This Week in Watches: April 19, 2016

Bell & Ross debuts two new special-edition chronographs, an extremely rare pocket watch goes up for auction, TAG Heuer’s new Autavia reissue and more.

Bell & Ross Goes Racing

To celebrate its partnership with the Renault F1 team, Bell & Ross released two limited-edition chronographs at the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai: the BR-X1 RS16 and the BR-X1 RS16 Tourbillon. Both watches use the same square 45mm case design made from forged carbon, grade 5 titanium and ceramic, as well as the same rubber and carbon fiber strap. The BR-X1 RS16 features a skeleton dial, automatic winding a tachymeter scale and a date function, while the tourbillon is hand wound and features a four-day power reserve. Only 270 pieces will be made, only 20 of which will be tourbillons.

And the Winner Is…

After weeks of voting, TAG Heuer has announced the classic Autavia design that will be reissued in 2017. The design selected was the Mark 3 “Rindt,” a reference worn by Austrian F1 champion Jochen Rindt that was powered by a hand-wound, Valjoux 72 Chronograph movement.

Yet Another Racing Chronograph

Straton Watch Company takes its inspiration from vintage cars. Its first watch, the Vintage Driver Chrono, debuted in July of 2015, raising over 10 times its intended goal of 15,000 Swiss Francs. Similarly, the company’s second watch, the Curv-Chrono, has only been live since April 15th and has already raised $80,000 more than its intended $15,536. Like the Vintage Driver, the new watch utilizes Seiko’s proven VK63 Mecha-quartz chronograph movement, but now pairs it with a ’70s-style cushion case and is available with a selection of old-school mesh bracelets and perforated leather straps.

One Hell of a Pocket Watch

Christie’s has a rare watch sale slated for May 16th in Geneva. One of the most notable watches from the event is a Breguet No. 217, created by famous watchmaker Abraham-Louis Breguet and owned by Jean Victor Marie Moreau, a French general who served under Napoleon Bonaparte, and later, Charles-Louis Havas, who founded the news agency Agence France-Presse. Christie’s estimates the final sale price to be somewhere 600,000 and 1.2 million Swiss Francs.

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