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Chronograph

Fans of NISMO, the Nissan division which produces high-performance models and is also responsible for the brand’s motorsports activities, will want this Casio EQS-930NIS on their wrist or as part of their collection. It’s the latest model in Casio’s EDIFICE range of high-performance metal watches and is a special limited edition which was created in collaboration with NISMO.

Like all EDIFICE watches, the concept of ‘Speed and  Intelligence’ is the basis for the design of the EQS-930NIS watch. The face and body design captures the spirit of NISMO and motorsports, with the brand colours – red and black – featured prominently. The inset dials, bezel sides, and buttons  are accented in red against a black base.

In addition, the inset dial at the 10 o’clock position recreates the colour gradation that appears on a  sports car’s titanium tail pipe when the exhaust heat and the temperature difference between car  parts cause the titanium to turn bluish. The surface of the urethane band has been processed to  resemble tyre tread after an intense race.

Why NISMO likes No. 23
The traditional Nissan and NISMO ace number, ’23’, is engraved on the bezel at the 23-minute mark, as well as on the case back. ‘23’ (or ‘two-three’) when said in Japanese is ‘ni’ and ‘san’, so it is chosen for NISMO racing cars and has certainly brought them good luck on several occasions. The NISMO logo can also be seen on the bezel, band loop, and case back.

Solar-powered
The 52-mm diameter EQS-930NIS is solar-powered and when fully charged, it can last about 5 months until movement stops. The wearer will be aware of the remaining charge as there is a battery level indicator on the face. Like other EDIFICE watches, it is water-resistant (down to 100 metres) and has a stopwatch which will be useful for those watching races.

There’s no indication of how limited the number of watches will be, nor the price and if it will be available outside Japan.

Limited edition Citizen Eco-Drive watches inspired by new Nissan Z

Casio is releasing three new EDIFICE high-performance metal chronographs – the EQB-1000AT, ECB-10AT and EFS-S590 – which are made with 6K carbon . The new watches were designed with the Scuderia AlphaTauri F1 team which has had Casio as a partner since 2016 (when the team was known as Scuderia Toro Rosso).

6K carbon is a material woven from bundles of 6,000 carbonfibres, the same sort of lightweight but strong material used in Formula 1 cars. Carbonfibre is 5 times stronger than steel and one-third its weight, making it ideal for applications where weight needs to be kept low without compromising strength. Areas on the racing cars include the wings and floors.

The new EQB-1000AT, ECB-10AT and EFS-S590 mark the second collaboration with the team. The dial and bezel of the EQB-1000AT, the dial of the ECB-10AT, and the inner ring around the dial of the EFS-S590AT are made of 6K carbonfibre. The team’s navy-blue colour sets the overall tone, and their logo is engraved on the dials, case backs, and band loops.

For the Malaysian market, the model versions available are the EQB-1100AT and ECB-20AT, priced at RM2,799 and RM1,699, respectively. They are available at the G-Shock Kiosk at Isetan The Japan Store and authorized dealer stores around the country.

All three models feature robust sapphire crystals, so there should be no worries about breakage. The EQB-1000AT and ECB-10AT automatically calibrate the time when paired with a smartphone using the dedicated app, delivering the precision busy team members need.

Casio EQB-1100AT
Casio EQB-1100AT

There is also an app which allows users to set world time quickly from a preset selection of about 300 cities. This is certainly something useful to the Scuderia AlphaTauri F1 team which will travel to different cities around the planet during the Formula 1 World Championship.

Based on the original slim-profile EQB-1000 chronograph with Tough Solar power system, the watch also allows users to set the time on the main display and inset-dial display to any two cities via the app. The durable Cordura fabric band withstands the toughest conditions. The sporty rotating inner ring that shows the time remaining before the user’s next scheduled event.

Casio EQB-1100AT

The Schedule Timer function which syncs with a smartphone’s calendar app to display scheduled start and end times on the LCD and provide audible alerts. The app can draw data from Android and iOS devices.

The Scuderia AlphaTauri F1 car in action during the 2020 championship.

Yuki Tsunoda to drive for Scuderia AlphaTauri Honda in 2021 F1 championship

In 2019, Bugatti and Jacob & Co. signed a partnership to create unique timepieces. To inaugurate this partnership led by performance, two timepieces were created. These watches, based on the Twin Turbo Furious and the Epic X Chrono, were directly inspired by the unique design and spirit of Bugatti hypercars.

This year, new watches in the Twin Turbo Furious collection are being introduced, as well as now the Bugatti Chiron, a completely new line. After the Bugatti Chiron Tourbillon, the watchmaker has created the Twin Turbo Furious  300+ – inspired by the fastest hypercar ever created.

Chiron Super Sport 300+

Last year, the Chiron Super Sport 300+ made Bugatti the first carmaker to break through the mythical 300 mph (480 km/h) barrier. Behind the steering wheel of the car was Le Mans winner Andy Wallace who set the world speed record at 304.773 mph (490.484 km/h).

Only 3 pieces for sale
In order to celebrate the world’s fastest series production hyper sportscar, Jacob & Co. captured the essence of the Super Sport 300+ in the design as well as the sophisticated technology of their new creation.  Only three pieces will be made for sale.

Chiron Super Sport 300+

The Twin Turbo Furious Bugatti 300+ features a black titanium twin triple-axis tourbillon movement, that includes a decimal minute repeater and a mono-pusher chronograph with reference time. It is housed in a forged carbon and black DLC titanium case, to echo the exposed carbonfibre bodywork of the record-breaking hyper sports car.

Exclusive technology
The presence of a tourbillon in a watch’s movement already places a timepiece among the elite of the watchmaking world. Jacob & Co.’s Twin Turbo Furious goes one step further incorporating two accelerated triple axis tourbillons into its striking design. The tourbillons work together to compensate for the effects of gravity on the precision of the movement.

Twin Turbo Furious 300+

Another very rare component is the Twin Turbo Furious 300+’ decimal minute repeater. In order to simplify the audible indication of time, the Twin Turbo Furious chimes on demand the ten minutes intervals after the hours and before the minutes.

“In Jacob & Co., we have found a partner who understands the way we see exclusivity and how every object carrying the Bugatti name has to combine extreme power and the most sophisticated technology with pure luxury and the unmistakable Bugatti aesthetics and elegance. The Twin Turbo Furious is another product created in the spirit of this partnership,” said Bugatti President, Stephan Winkelmann.

Chiron Super Sport 300+

A lap in the Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport hyper sportscar (w/VIDEO)

Social distance

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Casio’s EDIFICE line of high-performance metal chronographs have long been associated with motorsports and many of their features are specifically designed for those in the fast-paced racing world. This month, the company has released five new additions to the EDIFICE line based on the brand concept of ‘Speed and Intelligence’.

Casio

The new ECB-10 models have been developed based on interviews with motorsport racing team members, especially those in the Scuderia Alpha Tauri Formula 1 team which Casio is partnered with. Their feedback is reflected in functions including the Schedule Timer, which is convenient for time management by teams who need to schedule activities down to the minute, and automatic time zone adjustment (over 300 cities with smartphone link), which is useful when traveling to races around the world. The latter does not require the user to press a button or make adjustments manually.

Casio ECB-10

With Bluetooth, the ECB-10 models can be paired with a smartphone, accessing the device’s calendar app. Notifications are provided at the start and end of a scheduled activity. The notifications are automatically adjusted with any schedule change made on the calendar app. This allows the timer to support sudden changes in schedule.

Casio ECB-10

The watch face features an octagonal bezel studded with four screws, evoking a professional power tool used for racing car maintenance. The bold look strongly suggests a mechanical design. The dial is emblazoned with horizontal lines to express the dynamic energy of cars tearing down the straightaway.

The five versions of the ECB-10 range have either black or silver resin casing and strap, as well as stainless steel casings. Prices range from RM789 to RM859 and are available at G-Factory stores and authorized dealer stores around Malaysia.

Casio and Scuderia Alpha Tauri F1
Casio is partnered with the F1 team Scuderia Alpha Tauri (formerly the Scuderia Toro Rosso Formula 1 team).

 

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Two years ago, Porsche Design debuted the 1919 Chronotimer Flyback Brown & Leather, a genuine chronograph that set new standards in the world of luxury wristwatches. Equipped with a complex flyback function with chronometer-certified precision, the Porsche Design movement Werk 01.200 represents state of the art.

In addition to its innovative inner workings, the timepiece, like its legendary role model, the Porsche 911, unites uncompromising functionality, thoroughly designed in all details, with an expressive sporty appearance.

Now, Porsche Design launches this chronograph classic in a new edition with a bold colour combination. The dial and strap, made from Porsche interior leather, radiate a subtle blue hue.

Porsche 911

Fascinating shape
The Porsche 911 is an icon that has sparked enthusiasm for decades. Since its launch in 1963, the sportscar has been a synonym for the perfect combination of design and performance. Its secret of success is surprisingly simple: Professor Ferdinand Alexander Porsche consistently focused on form and function so that the legendary minimalist design was a natural consequence. “Design must be honest,” emphasized the founder of the Porsche Design company.

This maxim also applies to Porsche Design’s timepieces that translate the DNA code of the sports car into the design of a wristwatch. The 1919 Chronotimer Flyback Blue & Leather continues the tradition of the company’s first timepiece, the Chronograph I, which Prof. F. A. Porsche introduced in 1972. The large-scale, high-contrast dial is all about legibility, so that the attention is automatically directed to the essentials, namely the time display and the measurement functions.

Clean Arabic numerals and bold markers combined with intense use of Super-Luminova increase the readability under difficult lighting conditions and at night. Sevenfold and hard coated on both sides, the sapphire crystal prevents all light reflections, thus guaranteeing optimum readability at all times.

Porsche Design

Lightweight and powerful
All timepieces of the 1919 Collection – including the 1919 Chronotimer Flyback collection – are entirely made of titanium. Despite its low weight, this high-tech material derived from the world of motorsport is extremely resilient and resistant. With the same volume, it is 46% lighter than stainless steel, but significantly stronger and also non-magnetic, anti-allergic as well as saltwater and heat resistant.

The signature trademark of the 1919 Collection are the characteristic openings on the lugs and their form-fitting transition into the bracelet. These features not only eliminate the design-related disadvantage of classic horns – the connection via a spring bar – but also lend a unique lightness to the collection’s puristic aesthetics. The owner can literally feel the connection to the sports car on his wrist: the strap is made of original Porsche interior calf leather.

Porsche Design

Maximum performance, like the 911
The 1919 Chronotimer Flyback Blue & Leather is powered by Werk 01.200. This chronograph calibre offers a flyback mechanism that allows the measurement of successive intervals, eg lap times on the racetrack. It uses a single process for starting, stopping and resetting. Paced at 4 hertz, the automatic movement represents the culmination of engineering and watchmaking combined with its vehicle manufacturing expertise. The bridges are load/stress optimised. The special architecture allows the unobstructed view of the fascinating mechanism of the flyback function through the sapphire crystal caseback and is a further proof of the implementation of the lightweight principle.

The 1919 Chronotimer Flyback Blue & Leather goes on sale from this month, priced in Europe from 5,950 euros (about RM28,400).

Porsche unveils the Belgian Legend Edition

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The Land Rover Defender was a motoring icon in its time and its successor, the New Defender unveiled last September is destined to achieve similar fame in the 21st century. To celebrate the reimagining of the Defender as a motoring icon for this century, the automaker has worked with Zenith to create a special edition watch.

Like the legendary SUV that inspired it, the Defy 21 Land Rover Edition – as this watch is known – is modern, durable and highly desirable. It will be exclusive as only 250 pieces will be available for sale worldwide. Prices will vary depending on the country and exchange rate, but each watch is likely to cost the equivalent of RM60,000 at least.

The Defy 21 Land Rover Edition is the latest result of a 4-year partnership between Land Rover and the Swiss watchmaker. Zenith and Land Rover have previously collaborated to create the El Primero Range Rover, Chronomaster El Primero Range Rover Velar and Defy Classic Evoque watches.

“For the next chapter in our partnership with Zenith, we wanted a timepiece that captured the essence of the new Land Rover Defender: modern, durable and highly desirable. With subtle details that capture the character of new Defender, this for me is the best timepiece we have created with Zenith,” declared Professor Gerry McGovern, Land Rover Chief Creative Officer and guardian of Land Rover’s design DNA.

The Defy 21 Land Rover Edition represents a complete makeover of Zenith’s resolutely 21st century chronograph with a raw and minimalistic look. Crafted in a special micro-blasted titanium case that absorbs light from all angles to better accentuate its faceted surfaces, it is both eye-catching and stealth-like.

Land Rover New Defender

Like the El Primero and its numerous versions through the years, the Land Rover Defender now enters a new era with a bold and distinctive character. The Defy 21 Land Rover Edition chronograph also reinterprets the past in a forward-looking way, with an emphasis on durability, precision, comfort and bold design.

The dial appears as one with the case with its muted matte grey colour, offering a very different look to the open-dial standard versions of the Defy 21. Orange and white painted markers add legibility and contrast to the display, as do the specially shaped skeleton hands.

Zenith Defy 21 Land Rover Edition

A first for the Defy 21, the power reserve display for the 1/100sec chronograph is executed in the form of a liner window instead of a hand. Through the specially engraved case back, the display offers a view of the El Primero 21 1/100sec movement with a custom oscillating weight, in the form of a miniaturized 5-spoke Land Rover wheel.

Like the different modular packs offering Defender the perfect adaptability to different driving needs, the Defy 21 Land Rover Edition comes with two straps: the ‘Adventure’ strap with an all-terrain textured rubber, and the ‘Country’ featuring a grey rubber strap with a fabric effect and orange stitching.

All-new Land Rover Defender makes global debut in Frankfurt

 

Since 2016, Casio has had a presence in Formula 1 racing through association with the Scuderia Toro Rosso Formula 1 Team. Sharing the focus on precision and technology with the Formula 1 team, Casio has collaborated in the development of high-performance metal chronographs based on the brand concept of ‘Speed and Intelligence’.

Its latest additions to the EDIFICE line – the EQB-1000TR and EFR-S567TR slim-profile chronographs – are now available in Malaysia, with recommended retail prices of RM3,159 and RM1,269, respectively.

Casio EFR-S567TR
EFR-S567TR

Designs inspired by F1 racing cars
Both watches have designs inspired on the Scuderia Toro Rosso STR14 which is competing in the 2019 Formula 1 World Championship. Adopting the racing car’s colour scheme of blue, red and silver, the entire EQB-1000TR and the dial of the EFR-S567TR adopt an eye-catching red stripe motif on a blue background, representing the team colours.

In both models, the entire dial, excluding the bezel and inset dials, is made of carbonfibre. This material, first used in the aerospace industry, offers high strength but is lighter than steel so it is ideal for F1 machines that need to be light.

The dial and case back feature the team logo, and the inset dial in the 9 o’clock position has an image of a bull, the team symbol. The new models are also infused with the worldview of Scuderia Toro Rosso.

Casio EQB-1000TR
EQB-1000TR

Solar-powered with smartphone connectivity
The EQB-1000TR, a slim-profile chronograph equipped with a Tough Solar power system and smartphone connectivity. In addition to accurate time syncing that can be performed by connecting to a smartphone app, the new model has World Time. The user can see the time for two different places, in the main and inset dials, by selecting from approximately 300 cities. This feature is very useful for the Scuderia Toro Rosso drivers and team members who travel around the globe.

The new Last Lap Indicator displays the difference from the previous lap time on the inset dial within a range of minus 5 to plus 1 seconds. The stopwatch function has also been enhanced, and the recorded times can be uploaded to the smartphone app. Since 200 lap times can be saved, measured to 1/1000th of a second, the chronograph helps manage detailed times during a race.

Scuderia Toro Rosso
The Scuderia Toro Rosso STR14 in action at the 2019 Japanese GP recently

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Bentley Motors has teamed up with Breitling to create a watch that pays homage to the new Continental GT that was launched at IAA 2017 in Frankfurt. Called the Bentley GT Dark Sapphire Edition chronograph watch, the timepiece has been released to celebrate the launch of Bentley’s new sports car.

Despite sporting similar styling as its predecessor, the Continental GT has been reworked to have more elegant contours, better luxury materials and powered by the third generation 6.0-litre W12 TSI engine that develops 635bhp and 900Nm of torque, but I digress.

This new chronograph features an ultra-light, ultra-strong case made of Breitlight®. its a proprietary new advanced material that mirrors the innovative, authentic new luxury materials inside the Bentley Continental GT.

It is supposed to be resistant to scratches and corrosion, which should alleviate the concerns of owners who enjoy an active lifestyle. Apart from that, It does not contain magnetic or allergenic properties and has a subtle black, streaked effect.

The 48mm diameter watch face encompasses a movement that is developed in the Swiss brand’s Chronométrie workshops and is distinguished by the unique 30-second chronograph system, which is protected by cambered sapphire crystal and glare-proofed on both sides.

It is a Breitling Calibre B06 movement that is self-winding, high-frequency (28,800 vibrations per hour), 47 jewels. Power resever is rated at over 70 hours and the timepiece itself is officially chronometer-certified by the COSC.

A carbon fibre-like weave that adorns the outer part of the watch face provides depth to the dark gunmetal appearance of the watch body. The blue and white contrasting markings also add to the appeal of this chronograph timepiece.

A central hand completes a full sweep of the dial in 30 seconds, and features a A blue ‘30-second chronograph’ inscription on that particular dial. This is a noteworthy feature for those who will use this luxury timepiece as a stopwatch.

Breitling has given the watch a unique rubber strap bearing the same design as the Continental GT’s dial that is secured in place with a push piece-operated folding clasp. This should keep the watch firmly placed on the wearer’s hand yet offer a comfortable fit.

According to the watchmaker, only 500 such timepieces will ever be made, which is a nod to the level of exclusivity enjoyed by the car that it pays tribute to. Check out the pictures and let us know what you think of this elegant, hand-made Bentley timepiece.

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