Arceau Editorial Hermès IWC Schaffhausen Jaeger-LeCoultre Limited Edition spotlight Master Control New Releases New Watches Portugieser Sneak Peek

Sneak Peek reviews of the new Watches & Wonders 2020 releases

The Pandora’s Box has opened and we have a myriad of new releases from a number of brands that have just been announced as part of the Watches & Wonders 2020

Sneak Peek reviews of the new Watches & Wonders 2020 releases

The Pandora’s Box has opened and we have a myriad of new releases from a number of brands that have just been announced as part of the Watches & Wonders 2020

Usually we do not like to simply introduce watches without a detailed review attached to them. We pride ourselves in not simply copying and pasting press releases but instead providing our opinions and detailed reviews of watches. Our apologies, but given there are so many watches to cover and we only have a team of two behind Watch Ya Gonna Do About It, we are resigning to this short-cut and simply providing snippets of the new watch releases below.

That said, we have however, already started reviewing the watches in detail as well, the first one being the new Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso One Red Wine. You can read about that one here.

So fret not, we will be covering all these watches in much more detail real soon.

Screen Shot 2020 04 25 At 11.02.14 Am
Courtesy WATHES&WONDERS ©2020 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

The new Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Control collection 

Brief Intro: On two years short of this collection’s 30th anniversary, Jaeger-LeCoultre has released a revamped Master Control collection. Drawing inspiration from the classic round watches of the 1950s, the new JLC Master Control collection is re-launching in four variants: Master Control Date, Master Control Calendar, Master Control Chronograph Calendar and Master Control Geographic. Featuring updated movements — with a silicon escapement and a redesigned barrel — and increased power reserves, these watches come with an 8-year warranty in addition to the 1,000 Hours Control certification. The sun-ray brushed silvery-white dials feature applied elongated triangular shaped indexes, Dauphine-shaped hour/minute hands, and blue central seconds hands.

Our favourite is the Master Control Geographic. 

Quick Tech Specs of our pick of the lot: The references Q4128420 (stainless steel) or Q4122520 (Le Grand Rose gold®) feature the Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 939 (new generation) which is an automatic-winding movement. The movement is encased inside a 40.0mm diameter and 10.96mm thick stainless steel or rose gold case. The watch offers a decent 70-hour power reserve.

The watch face shows the functions of central hours, minutes and seconds; date at 2’o clock; second time zone at 6’o clock along with a 24-hour display; 24 time zones again at 6’o clock; and a power reserve indicator at 9’o clock. 

The new Hermès Arceau L’heure de la lune

Brief Intro: Hermès treats time like an object. No wonder their new releases appear to be objects floating in a sort of space-time continuum. The new Arceau L’heure de la lune watch collection is spread across three variations that are available in either white gold or platinum cases. All watches offer a unique view of Earth’s satellite with the simultaneous display of moon phases in both northern and southern hemispheres using two mobile counters that gravitate on a lunar, Martian or Black Sahara meteorite dial, thereby revealing mother-of-pearl moons.

Our favourite is the Arceau L’heure de la lune lunar meteorite.

Quick Tech Specs of our pick of the lot: The 36-piece limited and numbered edition features the Hermès Manufacture H1837 self-winding movement measuring 26mm x 3.7mm. It comprises of 193 components, 28 jewels, and beats at the frequency of 4Hz (28,800 vph). The movement is encased inside a Henri d’Origny designed (in 1978) 43.0mm diameter white gold case. The watch offers an okay 30m water resistance.

The Lunar meteorite dial — with gradient brown-lacquered mobile counters and white transferred Arabic numerals — shows the functions of hours, minutes, date, and double moon phase.

The new IWC Schaffhausen Portugieser collection 

Brief Intro: IWC introduced the Portugieser in late 1930s. Since then they have evolved into an emblematic status for the Maison. For Watches & Wonders 2020, IWC has released a series of six new watches: Portugieser Automatic 40 (Ref. 3583); Portugieser Perpetual Calendar 42 (Ref. 3442); Portugieser Yacht Club Moon & Tide (Ref. 344001); Portugieser Yacht Club Chronograph (Ref. 3907); Portugieser Tourbillon Rétrograde Chronograph (Ref. 3940); and Portugieser Perpetual Calendar Tourbillon (Ref. 5045). “The amazing thing about the Portugieser is that its face has hardly changed since then. The clear, functional design looks just as fresh and contemporary today as it did over 80 years ago. The Portugieser thus embodies precisely the same, timeless modernity that distinguishes IWC as a brand. The new collection now makes our best-known watch family even more attractive and demonstrates how the iconic design continues to evolve,” says Christoph Grainger-Herr, CEO of IWC Schaffhausen.

Our favourite is the new Portugieser Automatic 42 (IW500714) in burgundy dial.  

Quick Tech Specs of our pick of the lot: Features the manufacture calibre 52010 automatic winding movement. It comprises of 31 jewels and beats at the frequency of 4Hz (28,800 vph). The movement is encased inside a 42.3mm diameter and 14.2mm stainless steel case. The watch offers an okay 30m water resistance but an impressive 7-day power reserve.

The burgundy dial — with rhodium-plated hands and appliques — shows the functions of central hours and minutes, small seconds at 9’o clock, a date window at 6’o clock, and a power reserve display at 3’o clock. 

That’s not all; there’s heaps more.

Keep tuned as we will be featuring a lot more of new releases from Watches & Wonders 2020 this month. 

Leave a Reply

Discover more from Watch Ya Gonna Do About It

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading