Blow away those Blues!

One of the most popular hues, blue spreads itself in an arch of tempting shades that prove irresistible for leading watch makers. From dynamic midnight blue to tenderly, delicate aquamarine shades, these painstakingly crafted timepieces amaze us both with their looks and technical virtuosity. So take the plunge and come away with a pick or two of the season’s most compelling creations selected to blow away your blues…  

Longines HydroConquest line is dedicated to men and women looking for a high performance timepiece that combines technical innovation and elegance. With a screwed crown, a screw-down case back and the lateral crown protection, these timepieces assure a water-resistance of 30 bar (300 meters). All the models are equipped with indispensable safety devices such as a unidirectional rotating bezel coloured in red, black or blue, hands coated with Super-LumiNova® to make sure that the time can be read in all conditions and a bracelet with double safety diving folding clasp and diving extension. They have a round steel case and a diameter of 39 mm or 41 mm. The 3-hands-models are equipped with an automatic or a quartz movement while the HydroConquest chronographs are available either with the L688 column-wheel movement exclusively developed for Longines by ETA or a quartz movement. The dials in black, white or blue feature bright details in red and – depending on the model – 8 to 11 Arabic numerals and the bracelets are made of steel or rubber in black.

At Antiquorum’s “Important Modern & Vintage Timepieces” auction in Geneva, held on March 17^th 2013, a version of A. Lange & Söhne’s Tourbillon “Pour le Mérite,” featuring a very rare combination of a white gold case and a blue dial, was sold for 275,710 euros. The watch is part of a 1994 limited edition of 200 pieces. Fifty of these watches were cased in platinum and 130 were presented in 18k gold cases. Only 19 had a case of white gold. Sold at 275,710 euros, the watch not only exceeded the maximum estimate of 225,000 euros, it also sold for more than four times the original retail price, the highest ever recorded for a white-gold Tourbillon “Pour le Mérite” by A. Lange & Söhne. It features a “fusée-and-chain” transmission, a mechanism that offsets the torque loss of the mainspring, combined with a one-minute tourbillon.

Dedicated to globetrotters everywhere, Baume & Mercier's Capeland 10106 is a 44 mm steel Worldtimer marked by an elegant, timeless design. This watch is driven by a manufacture mechanical self-winding movement visible through a transparent sapphire case-back. Easy to handle and water-resistant up to 50 meters, this timepiece displays simultaneously around the edge of its off-white dial the time in 24 time zones in relation to the time in your current location. A true invitation to travel, this timepiece is worn with a blue alligator strap closed by a pin buckle.

Boucheron's women's jewellery watches are inspired by the chameleon, the swan and elephant. Throughout its 154 years of history, the brand has always known how to have fun. More often than not, that joy has been inspired by the bestiary of creatures that Boucheron call their own as Boucheron and 'les animaux' go hand in hand. From the slithering serpent necklaces to the delicate 'cypris' or swan rings, Boucheron explores animals like no other jeweller. It’s Crazy Jungle Hathi Diamants watch celebrates the power, strength, and wisdom of the elephant auguring great fortune for the New year, and is an award-winning collection.  

Breitling's Superocean 42 Blue watch is made in a limited series of 2000 pieces. Its case has a water-resistance of 1,500 m/5,000 ft and is fitted with a screwdown crown and caseback as well as a ratcheted unidirectional rotating bezel, a cambered Sapphire crystal, glare-proofed on both sides. It is equipped with a self-winding, chronometer-certified movement according to the COSC (Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute), the highest benchmark in terms of precision and reliability and the only one based on an international standard. The watch follows an appealing aquatic blue theme with its bezel clad in blue rubber, which is echoed by the Mariner Blue dial with its luminescent hands and hour-markers and on the a blue rubber Diver Pro III strap embossed with the Breitling logo.

Created in 1993, Chopard’s iconic Happy Sport watch is still a style classic. To mark 20 years of its iconic Happy Sport watches, famous for their free-flowing diamonds, Swiss luxury brand Chopard unveils the new Happy Sport Medium Automatic. The new model has a guilloché silver-toned dial, a tribute to the decorative traditions of classical watchmaking, and a sapphire crystal back, which provides a chance to admire its mechanical self-winding movement. Water resistant to 30 metres and fitted with either a blue or plum-pink alligator leather strap, this timepiece is sure to become another collector’s item.

de Grisogono's keeps on turning heads with its new Tondo By Night collection whose three new models adopt the vivid colours of blue, red and green. The refined art of gemsetting subtly accompanies the technical sophistication of a finely crafted mechanical calibre whose gemset oscillating weight is visible on the dial side. In the same fundamental palette of colours, the 48 precious stones that adorn the bezel and the 60 gems on the inverted oscillating weight give a sparkling, joyful air to this brightly original trio. All three watches promise to sparkle night and day thanks to photoluminescent composite fibreglass (PLF) – an innovative luminescent material – and the incorporation of fine particles of mother-of-pearl. The black diamond on the crown, the galuchat strap and the powerful Tondo case add the finishing touches to this collection in pure de Grisogono style.

Although the project was originally that of one man, the adventure is collective. Jérôme De Witt's view is that the past centuries hold abundant wealth – and that given the technological resources of today, the least that can be done is to go further still. Presented in a limited edition of 11 watches, Dewitt's 43mm white gold Pieces de Exception Academia Tourbillon Mysterieux Haute Joaillerie flaunts covetable looks accented by square-cut sapphires on the bezel, the lugs and the crown. It enshrines a manual-winding mechanical movement with a frequency of 21 600 Alt/h and a power reserve of 110 hours and features a tourbillion, hours, minutes and seconds. It has a sapphire-back crystal, is water resistant to 30m and is matched by a leather strap.

Dior delighted its fans with another novelty women's watch collection - the Dior Pièce Unique. The basis of new watches is automatic mechanisms Elite of the Zenith factory production with a power reserve of 50 hours offering hours, minutes, seconds and water-resistant to 50 meters. They feature 33 mm white gold cases with bezel, inlaid with baguette cut precious stones. The case diameter is. The backside is transparent. A distinctive feature of Dior novelties include the rotor and the beautiful mother of pearl inserts on the strap and dial, the use of precious stones that give to each model of the line a special character and mood. Watches are equipped with a strap from taffeta or satin, corrugated tulle or natural alligator leather to choose from. We feature the Dior Pièce Unique n ° 8 is made with white mother of pearl, which is combined with diamonds and aquamarines of five different shapes.

This year, renowned Swiss watchmaker Frederique Constant introduces a new look to two of its exceptionally popular Slimline Moonphase Manufacture models. The FC-705S4S6B is presented with a gleaming, three-part stainless steel case measuring 42mm diameter. The automatic movement features hours, minutes, date and moonphase, all adjustable through the single crown. The stunning domed silver dial is adorned with hand-applied nickel indexes and hands, and is protected by a convex sapphire crystal. The appreciated see-through case back has also been retained. The FC-705N4S6B featured here offers the same features and functionality, but the dial is a midnight navy blue. Both models are driven by the FC-705 Manufacture caliber, with 26 jewels and an exceptional 42-hour power reserve. Both have an ultra-modern and super- sporty stainless steel bracelets.

Girard-Perregaux has added a new luxury watch that rises to the rank of underwater gem. The new Girard-Perregaux Sea Hawk for 2014 boasts vivid nautical hues of cobalt blue for the dial, while the hands, the power reserve indicator and unidirectional bezel are picked out in coral orange. The dial features a relief structure “honeycomb”. Thanks to a treatment coverage luminescent indexes provide three-dimensional readability in the dark. The inclined flange and the graduated scale of minutes aesthetic creates a bond between the dial and the case. Playing on the effects of the asymmetry, the date is shown in a window at 2 o’clock from the edges smoothed.

The power reserve indicator is located at 6 o’clock – an area in orange showing the point at which the movement must be rewound – and the small second is positioned at 10 o’clock. Around the sapphire crystal, unidirectional rotating bezel allows you to monitor the immersion time and is easily adjustable thanks to the jagged edge. The case, made ​​of steel, provides superior performance thanks to cutting-edge techniques and undeniable expertise in the watch industry. At 4 o’clock, the crown is screwed in black rubber disappears inside a protection for maximum impact resistance.

Glashütte Original Sixties Panorama Date from the brand’s retro-styled Senator Sixties collection is offered in a striking midnight blue version. It derives its name from the large “Panorama” date above the 6 o’clock position, a hallmark of the brand. Its dial is domed and made of German silver, which is galvanized in Glashütte Original’s own dial factory. Its shiny azure hue is enhanced by a sunburst finish. There are Arabic numerals, in a ’60s-vintage font, at the 3, 6, 9 and 12 o’clock positions, surrounded by precisely milled hour indices and finely drawn minute markers. The white-gold hour and minute hands are slightly curved to echo the slight curvature of the dial and are highlighted in Super-LumiNova. The 42mm stainless steel case is water-resistant to 30 meters. It has a sapphire crystal with non-reflective treatment on both sides and an additional sapphire viewing window in the caseback that shows off the watch’s automatic movement, Caliber 39-47 with a frequency of 28,800 vph and power reserve of approximately 40 hours.

Jacob & Co. is an artistic visionary Maison that displays boundless creative freedom. Setting a completely new tone, both in terms of design and complications, it celebrates being different. It's Brilliant Skeleton Tourbillon Art Deco displays this exemplary aspect and seems to recall an ancient Mexican artifact. The Brilliant Skeleton Jewelry is an exquisite timepiece mixing the best of high jewelry and horology. This sumptuous masterpiece has a noble composition of 18 carats gold and diamonds, a treasure chest for the hypnotic mechanical sensual beauty of the hand-finished openwork Jacob&Co JCAM01 Caliber.

The latest temptation from Jaeger-LeCoultre's is the Rendez-Vous Celestial wristwatch dedicated to a celestial theme. It has an 18k white gold case with a gorgeous display of ingenuity. It is embellished with diamonds at the sides of the case, above the numerals, on the bezel and its crown too.  The finely crafted hour numerals are arched across the curve of a hand-guilloché and transparent blue lacquer-coated crescent. The precious lapis lazuli plate is further decked by the hour arc, which creates a gorgeous sky-like display. We also notice a shooting star on the dial which serves as a time-customizing device via a secondary crown encrusted with an inverted diamond. It is powered by a mechanical automatic movement, the fabled Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 809, rotates the star disc gradually, one turn at every 23 hours, 56 minutes and 4 seconds. In addition, also noticeable on the dial, a zodiac calendar displays the position of the most important constellations all along the year.

Jaquet Droz has launched a new generation of its Petite Heure Minute 35mm, a model which is described as a new vision of femininity in watchmaking. Its Petite Heure Minute 35 mm, which was introduced back in 2012, is now issued in five different variants, all made from precious materials combined with mother-of-pearl, aventurine, ruby heart. It still retains the same portions, measuring just 35 mm in diameter, and has an off-centered hours and minutes counter, positioned at 12 o’clock. Created to demonstrate the skill and expertise of Jaquet Droz artisans they create beautiful visual effects through reflection and refraction. The models are available in stainless steel, white gold and red gold, and they are powered by the Jaquet Droz 2653, self-winding mechanical movement beating at 28,800 vph  thanks to its double barrel which provides 68 hours of power reserve.

In 2012, Omega introduced a slew of very high-profile timepieces tied to major events that it sponsored such as the London Olympics and the James Bond film Skyfall. One of the Swiss brand’s most strikingly elegant new releases that year is an Omega De Ville Chronograph powered by manufacture Caliber 9301, with Omega’s now-famous co-axial escapement, and outfitted in a rose-gold case and blue dial and strap. It was in a De Ville that Omega introduced Caliber 2500 — the first movement outfitted with the co-axial escapement. It contains Omega’s Caliber 9300/9301, the chronograph version of the in-house movement that made its debut in the Hour Vision models. The movement uses a column-wheel system and is equipped with a co-axial escapement and an Si14 silicon balance spring. It has been certified as a chronometer by the Swiss testing agency COSC. So convinced is Omega of the reliability and stability of its movement that it delivers each watch with a four-year warranty.

In 2011 Parmigiani signed an agreement with the Confederacao Brasileira de Futebol making it the official watchmaking partner of the national football team. It marked the agreement with the release of two new collections: the Transforma CBF and the Pershing 005 CBF. The latter is available in three variants: the pershing Chronograph 002 CBF for ladies and a large cased model and the Pershing Chronograph CBF 005 with a choice of a white gold or red gold bezel. It has a mid-blue dial sporting white, yellow and green to mark Brazil’s flag. Large delta-shaped hands with luminous coating indicate hours and minutes, interesting Arabic numerals indicate the hours and are repeated on the bezel. A small seconds display is at 3 o’ clock framed by five green stars to indicate the number of times the nation won the World Cup. There is a 12-hour chronograph at 6 o’ clock and a 30-minute chronograph counter at 3 o’ clock. It houses the Calibre PF 334 with a frequency of 28,800 vph offering a power reserve of 50 hours.

Rolex introduced new versions in 18k yellow, white or EVEROSE gold of its famous Oyster Perpetual DAY-DATE with luxurious colourful leather straps and matching dials. The DAY-DATE was the first chronometer wristwatch to indicate the date and the day of the week spelt out in full on the dial when it was launched in 1956. The DAY-DATE’s 36 mm OYSTER case is guaranteed waterproof to a depth of 100 metres. The winding crown, fitted with the patented TWINLOCK double waterproofness system, screws down securely against the case. The fluted bezel is a Rolex signature aesthetic feature. The crystal, with a CYCLOPS lens at 3 o’clock for easy reading of the date, is made of virtually scratchproof sapphire. The waterproof OYSTER case provides optimal protection for the DAY-DATE’s high-precision movement. It is equipped with Calibre 3155, a self-winding mechanical movement entirely developed and manufactured by Rolex and is a certified Swiss chronometer, a designation reserved for high-precision watches that have successfully passed the Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute (COSC) tests

Rotonde de Cartier Earth and Moon’s vibrant lapis lazuli dial is overlaid with roman numerals in chamfered white gold, lending an exciting three-dimensional appearance. The first of the watch’s three complications, a 24-hour disk that can track a second time zone, is found at the top of the dial and can be set via a pusher positioned at 2 o’clock on the titanium case. Located just below the disk is the watch’s second complication, a tourbillon visible through an aperture in the dial. The third complication, a moon-phase indicator comes into play when you engage the pusher at 4 o’clock. A small disk then swings down and partially obscures the tourbillon. The section of the mechanism that remains visible indicates the portion of the moon that can currently be seen in the sky. A sapphire crystal on the back of the case allows observation of the movement, which features semi-skeletonized bridges arranged in the shape of a star. It is presented in just 10 pieces.

Last year marked the 50^th anniversary of TAG Heuer’s Carrera – the iconic watch created by Jack Heuer back in 1963, in order to satisfy specific demands of professional motor-racing drivers. To mark this grand anniversary, Tag Heuer extended the Carrera Collection with four new timepieces which were presented at the SIHH 2013. For those who prefer a classic design, the renowned Swiss watchmaker created a 41mm version of the Carrera 1887 Calibre Chronograph. This beautiful racing model comes with a striking blue dial which is particularly interesting in combination with a classic leather strap. The second version is available with a 5-row stainless steel bracelet, which combines fine-brushed finish on rows 1, 3 and 5, with polished finish on second and forth rows. The tachymeter scale is removed on the inner bezel ring, which left a tiny bezel clear for the beautiful polishing. A 41mm, stainless steel case is also highly polished, as well as a crown, chronograph pushers, hand applied hour markers and hands that are additionally coated with luminescent markers. Both sides of the case are covered by scratch-resistant sapphire crystal.

Radiating light, as if suspended in time by a flying tourbillon, Ulysse Nardin's Imperial Blue bears witness to the ultimate mastery of the watchmaker’s art. It has a blue transparent sapphire mainplate, features a flying tourbillon and Grand Sonnerie Westminster Carillon.  The musical timepiece houses the Caliber UN-970, which chimes on four notes for every passing hour and also sounds the hours, quarter hours and minutes on demand. Each of the different sounds accomplished in this timepiece is powered by the same barrel – presenting a challenging task for Ulysse Nardin watchmakers on managing energy. The brand rose to the occasion with a barrel that is wound either partially by activating the repeater slide, or fully by rotating the crown counterclockwise. When rotated clockwise, the crown winds a second barrel that is dedicated to the movement, and that offers 50 hours of power reserve.   The watch features an on/off pusher to ensure the sonnerie remains silent if the wearer so wishes. Just 20 numbered pieces will be made of this blue marvel.

Zenith released a blue-dialed version of the already well-regarded El Primero Stratos Flyback watch. The blue bezel on blue dial with white and not a hint of red make for a airy-looking Stratos that looks primed for the sky. The 45.5mm steel case has the typically red chronograph seconds hand in a lighter sky blue color. The bezel is again in ceramic, with etched sections painted in for the minute indicators. The bold dial is imminently legible with properly sized hands that are coated in lume. the in-house made Zenith El Primero Caliber 405B automatic movement. The chronograph has a flyback feature and uses a column wheel. It has about 50 hours of power reserve and being an El Primero, it is a high beat, 36,000 bph movement. The 405 series has a very good history, stemming from the very first integrated chronograph watch movement in the 1970s that was produced by Zenith.