Bulgari Gerald Genta Octo Bi-Retro Steel Ceramic Watch An "On-The-Wrist" Review By Ed Woo - 'ED-209' The Bulgari Gerald Genta Octo Bi-Retro Steel Ceramic debuted at the Baselworld 2010 World Watch and Jewelry Show and quickly earned accolades by winning the 2010 Watch of the Year Prize awarded by the Swiss watch magazine Montres Passion.  My first exposure to this watch occurred in the last quarter of 2010 while visiting the Bulgari Boutique at City Center in Las Vegas.  I was impress... more

I’ll never forget the first time that I saw a Bulgari Serpenti watch on the wrist of a woman in public.  It was nearly a year and a half ago at South Coast Plaza in Orange County where international fashionistas meet stylish housewives from all over southern California.  She was a Middle Eastern standout beauty with long dark hair, large eyes and strong features.  If it wasn’t for her casual dress and the little ones that tagged along at her side, she would have seemed unrelatable... more

  Tissot PRC 100 Chronograph AutomaticExperience Reviewby Marcus Hanke Most of us watch enthusiasts are familiar with the problem: the quest for the Holy Grail watch, “the” one and only, perfect watch for the whole life. Well, those who know me a bit might remember that I have already found that Grail watch a while ago. But what would life be without challenges, and so I am pursuing the goal to find the perfect vacation watch. Vacation time is travel time, so I want to have a good... more

It goes without saying that visual grazers of this website who are chock full of horologic “opinion, passion and information” have a high standard when making watch purchases for themselves.  Sometimes it’s about the brand – the so called Jaegers, Pateks, Audemars Piguets and Langes.  Other times an in-house movement or exquisite finishing dictates the decision.  Whatever the reasons, it isn’t a mystery what a Purist would buy for himself.  A more challengin... more

  Carl F. Bucherer EvoTec Day Date Experience review by Marcus Hanke Three years ago, Carl F. Bucherer presented a new selfwinding movement. What made it so unique was its peripheral rotor winding the mainspring. This construction resulted in an automatic movement appearing like a simple handwinding one at a quick glance. The peripheral rotor concept is not entirely new, though: already Patek Philippe and Citizen had produced predecessors. However, they all suffered from a common weakness, ... more

Paul Gerber Model 42 PuristS 10th Anniversary Limited Edition Review by Dr. Andrew Daley © July 2011   By now all of the Paul Gerber P10’s have been delivered. We have seen the ‘un-boxing’ of several, which is always an exciting moment – made even more so by the inclusion of Swiss Lindt chocolates! So I thought I would add a few words and observations about the watch. The P10 is based on Paul’s Model 42 that comes as either a ... more

I had a pleasure to be invited (well, truth be told, I persistently asked for it...) to SEIKO head office the other evening and could finally see, touch, handle and hear the Novelty Credor Minute Repeater which debuted at the Basel last month.  This piece went to Basel, came back and was displayed at Wako (high-end department store at the Ginza 4-chome crossing, owned by SEIKO) for two weeks and was on its way back to Shiojiri Manufacture for further refinement/ tuning.  So this exact ... more

    "The criterion of true beauty is that it increases on examination; if false, that it lessens. There is therefore, something in true beauty that corresponds with right reason, and is not the mere creation of fancy." - Sir Fulke Greville (1554 - 1628) Concord C1 Chronograph: Reassessing a designby Marcus Hanke What makes a design iconic? This is not a basic discussion whether there is “good” and “bad” design, but I take it as given that some designs will stay i... more

Harry Winston Opus 6:  The First Opus Of A New Era    by Francois-Xavier Overstake   © May 2010       Creating the Opus 6 was obviously not an easy task. First of all, it was the first Opus under the leadership of Hamdi Chatti and as you can imagine, succeeding Max Büsser was not an easy task. The Opus collection was his project and the question which arose was to know if this collection was able to continue without him. Secondly, the pr... more

Panerai has a way of teasing and enticing the souls of small-wristed watch enthusiasts, even more so of the female ones.  For a woman, especially a petite one, walking into a Panerai boutique is a little like Shaquille O'neal at a Mini dealership.  There's a lot of looking, admiring and even some trying but when it comes to owning, a sad realization often descends.  "It's just too big/small for me," followed by "If only they made it in my size."  This is the case for me with m... more

The Montblanc TimeWalker Automatic Chronograph w/ Rose Gold Accents Review   by Dr. Andrew Daley  © January 2010      When I was offered the opportunity to wear the TimeWalker Chronograph for a few weeks I thought it would be an interesting experience. The chronographs I wear regularly are based on designs that are more than 40 years old, and it was time I tried something more modern! As for all PuristS reviews, this is very much a han... more

Montblanc Timewalker DLC Dual Time/Big Date Review by Michael Ting © November 2010       Although the company lacks true watchmaking legacy, Montblanc is working at a fanatical pace to silence its critics and achieve horological legitimacy in a crowded marketplace.  Over the short span of three years the brand has completely remodeled its timepiece division.  The nondescript and overpriced model lines of the past have been replaced by unique watch offerings ... more

The RICHARD MILLE Ladies’ Watch RM 007 is an impressive and faithful counterpart to the distinctive RM men’s line of watches.  Exhibiting the same level of sophistication in mechanical ingenuity as well as creative design, the watch consists of an automatic movement with a uniquely designed and patented bi-directional rotor system.  I had the fortunate opportunity of experiencing the RM 007 earlier this year in all its mechanical beauty and wonder.   Richard Mille Ladies' RM 007 ... more

From the moment I first laid eyes on a photo of the Greubel Forsey Double Tourbillon 30 Degree Vision, it was love at first sight.  Not a fleeting, superficial love, but rather, a profound, intense and enduring love.  As I researched the men behind the watch, their guiding principles and approach to horology, and the technical sophistication of their movements, my admiration and reverence intensified.  A couple of years later, I saw one in the metal, and the depth of my already fervent venera... more

Secret (noun): something kept from knowledge or view (from Merriam-Webster online). What is it to have a secret?  To know something that others do not.  A small deliciousness to be savored alone, or with a very few.  In a world where information is king, secrets can be powerful.  They can bind us; they can be used to compel us; they can corrupt. Or, they can bring us together. In freely sharing something experienced by only a few, enjoyment can be compounded.  I now gla... more

In Chapter one, my colleague Art reviewed Montblanc's Villeret Grande Seconde au Centre Retour a Zero after wearing it for a month (that lucky guy)! In this section, PuristSPro will discuss the namesake complication designed by the watchmakers at Minerva's Institut de Recherche. Montblanc Villeret 1858 Grande Seconde au Centre Retour-à-Zéro - A Review of its Complication By Michael Ting © June 2010       Of all the mechanical complications out in the marketplac... more