Greubel Forsey Breitling Emergency replica watches have always shown off their complexity. What goes on inside the case is reflected on the outside, an architectural rule from which the sophistication of Greubel Forsey calibres allows no escape. Until now these watches were voluminous, fairly thick and often with lateral protrusions to accommodate multi-axis inclined tourbillons. The brand’s new feature for 2015 is a break from this stylistic past. At a casual glance the Tourbillon 24 Secondes Vision seems quite simple. But nothing can be more deceptive, for it’s a Greubel Forsey and they are far from being inconsequential.

This first impression is sustained by the perfectly round 43.5mm white gold case with a satin-finished caseband under a polished bezel which is in no way over the top. The impression is reinforced by the fact that this replica Breitling watches, unlike the others in the brand’s collection, actually has a dial, which is furthermore unencumbered by additions. There’s no plate or engravings, no power-reserve indicator or double scale on the sunken small seconds: the graphic features of the brand have been put aside. But here again, the austerity is only skin deep. The entirely gold dial is grained on both levels. Its hour markers are not transferred onto the dial but are in fired enamels, which means that the hours have been gouged out, filled with enamel and fired, champlevé style. Only three Greubel Forsey characteristics remain: the spear hands, the brand logo and a good-sized circular opening. The latter gives a bird’s eye view of a 24-second tourbillion inclined at 25°. This brings us to the heart of the matter and of Greubel Forsey’s identity. To go further, you have to turn the Swiss replica watches over.

The Tourbillon 24 Secondes Vision thus shows two faces. The front is well behaved; the back displays the mechanical and stylistic recklessness that you expect from Greubel Forsey. The baseplates and bridges are in German silver, grained and extensively chamfered by hand. The power-reserve indicator is the one that has become familiar over the 10 years of the brand’s existence. The system of twin, rapidly unwinding barrels, entirely engraved and in two colours is visible through an opening in the baseplate. Finally, the cherry on the cake comes in the shape of a sapphire-crystal bulge that reveals the tourbillon. It is cut from two pieces, flat on one side and on the other, a vault set into a steel rim that is itself an extension of the case. Under the dome, a waisted tourbillon bridge, cambered in three dimensions, has been entirely polished by hand. It goes without saying that polishing such a large and curved surface is a rare event that takes an inordinate amount of time.

The movement, used for the other versions of the Tourbillon 24 Secondes, has been completely re-arranged. The body of the tourbillon remains unchanged except for the two carriage bridges. However it has been shifted a few degrees upwards. The barrels have been moved, the small seconds have been turned through 90° and the power-reserve indicator has changed sides. With these modifications, the movement is now 7.09mm thick or 25% thinner than the other 24-second tourbillon movements. This brings the height of the case to 13.65mm, except for where the tourbillon dome rises to 16mm. However, since the dome fits between the two bones of the forearm, it doesn’t lift the case nor does it have any effect on the overall height of the fake Breitling watches on the wrist.

There is thus nothing intrusive about the Tourbillon 24 Secondes Vision on the wrist. Above all, it really looks smaller than all the other replica watches UK of the brand. Its restrained style is evident. The design meets the requirements of some customers who, although admirers of the brand’s achievements, are less convinced about about its usual styling. There can’t be many of them, for this watch is limited to 22 pieces. In Greubel Forsey’s terminology, this means that it won’t come in different materials, shades of gold, or in different movement colours.

 

The star lot of the sale is the Patek Philippe Ref. 2499/100 Fourth Series retailed by Tiffany & Co. Considered one of the most iconic models ever produced by Patek Philippe, the Ref. 2499 has become the most collectible model of all complicated timepieces made by the famous Swiss manufacturer in the past several decades. Made circa 1980, the present lot is a very fine and rare 18K yellow gold wrist replica Breitling watches with round button chronograph, 30-minute register, perpetual calendar and moon phases.

Estimate: CHF 300,000 – 500,000

History buffs will be enticed by the Jaeger-LeCoultre Ref. 201 Early Steel Reverso retailed by Golay Fils & Stahl that formerly belonged to General Douglas MacArthur. Made circa 1935, this is a fine historically important and very rare, rectangular curved, reversible, stainless steel wrist fake Breitling Colt watches.

Estimate: CHF 10,000 -20,000

Antiquorum will also offer at auction for the first time the Rolex Ref. 6239 Paul Newman retailed by Tiffany & Co. and made in 1969

Estimate: CHF 200,000 – 300,000

Another Patek Philippe is the magnificent and historic unique Tourbillon Watch formerly part of the Patek Philippe private museum collection. One of the world’s most accurate and mechanical precision watches from the early 20th century and two-time observatory first-prize winner in 1929 with a record score of 834 points and again first-prize winner in 1934.

Estimate: CHF 200,000 – 300,000

Royalists and pocket watch collectors will competing for the Louis Audemars for Leroy Highly Important and Ultra Complicated Watch with 11 Complications Presented By His Majesty King Alphonse XIII of Spain to His Excellency Vincente Santamaria De Paredes.

The watch is an exceptional, highly important and ultra-complicated, large two-timezone  minute-repeating, two-train 18K yellow gold pocket watch with perpetual calendar, jumping center-seconds split-seconds chronograph, constant seconds, fifths of a second diablotine, moon phase and age and Reaumur thermometer.

Estimate: CHF 150,000 – 250,000

Also offered is another exceptional Patek Philippe, a Ref. 5101 10 Day Tourbillon in Platinum. Sold in 2007, this is an extremely rare, rectangular and curved, Art Deco style platinum and diamond chronometer wrist Breitling replica watches with one-minute tourbillon regulator, tandem mainspring barrels for 10-day power reserve. The lot is further accompanied by a fitted box, certificate of Origin, chronometer rating certificate, leather folder with instructions and press kit with CD from Basel 2003.

Estimate: CHF 150,000 -250,000

Vacheron Constantin aficionados will be interested in the Vacheron Constantin Ref. 30030, Les Cabinotiers Skeleton Minute Repeater Limited Edition in Pink Gold.Made in 2006, this is an extremely fine and important skeletonized 18K pink gold minute-repeating wrist Breitling Colt replica watches accompanied by an original fitted box, Certificate of Origin, service booklet and instructions.

Estimate: CHF 150,000 -200,000

Patek Philippe lovers will also be delighted to see the Patek Philippe Ref. 1463 offered in the sale. The reference 1463 is the only Patek Philippe vintage chronograph to have a water-resistant case and has become one of the sought-after watches of the company’s production. Made in 1947, the present example is an 18K gold watch featuring a round button chronograph, register and tachometer accompanied by the Extract from the Archives and a Patek Philippe fitted case.

Estimate: CHF 80,000 -120,000

A Rolex Submariner Ref. 5513 with Explorer Dial, Pointed Crown Guards and Underline from the property of the family of the original owner will also be offered. Made in 1963, this is a very fine and extremely rare, center-seconds, self-winding, water-resistant, stainless steel diver’s wristwatch with a stainless steel Rolex expandable riveted bracelet dated March, 1960.

Estimate: CHF 80,000 – 120,000

Pocket watch enthusiasts will also want to bid on the Ilbery Large Gold and Enamel Chinese Market Watch “A Grand View of the Sea Shore,” the enamel in the manner of Claude Vernet (1714-1789), attributed to Jean-Louis Richter (1766-1841), Geneva.  Made for the Chinese market circa 1820, this is an extremely fine and very rare, large, 18K gold champlevé and painted on enamel pocket replica Breitling Super Avenger watches with duplex escapement.

Estimate: CHF 60,000 -80,000

Also offered in the May auction is an exceptional collection of 20 Rolex Day-Dates from circa 1960-1985.

Estimate: starting from CHF 15,000

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Auction & Preview Schedule

Auction, Sunday, May 10

First Session (lots 1-181): starts at 10 am

Second Session (lots 182 – 504): starts at 2 pm

Mandarin Oriental Hotel Geneva

Salon Saint-Gervais

Quai Turrettini 1

Geneva, Switzerland

Geneva Preview

Thursday, May 7:  10 am – 6 pm

Friday, May 8: 10 am – 7 pm

Saturday, May 9:  9 am – 7 pm

Sunday, May 10: 9 am – 7 pm

Antiquorum Showroom

3 Rue du Mont-Blanc

1211 Geneva, Switzerland

This much-travelled triple time-zone model by Carl F. Bucherer has been circling the globe for 10 years and has now become a familiar sight on the Replica Breitling Transocean watchmaking scene – where it had to assert itself quite forcefully in that COSC-certified models providing this particular function were definitely not legion at the time. The triple time zone is indeed a category that Carl F. Bucherer has done much to enrich, to the point of basically forging its 21st century identity.

Nonetheless, the apparent stability of the TravelTec collection conceals substantial evolutions, while its user-friendly nature entails a wealth of ingenuity. Very few people realise that this timepiece has played a crucial role in forging the stature of Carl F. Bucherer as a bona fide Manufacture.

The forerunner of the TravelTec was called the TravelGraph, a model that is still part of the collection and features an architecture closely akin to that of its heir: a chronometer with date and dual-time display. While the difference with the TravelTec may thus seem minimal, ‘merely’ involving adding a time zone, these evolutions were to durably shape the destiny of Carl F. Bucherer.

First steps with THA

In the late 1990s, the brand relied on the competence and reliability of ETA, mainly by using a considerably reworked version of the 2892 base calibre. In 1998, when Carl F. Bucherer expressed its intention of adding a second time zone to its TravelGraph, its partner ETA recommended that it consult an expert on this type of development: a firm named THA, standing for Techniques Horlogères Appliquées (Applied Replica Breitling Chrono Avenger Watchmaking Technologies). While the two companies were not previously acquainted with each other, their cooperation gave rise to a dual-time chronograph calibre in 2001 and the story did not end there.

Carl F. Bucherer soon decided to take things up a notch by offering a third time zone, leading to a complex new construction named Calibre 1901, which was to power the evolved version of the TravelGraph: the TravelTec, duly launched in 2005.

Meanwhile, the professional understanding established between Carl. F. Bucherer and THA was such that it opened up unexpected prospects of further collaborative endeavours. And the rest, as they say, is history. Following these developments, the brand became a regular client of THA which it ended up incorporating within its own corporate structure, leading to the birth of the Manufacture Carl F. Bucherer founded on the joint TravelTec project.

An innovative construction

This calibre brought with it a certain number of major technical breakthroughs for the time-zone complication. Carl F. Bucherer developed an entirely in-house-made new decoupling and fast-adjustment module, based on a 24-hour indication of a first time zone (hometime) by a red hand; a second time zone shown by traditional central hands; and a third directly driven via the case and shown by the red hand pointing to a dedicated 24-hour mobile inner bezel ring.

It was the latter time zone that called for the addition of a single pusher at 10 o’clock, which Carl F. Bucherer once again wanted to make as intuitive as possible: moving the display eastwards in one direction and westwards in the other. Adjusting the main time zone is equally simple, since the single crown moves it in either direction, while also driving the date. In concrete terms, this means that the traveller can set the hours backwards (and not just forwards) as desired and that the date will also move back accordingly.

Over and above the technical side of things, the TravelTec also distinguished itself on an aesthetic level, since Carl F. Bucherer opened the case in such a way as to reveal a section of the Manufacture-made complication. This type of side opening is particularly rare in the Swiss replica Breitling watches industry and serves to both see and understand exactly how the third time hone is directly integrated into the case.

The end of this first decade of the TravelTec also opens up a whole new era embodied by the TravelTec II, a model recently unveiled at Baselworld and which represents an optimised version of the TravelTec, since the third time zone is now directly engraved on the bezel. This means the double inner bezel ring is replaced by a single one, thereby making read-off even clearer and easier.