Breitling Announces Superocean Heritage ’57 Limited Edition II To Benefit Healthcare Workers Fighting COVID-19

First announced at Breitling‘s digital summit in April, the Breitling Superocean Heritage ’57 Limited Edition quickly became one of the most talked-about references in the brand’s 2020 line thanks to its combination of handsome ’50s inspired diver design along with eye-catching rainbow lumed hands and indices. Now, as part of its ongoing efforts to support front line healthcare workers facing the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the brand has announced the Breitling Superocean Heritage ’57 Limited Edition II. Mechanically the same as the first iteration, this version shares the recently revised 42 mm stainless steel case with 100 meters of water resistance along with the same Breitling Caliber 10 automatic movement. For the dial, however, the Breitling Superocean Heritage ’57 Limited Edition II replaces the clean black dial of the first with a slightly desaturated navy blue sunburst, bringing a deep ocean backdrop to the rainbow of colors on the hands and indices. Breitling pairs the new watch with a choice of either a honey brown leather strap or a Milanese mesh bracelet. Only 1000 examples of the Superocean Heritage ’57 Limited Edition II will be made, with a portion of proceeds from each sale going to benefit a variety of medical support funds in France, Italy, Japan, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The Breitling Superocean Heritage ’57 Limited Edition II is available now online and through authorized dealers at a starting price of $4,520. For more information, please visit the brand’s website.

Bamford Watch Department Debuts Limited Edition BWD X Badgerworks TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre 5 With Tropical Coffee Dial

Few features excite a vintage watch collector as much as the mythical tropical dial. Created from an arcane blend of sun, humidity, and defective black dial paint, the uneven warm brown tones of a tropical dial develop character over decades to create a truly unique blend of colors and patterns. For its latest limited edition collaboration with Badgerworks, however, Bamford Watch Department has struck upon a slightly more mundane material for creating tropical dials – ground coffee. For the limited edition BWD X Badgerworks TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre 5 with Tropical Coffee Dial, the brand begins with a standard three hand TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre 5, featuring a 41 mm stainless steel case with a military grade titanium coating and a sapphire display back revealing the Sellita SW-220 based Calibre 5 movement. The tropical dial itself, however, is unlike anything ever seen before in a production TAG Heuer. Ground coffee beans from the world renowned Cafe de Matteo in Göteborg, Sweden are selected for their color and texture before being cast into a dial blank through a unique process. The resulting dial is different in every example, with a grainy matte surface that highlights the materials involved. In order to avoid drawing attention from this one of a kind surface, the watch uses no indices or numerals with only minimal printed dial text. At first glance, the effect captures the feel of eclectic dial patina, but with close inspection this feels as much like an exotic wood or stone dial as it does like aging tropical wear. Only 20 examples of the BWD X Badgerworks TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre 5 with Tropical Coffee Dial will be made, and are available now through Bamford Watch Department authorized dealers at an MSRP of £5,500. For more information, please visit Bamford’s website.

MB&F Unveils Limited Edition Starfleet Explorer Table Clock

MB&F has long straddled the line between high watchmaking and abstract expressionism, creating a catalog of meticulously finished timepieces that have taken the form of everything from Colt revolvers to the family dog. While the brand’s offerings might not be for everyone, there’s no denying the creativity and craftsmanship involved, and its latest release is certainly no exception. Playing on the theme of its 2014 Starfleet Machine, the limited edition MB&F Starfleet Explorer offers a space age take on the table clock in the brand’s typical style. Clearly drawing inspiration from the eponymous space station in “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine,” the spindly stainless steel form of the Starfleet Explorer displays hours and minutes through a combination of hands and a rotating top dome, with hands available in a choice of anodized red, blue, or green. Beneath the timekeeping display, a trio of miniature starship automatons circle the clock in a five minute orbit. The exposed handwound L’Epée 1839 movement inside the MB&F Starfleet Explorer was designed specifically for this clock, featuring an eight day power reserve and a steady 18,000 bph beat rate. Only 99 examples of each colorway will bee produced. The MB&F Starfleet Explorer is available now online and through authorized dealers at an MSRP of 10,700 CHF. To learn more, visit MB&F’s website.

Piaget Announces Altiplano Tourbillon Infinite Blue Series

First unveiled in 2017, the Piaget Altiplano Flying Tourbillon introduced a unique and handsome dial and tourbillon layout to the ultra-thin model line, requiring a patented intermediate stem gear in the process. For 2020, the brand has revisited the Altiplano Flying Tourbillon concept with a trio of limited edition diamond set models. The limited edition Piaget Altiplano Tourbillon Infinite Blue series all share a striking familial resemblance, sharing deep blue PVD sunburst dials, an elegantly simple 41 mm white gold case, navy blue alligator leather straps, and most importantly the in-house handwound 670P flying tourbillon movement. The first of these, the Piaget Altiplano Tourbillon Infinite Blue Limited Edition 38, is the most restrained of the group, featuring a ring of brilliant cut diamonds around the bezel and additional brilliant cut diamonds surrounding the tourbillon and timekeeping subdial to create a sparkling infinity symbol. The Piaget Altiplano Tourbillon Infinite Blue Limited Edition 18 is bolder, extending the diamond infinity symbol across the entire dial in a series of concentric rings while more brilliant cut diamonds adorn the bezel, lugs, and strap buckle. In total, this model is set with 276 individual stones. Lastly, the Piaget Altiplano Tourbillon Infinite Blue Limited Edition 8 blends the two approaches, replacing the stones in the dial’s infinity symbol with larger baguette cut diamonds, while the case sides, lugs, caseback, and strap buckle receive additional brilliant cut stones for a total of 386 diamonds. As the names suggest, these models are limited to 38, 18, and eight examples respectively. All three are available now through authorized dealers, with the Piaget Altiplano Tourbillon Infinite Blue Limited Edition 38 retailing for $138,000, while the Altiplano Tourbillon Infinite Blue Limited Edition 18 and Altiplano Tourbillon Infinite Blue Limited Edition 8 are priced at $166,000 and $223,000, respectively. For more information visit Piaget’s website.