I wasn't sure what I was going to review for this week until Liana suggested that I go big to kick off Boutique Visit Fridays for 2013. What did she suggest?
This:
BOOM! goes the dynamite.
What you see above is the Portuguese Regulateur Tourbillon ref. 5446-01 in platinum (MSRP: approx $81K), and yes, it's every bit as stunning in person as it is on your computer screen.
The piece measures in at 43.1mm, which is on the large side, yet in spite of its relatively thin bezel it doesn't wear overly large on the wrist. In fact, it's exceedingly comfortable, thanks in no small part to the sturdy platinum deployant clasp. As one would expect, the finish is superlative and the dial radiates a warm glow that is hard to accurately capture in pictures. Being a regulateur, there's a certain degree of emphasis on the hands, and these do not disappoint. Here, I wish I had a real camera with a macro function to properly convey the bevel line on the minute hand -- it's sublime.
Naturally the movement is an in-house design. It beats at 28,800bph/4hz and is hand wound.
(sorry, my phone refused to focus properly)
Here it is in action:
(apologies for the commentary...)
Basically, this is a dream watch, and to the lucky 100 SOBs who do manage to land one, I salute you. Ordinarily, I don't go in for the fancy-schmancy stuff, but as with the Portuguese Minute Repeater, I'm only too happy to make an exception for this one. ;-)
I realize that I sound like a broken record here, but I really can't heap enough superlatives on the staff at the boutique. To the last man and woman, they are all pretty much the nicest, most knowledgable folks you can imagine, and no, I don't get the "special" treatment 'cuz I'm me; everyone does. Anyone who has spent more than five minutes there can attest to this. So, Patrick, Liana, Andre, Hisham and Nigel, thank you so much for yet another wonderful lunch hour wasted. In particular, Andre, you're a mensch for sitting and chatting with us (the inestimable Howard Parr joined me this week) while we ogled the goods.
Of course no visit would be complete with a shot of espresso to power me back to the office:
(Patrick's getting slow; my chocolate arrived intact!)
All-in-all, it was a great way to kick off the new year!
- craniotes