Latest news with #Solaria
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Solaria secures $106m for 175MW Spanish renewable energy project
European renewable energy developer Solaria has signed an agreement in principle with Spanish financial services company Banco Sabadell for the long-term financing of its 175MW Oliva solar project in the province of Guadalajara, Spain. The financing, reaching up to €93.5m ($106.2m), is contingent upon successful due diligence and final approval from the bank's risk committee. The funds will bolster the development of the Oliva solar project, showcasing Solaria's dedication to sustainable digitalisation and energy transition. The project is closely associated with the construction of a data centre, designed to be self-sufficient in energy with a guaranteed 70MW capacity. Solaria CEO Darío López stated: 'We are very pleased to announce this agreement, which reflects Banco Sabadell's reiterated confidence in our company. This financial operation represents a firm step towards the fulfilment of our goals and, consequently, towards the promotion of the energy transition, an essential aspect for the progress of society'. The Oliva solar project, consisting of five photovoltaic plants, will provide 100% renewable energy, sufficient to power 84,000 households annually. The plants, named Oliva solar 1 (50MW), 2 (50MW), 3 (25MW), 4 (25MW) and 5 (25MW), will be located in the Usanos district of Guadalajara and connected to the Daganzo substation. Solaria obtained the necessary administrative construction authorisation for the project in May 2024. Oliva is the company's second solar project in Guadalajara, adding to the existing 626MW Cifuentes-Trillo project in the region. The project will create 700 jobs during its construction phase and will prioritise local employment. In January 2024, Solaria obtained administrative construction authorisation for its 595MW Garoña photovoltaic project in Spain. "Solaria secures $106m for 175MW Spanish renewable energy project" was originally created and published by Power Technology, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
South China Morning Post
11-04-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
The key trends at Watches and Wonders 2025: form, fit and function rule, with new concepts from Rolex and Vacheron Constantin, cool wearability from A. Lange & Söhne and Panerai, and bold new colours
When more than 60 brands showcased new releases at Watches and Wonders this year , innovation and bold design leap to mind as the main stand-outs. Some brands focused on new mechanics under the bonnet, some chose to focus on increasing durability and function, while others concentrated on rethinking aesthetics in terms of colour use and watch size. Montblanc 1858 Geosphere 0 Oxygen Mount Vinson. Photo: Handout Vacheron Constantin veered heavily in one direction as it released Les Cabinotiers Solaria, breaking the record for most complications in a single wristwatch at 41. 'Usually for these grand complication [pieces],' Vacheron Constantin heritage and style director Christian Selmoni told us in a round-table chat, 'you'll see that there is engraving or gem setting to emphasise the complexity of the watch and the value of the timepiece. [To contrast with that] we wanted to do a very simple design […] because if you look at the dial, which is technical, we wanted to have this readability and the case is almost brutal. We wanted to anchor this timepiece in modernity, which is something I think unexpected but that people will appreciate, [especially] since we are already breaking with tradition.' Advertisement While Selmoni refers to the Solaria specifically, the desire to develop bold and exciting yet relevant and wearable pieces is a key undercurrent in all the disparate and wonderful ways brands approached their releases this year. New movements, new borders A view of the Calibre L122.2 in the A. Lange & Söhne Minute Repeater Perpetual. Photo: Handout Vacheron Constantin and Bulgari are certainly not the only names pushing boundaries in 2025, and nor was Rolex the only brand that debuted a stunning new movement . Grand Seiko made waves as it released Spring Drive UFA (meaning Ultra-Fine Accuracy) with the new 9RB2 calibre inside. It combines quartz oscillation with traditional mechanical powering to achieve an accuracy of plus/minus 20 seconds a year. A. Lange & Söhne introduced two new movements with wearability in mind. The Minute Repeater Perpetual contains the new L122.2 calibre and combines big date, perpetual calendar and minute repeater complications in a case thickness of just 12.1mm. Meanwhile, the brand released the smallest version of the 1815 yet with a 34mm case courtesy of the calibre L152.1 allowing for a smaller watch, which also has a whopping 72 hours of power reserve. Panerai Luminor Perpetual Calendar GMT Platinumtech. Photo: Handout Movements aren't the only spaces for upgrades – brands also focused on functionality. Panerai's Luminor Perpetual Calendar GMT Platinumtech allows you to set the perpetual calendar using the crown only, with no need to fiddle with separate pushers or correctors. Complicated yet functional
CNN
02-04-2025
- Business
- CNN
Watches and Wonders 2025: 11 striking designs from the world's largest watch fair
As the world's biggest luxury watch manufacturers gather beneath one sprawling roof at the annual Watches and Wonders trade show in Geneva this week, anniversaries are being celebrated all around. One of Switzerland's longest-running horologists, Vacheron Constantin, marks its 270th birthday with the most 'complicated' wristwatch ever made. Featuring a record-breaking 41 complications (functions that go beyond basic time-telling), the Solaria somehow packs a constellation of metal cogs, levers and springs into a 45-millimeter circle of white gold. Elsewhere, LVMH-owned watchmaker Zenith blows out 150 candles on its cake with a chronometry classic revival, while Hublot honors the 20-year anniversary of its era-defining Big Bang chronograph by introducing its boldest and brightest take on the model to date. As watchmakers mark their longevity, their attention has also turned to showcasing products that, they hope, will last just as long. This is evident in the boasts of anti-magnetism (which ensures greater precision when exposed to magnetic fields) and shock-proofing (hard-wearing styles that resist mechanical shocks), as well as lengthy warranties. The focus on durability comes in the face of an industry downturn — in 2024, Swiss watch exports declined 2.8%, to 26 billion Swiss francs (about $29.4 billion), from the previous year — following three years of steady growth. Amid a pullback in luxury spending, there is heightened competition in the entry-level and mid-range segments at this year's fair, which spreads across the more than 800,000 square feet of the Palexpo convention center, and is expected to attract tens of thousands of visitors over the course of the multi-day event. Here are some of the most eye-catching debuts on display at Watches and Wonders 2025. Having made its global debut as a limited-edition platinum piece at Patek Philippe's 'Watch Art' mega-expo in Tokyo in 2023, the Reference 5308 has now established itself in the brand's permanent catalogue. It comes complete with a perpetual calendar, a 'splitting seconds' chronograph, on-demand chimes and a gorgeous pastel dial to boot. The Land-Dweller bears all the aesthetic codes of Rolex's classic waterproof sports watches but with more longevity than ever. The transparent sapphire crystal case back meanwhile acts as a window into a labyrinth of horological parts representing 32 unique patent applications — 16 of which concern its ultra-thin caliber 7135 movement. You can always rely on Hermès to rise surprise and delight with a watch as whimsical as it is technical. A devastatingly romantic update of the brand's L'heure 'moonphase' range, its celestial choreography sees both Northern- and Southern-Hemisphere lunar displays pirouetting about a meteorite dial, a performance orchestrated by an exclusive 117-component module integrated into the watch's self-winding movement. After years of Ferrari dominance in Formula 1, rival McLaren became the manufacturer to beat in the mid-1980s — thanks in no small part to the patronage of TAG Group, a Luxembourg-based company formed by Saudi businessman Akram Ojjeh, and Heuer, the Swiss watchmaker it acquired in 1985. Now returning to the sport as F1's 'official timekeeper' TAG Heuer is reviving its plastic-fantastic Formula 1 collection: a fun, colorful 'thinking man's Swatch' that marks not only the return of an iconic '80s watch style but another home for the brand's Solargraph charging system, which can power the watch for a whole day on just two minutes of sunlight. It's been more than 25 years since Chanel took a punt on Bell & Ross by purchasing a minority stake in the Paris-based watchmaker (an investment that later saw the brand's manufacturing move to Chanel's facility at La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland). For all the sporty watchmaker's monochrome utility, a certain elegance has rubbed off in that time: Its square-shaped BR 03 and BR 05 timepieces, which take inspiration from aircraft cockpits, now serve the wrists of fashionistas as effectively as those of naval aviators. The watchmaker's new Skeleton range stands out for its proprietary mechanics as well as a dynamic, stealth-aircraft angularity — a tight flying formation, to say the least. Pastel-colored dials evoking 'The Talented Mr. Ripley' and pared-back timepieces in the 38- to 40-millimeter-diameter (1.49- to 1.57-inch) range appear to be on trend, if new watches from the likes of Breitling and Zenith are anything to go by. Not to be overlooked, however, is the Big Crown Pointer Date by Oris, which has been there all along as the brand's poster boy since 1938. While it was originally created for gloved pilots, the practicality of the watch's large, legible Arabic numerals and oversized crown has made it a timeless style. The new dial shades of yellow, turquoise and lilac are both warm and calming. The 2019 predecessor of the Diver (AIR), which is being dubbed the 'lightest-ever mechanical dive watch' by its maker Ulysse Nardin, weighed 120.5 grams. The brand's new skeletonized timepiece, however, has been trimmed down to an incredible 52 grams, including the strap (or under 46 grams without). Watch movements are commonly crafted from brass but here titanium, which is considerably less dense, offers a promising balance between lightness and torsional strength (though it also runs the risk of catching fire during machining). Ulysse Nardin has also integrated a lightweight and highly antimagnetic silicon regulator into its newest creation. Limited to just eight pieces, this watch is a rare sight in the wild. And its sculptural quality belies the mechanical wizardry ticking steadily beneath — a quality in keeping with the ethos of the brand's late founder Roger Dubuis, who emerged as an independent breakout star in watchmaking in the '90s. Although acquired by luxury conglomerate Richemont Group before Dubuis' death in 2017, the watchmaker's self-styled 'hyper horology' continues to feel purist. Grande Complication is the name given to any watch fitted with at least three additional functions, and the new RD0829 caliber fulfils that stipulation by combining three of the most prestigious complications in watchmaking: a perpetual calendar, a two-tone chiming minute repeater and a single-bridged flying tourbillon cage. The Swiss may dominate luxury watchmaking, but along the Czech-German border lies a town bearing eerie resemblance to Switzerland's own horological heartland, both topographically and artisanally. Glashütte is home to revered watchmaker A. Lange & Söhne, also owned by Richemont Group, whose Minute Repeater Perpetual stands apart from its competitors thanks to its sophisticated chiming function: As the brand notes, there is a low-pitched tone for every full hour, a double tone for every quarter hour and a high-pitched tone for every further minute. Last year, Chanel's horological focus celebrated its famed haute couture heritage through a joyous, witty collection of fine watches, all made, as you'd expect, from the French luxury house's consistently exacting approach — at its very own Swiss atelier. For 2025, the brand is riffing on over a century's worth of beauty and cosmetic products with a series of cocktail watches that come in all manner of pinks and rosy reds. Twenty years after Vacheron Constantin celebrated its 250th anniversary with the 16-function Tour de l'Ile (named after the Genevoise island where founder Jean-Marc Vacheron set up a workshop in 1755), the company rings it its 270th year with the Les Cabinotiers Solaria Ultra Grand Complication, a 45-millimeter-diameter wristwatch boasting 41 complications — including five solar and celestial indications. The split seconds hands of its rear-side stopwatch function even double as a means of knowing when your chosen star (selected from the 13 zodiac constellations on the watch's dial) will be visible from Earth.
CNN
02-04-2025
- Business
- CNN
Watches and Wonders 2025: 11 striking designs from the world's largest watch fair
As the world's biggest luxury watch manufacturers gather beneath one sprawling roof at the annual Watches and Wonders trade show in Geneva this week, anniversaries are being celebrated all around. One of Switzerland's longest-running horologists, Vacheron Constantin, marks its 270th birthday with the most 'complicated' wristwatch ever made. Featuring a record-breaking 41 complications (functions that go beyond basic time-telling), the Solaria somehow packs a constellation of metal cogs, levers and springs into a 45-millimeter circle of white gold. Elsewhere, LVMH-owned watchmaker Zenith blows out 150 candles on its cake with a chronometry classic revival, while Hublot honors the 20-year anniversary of its era-defining Big Bang chronograph by introducing its boldest and brightest take on the model to date. As watchmakers mark their longevity, their attention has also turned to showcasing products that, they hope, will last just as long. This is evident in the boasts of anti-magnetism (which ensures greater precision when exposed to magnetic fields) and shock-proofing (hard-wearing styles that resist mechanical shocks), as well as lengthy warranties. The focus on durability comes in the face of an industry downturn — in 2024, Swiss watch exports declined 2.8%, to 26 billion Swiss francs (about $29.4 billion), from the previous year — following three years of steady growth. Amid a pullback in luxury spending, there is heightened competition in the entry-level and mid-range segments at this year's fair, which spreads across the more than 800,000 square feet of the Palexpo convention center, and is expected to attract tens of thousands of visitors over the course of the multi-day event. Here are some of the most eye-catching debuts on display at Watches and Wonders 2025. Having made its global debut as a limited-edition platinum piece at Patek Philippe's 'Watch Art' mega-expo in Tokyo in 2023, the Reference 5308 has now established itself in the brand's permanent catalogue. It comes complete with a perpetual calendar, a 'splitting seconds' chronograph, on-demand chimes and a gorgeous pastel dial to boot. The Land-Dweller bears all the aesthetic codes of Rolex's classic waterproof sports watches but with more longevity than ever. The transparent sapphire crystal case back meanwhile acts as a window into a labyrinth of horological parts representing 32 unique patent applications — 16 of which concern its ultra-thin caliber 7135 movement. You can always rely on Hermès to rise surprise and delight with a watch as whimsical as it is technical. A devastatingly romantic update of the brand's L'heure 'moonphase' range, its celestial choreography sees both Northern- and Southern-Hemisphere lunar displays pirouetting about a meteorite dial, a performance orchestrated by an exclusive 117-component module integrated into the watch's self-winding movement. After years of Ferrari dominance in Formula 1, rival McLaren became the manufacturer to beat in the mid-1980s — thanks in no small part to the patronage of TAG Group, a Luxembourg-based company formed by Saudi businessman Akram Ojjeh, and Heuer, the Swiss watchmaker it acquired in 1985. Now returning to the sport as F1's 'official timekeeper' TAG Heuer is reviving its plastic-fantastic Formula 1 collection: a fun, colorful 'thinking man's Swatch' that marks not only the return of an iconic '80s watch style but another home for the brand's Solargraph charging system, which can power the watch for a whole day on just two minutes of sunlight. It's been more than 25 years since Chanel took a punt on Bell & Ross by purchasing a minority stake in the Paris-based watchmaker (an investment that later saw the brand's manufacturing move to Chanel's facility at La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland). For all the sporty watchmaker's monochrome utility, a certain elegance has rubbed off in that time: Its square-shaped BR 03 and BR 05 timepieces, which take inspiration from aircraft cockpits, now serve the wrists of fashionistas as effectively as those of naval aviators. The watchmaker's new Skeleton range stands out for its proprietary mechanics as well as a dynamic, stealth-aircraft angularity — a tight flying formation, to say the least. Pastel-colored dials evoking 'The Talented Mr. Ripley' and pared-back timepieces in the 38- to 40-millimeter-diameter (1.49- to 1.57-inch) range appear to be on trend, if new watches from the likes of Breitling and Zenith are anything to go by. Not to be overlooked, however, is the Big Crown Pointer Date by Oris, which has been there all along as the brand's poster boy since 1938. While it was originally created for gloved pilots, the practicality of the watch's large, legible Arabic numerals and oversized crown has made it a timeless style. The new dial shades of yellow, turquoise and lilac are both warm and calming. The 2019 predecessor of the Diver (AIR), which is being dubbed the 'lightest-ever mechanical dive watch' by its maker Ulysse Nardin, weighed 120.5 grams. The brand's new skeletonized timepiece, however, has been trimmed down to an incredible 52 grams, including the strap (or under 46 grams without). Watch movements are commonly crafted from brass but here titanium, which is considerably less dense, offers a promising balance between lightness and torsional strength (though it also runs the risk of catching fire during machining). Ulysse Nardin has also integrated a lightweight and highly antimagnetic silicon regulator into its newest creation. Limited to just eight pieces, this watch is a rare sight in the wild. And its sculptural quality belies the mechanical wizardry ticking steadily beneath — a quality in keeping with the ethos of the brand's late founder Roger Dubuis, who emerged as an independent breakout star in watchmaking in the '90s. Although acquired by luxury conglomerate Richemont Group before Dubuis' death in 2017, the watchmaker's self-styled 'hyper horology' continues to feel purist. Grande Complication is the name given to any watch fitted with at least three additional functions, and the new RD0829 caliber fulfils that stipulation by combining three of the most prestigious complications in watchmaking: a perpetual calendar, a two-tone chiming minute repeater and a single-bridged flying tourbillon cage. The Swiss may dominate luxury watchmaking, but along the Czech-German border lies a town bearing eerie resemblance to Switzerland's own horological heartland, both topographically and artisanally. Glashütte is home to revered watchmaker A. Lange & Söhne, also owned by Richemont Group, whose Minute Repeater Perpetual stands apart from its competitors thanks to its sophisticated chiming function: As the brand notes, there is a low-pitched tone for every full hour, a double tone for every quarter hour and a high-pitched tone for every further minute. Last year, Chanel's horological focus celebrated its famed haute couture heritage through a joyous, witty collection of fine watches, all made, as you'd expect, from the French luxury house's consistently exacting approach — at its very own Swiss atelier. For 2025, the brand is riffing on over a century's worth of beauty and cosmetic products with a series of cocktail watches that come in all manner of pinks and rosy reds. Twenty years after Vacheron Constantin celebrated its 250th anniversary with the 16-function Tour de l'Ile (named after the Genevoise island where founder Jean-Marc Vacheron set up a workshop in 1755), the company rings it its 270th year with the Les Cabinotiers Solaria Ultra Grand Complication, a 45-millimeter-diameter wristwatch boasting 41 complications — including five solar and celestial indications. The split seconds hands of its rear-side stopwatch function even double as a means of knowing when your chosen star (selected from the 13 zodiac constellations on the watch's dial) will be visible from Earth.
New York Times
01-04-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Vacheron Constantin Puts a Record on the Wrist
Vacheron Constantin's record-breaking run continues. Having cornered the record for the world's most complicated pocket watch last year with the Les Cabinotiers Berkley Grand Complication and its 63 functions, the luxury Swiss watchmaker has now set a benchmark for the world's most complicated wristwatch: the Les Cabinotiers Solaria Grand Complication, with 41 functions. The one-of-a-kind watch, which the brand said took eight years to develop and had 13 patents, was not commissioned by a private client. Instead, it was created for Vacheron's 270th anniversary, this year. 'We always have one or two projects like Solaria in our minds and some are stopped because of various factors, but the idea is always to demonstrate our excellence in high craftsmanship and watchmaking,' said Sandrine Donguy, Vacheron Constantin's product and innovation director. What are the Solaria's complications? As well as regular indications such as the time and date, and recognized high-end watchmaking functions such as a perpetual calendar, a split-seconds chronograph (which can time two events simultaneously) and five chiming functions, it has 14 astronomical functions, five of which Vacheron has said are appearing in a watch for the first time. Four of those track the sun, hence the watch's name, while the fifth shows the hours until a particular star appears in the sky. 'It's like a little telescope on the wrist,' Ms. Donguy said. The watch, she added, was made possible by the technological advances of artificial intelligence-powered manufacturing that can produce tiny components to microscopic tolerances. 'The ingenuity of this project was in combining high complications with miniaturization, which allowed us to have these tiny components,' she said, noting that the company had worked to tolerances of a tenth of a millimeter. As a result, Vacheron has squeezed the watch's 1,521 components into a 45 millimeter white gold case that is slightly less than 15 millimeters thick. Indications are displayed on both sides of the watch, allowing Vacheron to preserve its typical clean dial aesthetic. Manufacturing and ergonomic challenges have meant that watches with large numbers of complications are few and far between. Patek Philippe's best effort has been its Grandmaster Chime with 20 complications. The most complicated watch before the Solaria is thought to have been Franck Muller's $2.7 million Aeternitas Mega 4, with 36 complications. How much further can Vacheron go? 'Sometimes, industry is not mature enough to allow us to go further,' Ms. Donguy said. 'But I will come back to humanity's quest always to look further. What about a display that looks up from the moon, that looks at the sun from a different angle? The possibilities are endless.'
