The well-known and reputable watchmaker Martin Braun keeps his promise and gets back to the world of watchmaking. Recently he established a new watch atelier under his own name.

In October 2009 Martin Braun left Franck Muller Group (the brand has been in the Group’s portfolio since 2007) but he promised that his parting with the world of watchmaking wouldn’t be long. And he kept his word. In November 2009 Martin Braun has announced the opening of his own manufactory in Alpnach, Switzerland.

The first in-house movements will be produced by the new manufactory by spring 2010. The watchmaker noted that he had already designed new movements and complication that will amaze watch connoisseurs and amateurs.

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The watchmakers from IWC Schaffhausen have celebrated their partnership with Charles Darwin foundation with a thematic photo exhibition in support of the Galapagos Islands. The event took place on November 11, 2009, at the Milk Studios.

At the exhibition the guests could admire works by one of the most successful photographers - Michael Muller (in the last two decades the photos made by Michael Muller were published in Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone, The New York Times, Interview, Elle, Harper’s Bazaar). The style of the photographer is reflected in dramatic brightness and depth of the moment captured in one single frame. Michael Muller comments his works: “I just want my photos to evoke feelings”.

Among the celebrities who visited the exhibition there were Jason Bateman, Justin Bartha, Eric Dane, Rebecca Gayheart, Alex O’ Loughlin, Anthony Kiedis, Flea, James Van Der Beek, Harry Morton, Michael Muller, Jenni Kayne, Shiva Rose, Rosetta Getty and Larry King.

All the guests of the exhibition participated in the special lottery. All guests were given mysterious “secret keys” that helped one of them to win the exclusive new timepiece by IWC - Aquatimer Chronograph Edition Galapagos watch.

The new IWC Aquatimer Chronograph Edition Galapagos watch is powered by an automatic movement providing power reserve for 44 hours. The watch is housed by a stainless steel case covered with vulcanized rubber. In comparison with other divers’ models by IWC the new watch has an outer bezel made of steel and covered with PVD. The indices and markers are coated with luminescent treatment. The dial is protected with anti-reflection sapphire crystal. Water resistance makes up 120 meters.

This exclusive IWC watch goes together with a rubber strap equipped with a bracelet clasp. The screw-in back case is decorated with an engraving of the Galapagos Islands symbol – the marine turtle.

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Recently one of the most prestigious places in the world – in the Hotel de Paris situated at the Cote d’Azur, Monaco – has witnessed the presentation of the watch Aeternitas Mega 4 Grande Sonnerie Westminster Carillon. It is the most complicated wristwatch ever produced by Franck Muller. Besides, the new watch is considered to be the most complicated in the world.

Passionate watch collector from Colorado, USA, - Michael Gould – arrived to Monte-Carlo together with his relatives and friends. So the watch found its owner on November 7, 2009. It was presented to Michael Gould by the leaders of the company: the founder of the brand Franck Muller and Vartan Sirmakes. The presentation took place in presence of 400 guests from different countries, including the representatives of Monaco’s government.

The event has become the culmination of the project launched several years before in 2004. It took 5 years for Franck Muller to design and assemble the world’s most complicated watch.

The movement of the new Franck Muller watch consists of 1483 parts. 25 out of 26 complications are visible trough the aperture at the dial or transparent back case.

The sum paid by the new owner of the Aeternitas Mega 4 Grande Sonnerie Westminster Carillon made up $ 2.7 million which is an absolute record for a wristwatch sold not at an auction.

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The new original watch Engineer Hydrocarbon Spacemaster X-Lume was created by the watchmakers from the Ball company to pay tribute to the success of the SpaceShipOne project and its astronaut Brian Binnie.

The new Ball timepiece is very similar to other watches by the brand but it differs in size – the dimensions of the new timepiece are 41.5 mm in diameter and 16.1 mm in height. Water resistance of the watch is quite symbolic - 333 meters. The case of the new Engineer Hydrocarbon Spacemaster X-Lume is crafted from stainless steel and is equipped with 4-mm sapphire crystal. Besides, the new Ball watch features traditional anti-magnet and anti-shock protection. The watch is powered by ETA 2836-2 movement that has the time, day, and date. The movement has also been COSC Chronometer certified.

SpaceShipOne is the first manned suborbital aerospace plane. This airship was created by Scaled Composites LLC. Moving by parabolic trajectory it can make short-term flies to circumterrestrial space. On October, 2004, SpaceShipOne manned by Brian Binnie flied to 113 km high and then returned back to the earth safely.

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On November 15, 2009 during its Autumn sale the auction house of Antiquorum sold one of the rarest lots. The Japanese collector Yoshiho Matsuda put up for sale the Patek Philippe golden pocket watch which was a part of the famous Matsuda Collection (the most significant private collection of Patek Philippe timepieces).

The price for the golden watch whose weight is 1.1 kg made up CHF 4.5 million. Adjusted for taxation the new owner paid CHF 5,120,000 for the watch.

Calibre 89 notable for 33 different complications was created by the watchmakers from Patek Philippe to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the brand. The first design and calculations were made in 1980 and by 1988 the company presented working prototype. In April 1989 the completed watch was finally presented to the public. Patek Philippe produced 4 unique pieces with Calibre 89 in cases made of yellow, rose and white gold and in platinum.

Golden pocket watch with Calibre 89 first appeared at Antiquorum on April 9, 1989, as part of The Art of Patek Philippe collection. The watch (this one and the rest three exemplars) was purchased by the Royal family. In the beginning of the 2000s the collection was divided.

The Calibre 89 watch in 18К yellow gold is notable not only for the number of complications but also for the triple barrel spring and tourbillon. The four-level movement is based on 126 jewels and comprises 1,278 parts. The outer open dial traditionally indicates hours, minutes and seconds. At the back case one can observe the sidereal time. Other functions of the watch are GMT, sunrise and sunset time indication, world time for 125 cities, perpetual calendar, split-seconds chronograph with 30-minutes and 12-hours counters, minute repeater, alarm clock, tachymeter, barometer and compass.

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