The weekend saw Watches & Wonders running alongside the Miami Boat Show in Florida. Northrop & Johnson was on hand for the first look at some of the most highly sought after timepieces to be launched in 2019.
RJ WATCHES CELEBRATES THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF APOLLO 11 DURING THE MIAMI BOAT SHOW
RJ Watches is the name for the company formerly known by Romain Jerome. Aficionados of timekeeping probably know the brand best for its Titanic DNA watch that used rusted steel from the famous liner in its bezel. A decade later, former Hublot development executive Marco Tedeschi now enters his second year at the Geneva-based company with the launch of its first-ever watch with an in-house produced movement.
A disciple of two industry legends, Jean Claude Biver and Matthias Buttet, Tedeschi is showing the same deft touch for innovation. He is using the milestone anniversary for RJ Watches to celebrate what was one of the most significant moments for mankind — the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11’s spaceflight to the moon.
Making its American debut at Watches & Wonders, RJ ARRAW 6919 features a 45-mm case design inspired by the space universe. The bezel is made with a super light and hard composite material combining a high-performance acrylic glass and parts from the Apollo 11 spacecraft. This first-ever material created by RJ is fixed to the case by a metal grid, inspired by the Apollo 11 command module.
Caliber RJ-2180 is a mechanical self-winding movement with the RJ 360° Moon phases mechanism which shows horological promise for what Tedeschi will give us in the future. In the meantime, the tribute to Apollo 11 is available in a limited edition of 100 pieces in either satin-brushed grade five titanium, ceramic or 5+ red gold.
Friends of RJ will remember that this isn’t its first brush with space following its Moondust DNA released in 2009. Also continuing in the current collection are the collaborations inspired by famous comic superheroes, including Batman and Spiderman, and video game characters like Super Mario, Space Invaders and Pac-Man, and Steampunk featuring steel from Titanic and the aesthetically pleasing skeletonized Skylab.
ZENITH DEBUTS ITS FIRST SILVER CASE TIMEPIECE
Zenith introduced its Pilot Type 20 Extra Special Silver during Watches & Wonders, and Northrop & Johnson was invited as one of the first to view this highly sought-after aviation watch.
The Genuine Silver 950 case is 45mm in diameter with a thickness of 14.25mm. The back of the case is engraved with the Zenith flying instruments logo while on the dial Arabic numerals are made entirely of SuperLuminova. The brushed riveted dial reminds of a fuselage from a heritage aircraft. There is a brown calfskin leather strap with a rivet and polished steel pin buckle. There is also a power reserve of 50 hours. The Pilot Type 20 Extra Special Silver is limited to just 250 pieces.
DE BETHUNE SHOWS OFF ITS FIRST 100% SPORTS MODEL
De Bethune’s DB28GS Grand Bleu is designed to be “perfectly readable in any kind of weather and every possible situation,” says De Bethune CEO and co-owner Pierre Jacques, who used Watches & Wonders to debut his newest creation to Northrop & Johnson.
The timepiece features a new caliber and is water resistance to more than 328 feet (100m), offering excellent readability thanks to ingenious mechanically powered lighting inside the movement. There is also a different bezel that rotates with the crystal to indicate dive times, a titanium case for a light feel and a rubber strap for convenience; along with a five-day power reserve.
To illuminate the watch and the movement from the inside, the slightly bluish-white light source is produced by a fully mechanical means that works on the dynamo principle. The result is similar to the lighting of a bicycle with no electronics and no battery. A pusher at 6 o’clock activates a small gear train driven by the twin-barrel. This gear train, by means of a miniature dynamo, provides the necessary energy for lighting the watch.
