree angle. The hours and minutes are indicated by the two upper drums. The power reserve is shown on the lower roller with green and red zones. And most fun of all is the seconds that can be read digitally on the tourbillon’s monobloc aluminium cage that is inclined at 35 degrees from the vertical axis, situated at 6 o’clock, cut into the case.
To power all of these drums, Hublot uses the HUB9013 automatic which took five years of development. This uniquely shaped, architectural, three-dimensional movement could not accommodate a traditional oscillating weight. Instead, it is flanked by two sliding gold weights winding the movement bi-directionally by sliding up and down. The watch can also be wound manually with the crown at 12 o’clock and the power reserve is rated at 48 hours. A retractable crown at the back of the watch is used to set the time. The watch comes on a rubber strap that’s attached to four points of the case.
The Hublot MP-10 Tourbillon Weight Energy System Titanium will be limited to 50 pieces and I would say they will easily sell out of all 50, considering how unique the movement and the entire watch are, if it weren’t for the price. €275,000 is a lot of money and while there are a lot of rich people out there, I hope they will find 50 of them who want a completely out there watch for a lot of money. See more on the Hublot website.
🫳On hand
Our selection of the best reviews we stumble upon
1/
2/
3/
⚙️Watch Worthy
A look at an off beat, less known watch you might actually likewatches
I’m not sure to what extent Makina explore their occult names, but Andras is one of the 72 Goetic demons listed in the Lesser Key of Solomon. He is supposedly a particularly violent one, appearing with a winged body, the head of an owl, riding a black wolf and wielding a sword. Well, the watch hopefully won’t be sowing discord and bloodshed, but the dial is definitely executed sharply. Its multi-tiered arrangement almost feels like peering into some arcane puzzle box, each layer taking you deeper into metaphysical mystery.
⏲️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
Packed with fascinating tidbits about the history and biology of the second-leading killer in the US, Michio Kaku explores whether technology could provide a solution at long last, or whether the war on cancer might prove unwinnable.
The fentanyl crisis spans continents. Chapter by chapter, from South to North America, EL PAÍS connects the chains that holds the industry together by amplifying rarely heard voices.
Truman Capote set fire to his social status with this Esquire excerpt from his novel Answered Prayers, which wasn’t published until after his death. A confidant to the society ladies of Manhattan, he sold them out with his sensationalistic roman à clef about their lives and secrets. “La Côte Basque, 1965” is now enjoying a renaissance thanks to the FX and Hulu series Feud: Capote vs. The Swans, which is based on a book about the fallout following Côte’s publication.
👀Watch this
One video you have to watch today
I have a love/hate relationship with Denis Villeneuve, but there’s not denying that his Sicario is a fantastic film. This could be in part due to the fantastic writing of Taylor Sheridan, but as this video essay on it’s unforgettable character Alejandro shows, Villeneuve created a magnetic persona that not only explains the title of the movie, but also wraps it up into a nice bow.
💵Pre-loved precision
Buy and sell your watches. Think of this section like old school classifieds - i don’t guarantee anything except that a bunch of people will see your ad and I’ll put the buyer and seller in touch. Want to advertise your watch? Contact us
LOOKING TO BUY: Here’s a crazy request. One of you is looking to buy the Ōtsuka Lotēc No. 7.5. Sure, it’s a big ask, but if any of you have one and want to sell, reach out to and I’ll put you in touch
SOLD: Well, not really new. It’s a great looking mid-90s Tudor Submariner 75090, offered for sale by a member of the It’s About Time reader crew. I love the way it looks and seems to be in great condition. Check it out over on Chrono24.
LOOKING TO BUY: One of our readers is looking to purchase three very specific watches: an Islander ISL-133 Mother of Pearl, a Sinn 556 Mother of Pearl or a Zelos 300m GMT Mosaic Mother of Pearl. If you’re selling any of these, reach out to us and we’ll put you in touch
Want to sell your watch to a community of passionate horologists? Reach out to us and we’ll put your ad up.
Want to let us know what you think about the newsletter? Go to our survey and fill it out.
-Vuk