Welcome to our new luxxee magazine weekly wrap-up, where we bring you fresh news about what's going on in the watch world
Geneva Watch Days
Starting in 2020 and having great success in 2021, Geneva Watch Days is a unique watch show that allows brands to unveil their timepieces that is self-managed and decentralized. Essentially, brands willing to participate open their boutique doors in the beautiful Swiss capital of Geneva to the public and pull back the curtain on their newest creations for that year. For 2022, brands such as Oris, Breitling, DeBethune, MB&F and others will unveil their latest timepieces through their respective boutiques for their 2022/2023 collections from August 29th - September 1st, 2022. Let’s check out some of my favourites from Geneva Watch Days 2022.
MB&F Legacy Machine Split Escapement EVO Sky Blue & Beverly Hills Editions
For those who don’t know, MB&F watches, also known as Maximilian Büsser & Friends, is the brainchild of Max Büsser, one of horology's finest watchmakers, engineers and an all-around great guy. The brand is known for its impeccable and highly technical take on watchmaking, and the LM Split Escapement is a perfect example of what the brand can create.
Believe it or not, the Split Escapement series is a more subtle and simplistic take on the Legacy Machine collection, but it’s still a complex piece of mechanical art. The Split Escapement features three raised subdials (hours/minutes, power reserve indicator and date), and the center of the dial is the beautiful sky-high balance wheel. Sky-high, meaning the balance wheel hangs in the center of the dial, supported 11.78mm balance staff, which connects the balance wheel to the rest of the movement.
While the LM Split Escapement was released in 2017, MB&F released two new colorways for 2022. Sky Blue with grey subdials and a 25-piece, limited edition black dial with blue subdials for the MB&F Lab in Beverly this year Hills. The Sky Blue and Beverly Hills editions share the same retail price of $80,000.
Oris Divers Sixty-Five 12H Calibre 400
ORIS announced a new addition to their Divers 65 collection with a new movement choice and bezel implementation. Now, the movement in the new Divers 65 is the in-house Calibre 400, which isn’t a new movement for ORIS watches. However, the Calibre 400 was originally in the Aquis models, along with the Big Pointer Date and a couple of limited editions of the Diver 65, so this is, technically, a “new” movement.
ORIS announced that the Diver 65 is a mass-produced model and won’t be a limited edition like previous models. The Diver 65 implements a complete stainless steel construction, 40mm case diameter and 12.8mm thick, and adds a subtle nod to vintage tool watches with its overall aesthetic. Specifically, the 12-hour bezel insert looks similar to those found on vintage Heuer Autavias, and the watch's design reflects vintage skin divers from the 1960s.
The new Diver 65 is the perfect watch for everyday and outdoor use since the 12-hour bezel can be used as a timer and a GMT, and it is priced at $3,500 on a leather strap and $3,700 on a stainless steel bracelet.
DOXA Stainless Steel Army
Doxa is a brand known for its vintage divers and modern takes on its vintage divers. The newly released Stainless Steel Army is no exception. Earlier this year, Doxa re-released the Army in ceramic, limited to 100 pieces, and paid homage to the 1960s version, which had an all-black case thanks to an oil dipping process instead of traditional PVC coating.
As collectors found the vintage versions in the wild, many noticed that the cases weren’t coated in black oil because the coating would tarnish over time, exposing the stainless steel beneath. Doxa watches decided to re-release the Army in mass production with two variations. The first version is an all stainless steel cushion case and bracelet with a black bezel insert, while the second has an olive green bezel insert with a bronze bezel. Both versions are powered by reliable, Swiss ETA calibre 2824 automatic.
The Army is a real bang for your buck for those who like a vintage tool watch but want something shiny and new. Both watches are different prices due to the slight material changes. The black bezel insert will retail for $2,050 on a strap and $2,090 on the bracelet, while the green insert will retail for $2,150 on a strap and $2,190 on the bracelet.
Celebrity Watch Spotting: Mark Wahlberg and Kevin Hart
The new Netflix comedy, “Me Time,” featuring Mark Wahlberg and Kevin Hart, plays a dynamic duo, one a father (Hart) and the other an old friend without kids who thinks age isn’t catching up with him and he can live his life the same way his younger self could (Wahlberg.) Off-screen, both gentlemen have constantly been interacting with the press, journalists and private interviews regarding the movie, their dynamic as actors, real life, and wearing some gorgeous wrist candy.
In an interview with ComingSoon and Fatherly, Mark and Kevin are sporting some true heavy hitters on their wrists. The watch worn by Mark, from what I can figure out, is a gem-set Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711/1A-014 with an olive green dial and emerald baguette gems surrounding the bezel. This watch isn’t new to his collection and can be seen in the past as a regular diamond set Nautilus, which was the stock version, while the emerald baguettes are a modification/upgrade.
The watch on Kevin’s wrist is a mouth full, but an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Jumbo Platinum Extra-Thin 50th Anniversary Green dial. The watch features an all platinum case and bracelet with a simplistic, clean green, sunburst dial. With Kevin being a massive fan of Audemars Piguet watches, he has an extensive collection of the Royal Oak, but in my opinion, this Jumbo Platinum is the most beautiful one there.
Social Time: Montres Publiques
I thought I would start a new segment where I talk about some fantastic folks on social media that are a regular part of the watch community. The first whom I’d love to talk about are my good friends Andres and Eric over at Montres Publiques.
For those who don’t know, Montres Publiques is a Canadian watch publication that discusses all things horological history. They're always there to cover everything from brand history to pocket watches to anything related to history involving a timepiece. Andres and Eric are fantastic guys, fun to talk to, and have so much knowledge that explodes out of them at any time; I think they deserve the support.
On top of writing for their site, Montres Publiques posts sneak peeks of what to expect from each article on their Instagram. Their most recent post talks about “The Dollar Watch,” an Ingersoll pocket watch that retailed for no more than $1.50 back in 1892. It’s an entertaining read, and I highly recommend checking it out.
Thank you for reading luxxee's weekly wrap-up and don't forget to come back next week to see what’s happening in the watch world!
