Latest news with #Zenith
South China Morning Post
20 hours ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
How modern ceramic techniques are revolutionising high horology: Watches and Wonders 2025 showcased hardy new pieces from Audemars Piguet, Chopard, Chanel and IWC Schaffhausen
Scratch resistant, heat-resistant, non-corrosive – what's not to love about ceramics? Used by humankind for some 25,000 years – and by the watch industry since the 1970s – the material is now becoming a ubiquitous material for high horology, appearing on timepieces in a wide variety of textures, colours and finishes. Audemars Piguet and Chanel are among the brands releasing new-school ceramic pieces. An example from the latter is the J12 Bleu collection of nine watches in a deep blue, nearly black, hue. At Watches and Wonders 2025 , Zenith also jumped on the blue train for its 160th anniversary, releasing new versions of the Chronomaster Sport, Defy Skyline and Pilot Big Date Flyback in a striking bright blue ceramic. Advertisement Audemars Piguet's Royal Oak Offshore Blue Nuit Nuage 50. Photo: Handout 'The properties of ceramics are very interesting, and you can play a lot with colours. I think clients are searching for this,' says Zenith chief products officer Romain Marietta, adding that the brand's uniquely developed hue allowed for a consistent shade over the whole watch. Zirconium oxide is the chemical name of the ceramic commonly used in the watch industry. Previously, its application was either dull or extremely shiny, but newer tools for processing the material have created more possibilities. 'Our suppliers now have more experience in mastering the material itself,' says Marietta, adding that one complexity is that the material shrinks by 30 per cent during the sintering process involved in its manufacture. 'Now, with better precision tools and better understanding, ceramic bracelets are tighter as they can be machined with smaller tolerances.' Zenith's releases this year also proved the brand could reproduce the types of finishes normally seen on other materials with ceramic. 'Polished, satin, microblasted and sandblasted [finishes are now more possible]. This [hi-tech] material is also relatively accessible, so we can create great-looking watches at a very interesting price point,' Marietta continues. He adds that much of the work is done by hand, and suppliers have become better at hand finishing. Zenith Defy Skyline 160th Blue Ceramic. Photo: Handout It's important to note that while brands work with ceramics in their watches, no brand has its own in-house ceramic case making and bracelet facility. Five major suppliers are Bangerter, Ceramaret, Comadur, Dexel and Formatech. As befitting a brand seeking the latest technologies and innovations, Marietta is excited about the future of ceramics. 'We feel the appetite of clients for something different, something surprising. We are also working on other components that have never before been made in ceramic. In the end it is not simple to sell a ceramic watch, because a lot of people prefer traditional materials. But if you appreciate colour, technique and things that are different, ceramic is a very cool material.'
Vancouver Sun
6 days ago
- Business
- Vancouver Sun
Anthony Gismondi: A visit to Martin's Lane Winery to taste their 2022 Pinot noirs
Martin's Lane Winery, one of the biggest success stories in Canadian wine, inconspicuously blends into the slopes of South Kelowna. To the untrained eye, it's a winery on a hillside. To the observant, you notice that the winery's roofline matches the angle of its sloping vineyards surrounding it. At the same time, the tasting area, offices and ancillary rooms run level with the lake line — think details. The winery's exterior, rusty orange and brown, matches the Ponderosa pine trees that dot the landscape. Inside, it is a marvel of simplicity and style. It has six levels that operate without a single pump and various vats to accommodate any single lot of fruit size that arrives at the winery. Discover the best of B.C.'s recipes, restaurants and wine. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of West Coast Table will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. It takes a lot of discipline to work organically in the vineyards and even more restraint to do less when the fruit gets to the winery. Winemaker Shane Munn and his team meticulously inspect each bunch at the crush pad, then follow a minimal intervention approach until bottling. It's the only way to express the winery's focus on single vineyards and blocks that tell the story of where they originate from, Northern Naramata to West and East Kelowna. I caught up with Munn last week to taste his 2022 Pinot noirs, a vintage that he and many other Okanagan winemakers are ecstatic about. It is the most significant harvest since the wildfire smoke in '23, and a devastating deep freeze in '24. But back to 2022. Munn says, 'It's nearly as perfect a vintage as I have worked. The fall saved the vintage, turning an average to good vintage, into a great vintage. It gave us quality, but it also gave us volume, which gave us a chance to break out some new single-block wines because every vineyard gave us multiple ferments for the first time.' We began with the Dehart Vineyard Pinot Noir from Kelowna, the most accessible in 2022. That said, Munn's pinots sit at or about 13 per cent alcohol and have an elegance and drinkability that makes them highly attractive. Next, we headed to the north end of the Naramata Bench, some 42 kilometres south of Dehart, to taste the three very different pinots. In all, seven blocks go into the Naramata Ranch label, while the two single-block offerings — Zenith and Hieroglyph — are bottle separately, reflecting a more classic Pinot style with some mineral undertones. The third vintage of Zenith, a marginal site and always the last picked of all the Pinot sites, is as unique a plot as there is in B.C. Munn used 100 per cent whole bunch fruit this year, pursuing a high level of perfume. Still, at just under 20 years old and organically certified since 2019, what really makes it unique is that the site influence has begun to overpower the clonal influence. Hieroglyph is an all-Pommard clone and the most Oregon-like of all the Martin's Lane labels. It has the tannin of the Dehart, albeit chalkier and more refined, and the vivid fruit pitches dark cherry and cranberry fruit reminiscent of the West Kelowna Fritzi's Pinot. Next up in East Kelowna are Simes Vineyard and the new single-block Transcendence. Simes is a fresher, cooler version of Pinot, reminiscent of a lower-alcohol version of Central Otago style. Transcendence is a single plot inside Simes planted at twice the surrounding density. The result is a huge Pinot Noir reminiscent of the power of some of Burgundy's top Pommards. We finished with Fritzi's Vineyard just off the road up to Mission Hill. It is named after owner Anthony von Mandl's mother and has consistently been the best wine of most vintages. The older vines power this wine beneath an elegant surface of rich, brooding fruit. It is all about the details. You will find extensive notes on all these wines at . While expensive, these wines attract high-end travellers to B.C., who spend a lot of money in the wine country. Sorry, Mr. Trump, but we do have something America needs. But you, like everybody else, will have to join the club to buy most of the Martin's Lane offerings. $26.99 I 88/100 UPC: 726452017136 We like the consistency this sparkler displays from year to year. It is an 85/15 mix of Glera and Pinot Noir, grown over rock and clay. The addition of bubbles via the secondary fermentation, or Charmat method, is completed in a stainless steel pressure tank for two months. The colour is an attractive pale pink. The bubbles are relatively fine for Prosecco, and the flavours are a pleasant mix of fruity wild berries and black cherries that finish fresh and just off-dry — sold by select private retailers only. $13.99 I 87/100 UPC: 6001506900355 This is a Sauvignon Blanc that focuses on the tropical side. The nose and palate mix passion fruit, guava and ripe pineapple, with a gentle swish of citrus and grass and a pleasant bump of residual sugar. Soft acidity invites you to chill it well and serve it on a warm patio all summer. It's the anti-New Zealand style at a giveaway price. We like it with any spicy dishes, especially sushi. $18.99 I 88/100 UPC: 628055147732 Pristine Sauvignon was grown in Washington State's Horse Heaven Hills AVA, Columbia Valley at McNary Vineyard. The rest is all Bartier. Fresh, precise, zippy, clean and the winery suggests you put a second bottle in the fridge. We like the subtle gooseberry, fresh-cut pears and green apples splashed with citrus. Goat cheese and a patio are all you need. Love the price. $21.49 I 88/100 UPC: 696852145374 Poplar Grove has created a much fresher, more interesting, zippy version of Washington Sauvignon Blanc than most American versions. It is palate-cleansing and food-friendly but without an aggressive acidity. The mix of pear and grapefruit with a dash of minerality lends a drinkability that will attract a crowd on a summer patio. $29.00 I 89/100 UPC: 696852189774 In Washington State's Yakima Valley, Den Hoed Vineyard is the source of this replacement wine made at Spearhead Winery, winner of the WineAlign 2024 National Winery of the Year award. The wine is clean and fresh with that Spearhead purity. Subtle gooseberry and passion fruit notes mix with grapefruit, lime zest, and some light phenolic notes. The winery likes this with a Thai green papaya salad, and fresh chèvre or feta cheese. • The Terrace Restaurant at Mission Hill Family Estate is open for the season, continuing to spotlight ingredients harvested just steps from the kitchen. The estate's expanded botanical program now features a rotation of edible flowers and culinary herbs, and an enhanced in-house charcuterie program. All the dishes complement Mission Hill's wines and reflect the estate's commitment to seasonal cooking. This year's dinner menu allows guests to choose a three-course rotating menu paired with two estate-made wines ($99 per person) or the signature five-course Chef's Tasting Menu with wine pairings for each course ($195 per person). Lunch service is a curated two-course menu with estate wines ($70 per person). Beginning June 1, dinner service is seven days a week, while lunch continues from Thursday to Monday until June 23, when lunch and dinner will be available seven days a week. Reservations are strongly recommended via OpenTable . • I have long wondered about wines by the glass poured behind the bar and not at the table. The Drinks Business Daily News reports staff at Parisian restaurants anonymously told Le Parisien that they were swapping out wines ordered by some customers for less expensive ones. According to the report, their bosses instructed servers in Paris bars, particularly in tourist spots, to make the switch to protect their margins. An undercover investigation into the claims found that at one venue, an €8.50 glass of Chablis had the characteristics of a Sauvignon Blanc. Elsewhere, a €7.50 glass of Sancerre on the list tasted more like a generic Sauvignon Blanc in the glass. Servers told the French outlet that their bosses regularly instructed them to serve a different wine than that which was ordered, so as not to open a new bottle of a more expensive label and risk wastage. $26.99 I 89/100 UPC: 00063657031513 Winemaker Jason Jones characterized 2021 as 'a great year for BSV.' It is a savoury, leafy, black and red fruited wine, with a richness that belies its warm vineyard site. The textures are soft, with strong notes of baking spices mixed with sweet vanilla and light tannins. At 14.5 per cent alcohol, it is easy to sip for a red and tailor-made for barbecue meats all summer. $17.00 I 88/100 UPC: 083085611293 Veramonte Sauvignon reflects the cool Casablanca valley, pitching herbaceous notes with lime leaf and green pepper notes. On the palate, green apples, some garlic lees, citrus and gentle herbal notes line the wine from front to back. It finishes clean and with some persistence. Veramonte is committed to sustainable viticulture, and this wine is certified organic. The classic match is goat cheese or perhaps a favourite ceviche dish.
Stuff.tv
22-05-2025
- General
- Stuff.tv
My favourite Zenith watch has just been upgraded with a stunning stone dial
Zenith's Chronomaster Original Triple Calendar was already a beauty. It's genuinely one of my favourite watches. Compact, clever, and effortlessly elegant, it brought back the full-calendar chronograph format in a wearable 38mm case – complete with a moonphase and El Primero's signature 1/10th-of-a-second timing. But now? It's had a celestial glow-up. Meet the new Chronomaster Original Triple Calendar Lapis Lazuli, which swaps the standard dial for a slab of deep blue stone speckled with natural pyrite. The result looks like a starlit sky – fitting, really, given Zenith's name was inspired by the night sky's highest point. Lapis lazuli isn't just pretty. It's unpredictable. Each piece has a slightly different constellation of gold-flecked inclusions, meaning no two dials – and no two watches – will ever be the same. That's a nice contrast to the symmetry of the triple calendar layout, which includes day, date, month, moonphase, and a full chronograph. The layout remains tidy and legible: day and month appear up top, the moonphase tucks inside the chronograph minute counter at six, and the date sits discreetly between four and five. Silver sub-dials and chapter ring pop against the inky blue background, making this feel more functional than fussy. The case is pure vintage Zenith – inspired by 1969's A386, with pump pushers, sharp lugs, and a box sapphire crystal. Under the hood is the El Primero 3610 calibre, ticking at 5Hz with a 60-hour power reserve and a stopwatch hand that whips around the dial every 10 seconds. The sapphire case back shows off a star-emblazoned rotor and a flash of blue on the column wheel, in case you weren't already sold on the colour theme. It ships on a blue leather strap, but there's also a matching steel bracelet in the box. At $22,700 (or £20,500), it's priced firmly in dream territory (for me, anyway), but if you're a fan of chronographs, calendars, or cosmic dials, this might be the best version yet of one of Zenith's most quietly brilliant watches. Liked this? The Omega Railmaster returns and I'm having trouble picking a favourite
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Realsee: An Innovator Redefining Digital Space Industry
From pioneer products to AI-powered solutions, Realsee embodies As Real As it Gets BEIJING, May 13, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Realsee is an innovator and industry authority in digital space integrated solutions. By digitally replicating physical space and combining it with AI technology, Realsee is reinventing business, providing game changing solutions for the consumer economy. Our dynamic creativity fuels this industrial revolution – a continuous cycle of technological iteration underpinned by the world's largest 3D spatial database. With deep-rooted expertise in real estate, Realsee served a global network of 3,000+ partner photographers. Trusted by thousands of enterprise clients across 53 countries, Realsee has generated over 47 million 3D virtual tours with a daily average of 24,000, providing hardware, software, and integrated solutions that turn spatial intelligence into competitive advantage. Seeing the real space: Engineering Truth in Every Pixel Realsee is proud to introduce Galois, a self-developed professional 3D LiDAR camera for space reconstruction, which delivers the utmost true-to-reality digital representation of physical spaces. Surpasses infrared limitations, high-precision radar powered by Galois ensuring unmatched accuracy in complex spaces, thriving outdoor environments without lighting constraints, ensuring consistent, professional results from sunlit exteriors to intricate interiors. Besides, Galois redefines visual authenticity through true-to-life color and precision detail. Equipped with up to 134MP ultra-high resolution and 5x HDR technology, it captures authentic hues, natural light/shadow dynamics, and textures—from carpet fibers to marble veining—creating digital spaces that mirror real-world fidelity, turning "window pixels" into competitive assets. Crucially, Galois avoids stylization, offering unmodified RAW data to unleash your vision. Seeing Creators: Meeting your Real Needs Realsee prioritizes the authentic demands of creators with AI-powered solutions to enhance workflow efficiency comprehensively while amplifying creative and financial potential. Galois captures 1,000 sq ft in 8 minutes and auto-generates 3D tours with minimal stitching. While AI features like AI camera removal and Zenith/Nadir AI auto-patching eliminate hours of manual editing. An intuitive, all-in-one floorplan editor lets users refine AI-generated layouts on the fly—adjusting walls, adding furnishings, and exporting client-ready schematics in clicks, enables creators to deliver real estate projects 5x faster than traditional methods. Creativity takes center stage with multimedia-rich 360° tours, where creators can embed dynamic videos, combine aerial 3D with ground 3D tours for a fluid sky-to-ground journey and customize hotspots and logos to align with client brands—turning spaces into immersive stories that resonate emotionally. Flexibility shines through our pay-as-you-go hosting: store/edit unlimited tours for free, activate only when you are ready. (1 credit grants 1-month hosting for each 3D tour. Purchase credits as needed, and all credits are valid for 1 year.) Realsee now is driving digital transformation for several fields including real estate, interior decoration and staging, cultural venues and hospitality. Moving forward, we will deepen our expertise in digital spatial technology, using it as a bridge to pave the way for diverse industries toward a new era of convergence between physical and digital realities. For more information about Realsee, please visit About Realsee As a leading tech company providing digital space integrated solutions, Realsee has built the world's largest 3D spatial database by replicating physical spaces, covering over 47 million spaces and boasting over 590 global authorized patents. Realsee offers digital solutions for your space, spanning from its design and construction stage, to online marketing and visual operation. Trust Realsee to elevate your real estate transactions, commercial retail, industrial facilities, cultural exhibitions, public affairs, and home decor to the next level. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Realsee (Beijing) Technology Co., Ltd. (China) Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
CNA
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CNA
Better together: Why these watch collaborations stand out
Fine watchmaking has a reputation for being a little aloof. Blame the eye-watering price tags, the never-ending heritage flexing, and the kind of technical jargon that makes you wish you'd paid more attention in physics class. But horology also has a friendly side; there are brands that delight in collaboration – both within and beyond the watch world – and while the results can be unexpected, they are always a great deal of fun. ZENITH X PORTER Leaving the country is, ironically, something of a national pastime, and you'll want this Zenith and Porter collaboration for your next weekend escape. Porter is the cult Japanese label under Yoshida & Co, known for its well-crafted, functional bags, and this partnership yields two models in Zenith's longest-running collection: The Pilot Automatic Porter and the Pilot Big Date Flyback Porter, both clad in a ceramic case of olive green – or 'khaki', as Porter devotees would recognise. The time-and-date model comes in at 40mm and is powered by the El Primero 3620, while its complicated cousin measures 42.5mm and runs on the El Primero 3652. Both feature grooved dials co-signed by Zenith and Porter, with bright orange hands – a nod to the cheery linings of Porter bags, which themselves are inspired by high-visibility interiors of aviation jackets. Each watch comes with two straps: One in military-leaning nylon (complete with orange Velcro accents and Porter's stitched logo), the other a Cordura-effect rubber strap with a black PVD steel folding buckle, and these can be switched easily thanks to a quick-release system. Naturally, the packaging is part of the experience: The watch box nestles inside a Porter messenger bag, khaki on the outside and Zenith blue within. Each model is limited to 500 pieces. ULYSSE NARDIN X AMOUREUXPEINTRE Kyrgyzstan-born designer Vsevolod Sever Cherepanov – a name as layered as his resume – has done the rounds in fashion and interiors, collaborating with the likes of Nike and Alyx, launching his own brands Sever and Genesis, and overseeing his own creative studios Home 2.0 and Solutions 2.0. His aesthetic? Stark minimalism, monochrome moods, and a deep commitment to upcycling. Now he's taken his pared-back philosophy to the world of horology with the Ulysse Nardin Blast [Amoureuxpeintre], a limited edition of just 29 pieces. The 42mm case and bezel are rendered in sandblasted titanium, and the sapphire crystal is frosted front and back using a precision laser technique, with a smoky fume effect achieved through delicate metallisation. It took two years of development to get the effect just right, and the result is a kind of intentional blur, like a half-remembered dream. Beneath the veil is the skeletonised Calibre UN-371, though you'll probably have to squint to see it. MB&F X BVLGARI When MB&F and Bvlgari first teamed up in 2021 for the LM FlyingT Allegra, it was a feminine fever dream of flying tourbillons and rainbow jewels. But don't expect a sparkling sequel – their second collaboration, though inspired by the jewellery brand's Serpenti, is a far more technical looking piece. The case resembles a streamlined automobile – no accident, given that both MB&F founder Maximilian Busser and Bvlgari's watchmaking chief Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani are self-confessed petrol heads. Curved sapphire crystal 'windows' offer clear views of the movement inside, which is based on MB&F's HM10 calibre. The serpent's 'eyes' double as domed hour and minute displays, machined from aluminium to keep things light, while its 'brain' is the oversized 14mm flying balance wheel, held in place by a balance bridge engraved with both brands' names. The movement has also been decorated with the Serpenti's hexagonal scales, giving the impression of a car grille. At the rear lugs, two crowns styled like car wheels let you set the time and wind the movement respectively. Three versions are available, each limited to 33 pieces: One in titanium with blue eye domes, another in 18k rose gold with green, and a third in black PVD-coated stainless steel with red accents. LOUIS VUITTON X KARI VOUTILAINEN Louis Vuitton may be a fashion juggernaut, but when it comes to watchmaking, it has a soft spot for the little guys. In 2023, the maison launched the Louis Vuitton Prize for Independent Creatives, a biennial award complete with a cash grant and a one-year mentorship at La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton. That same year, it kicked off a new series of high-profile collaborations, debuting with Rexhep Rexhepi and a wildly complicated double-faced chiming chronograph. For round two, Louis Vuitton reached out to Kari Voutilainen, another horological maverick and a jury member of said prize, making this collaboration feel a little like a 'here's how it's done, kids' demo. The watch is the LVKV-02 GMR 6, a globe-trotting GMT with roots in last year's Louis Vuitton Escale watches and all the visual opulence one can expect when Vuitton and Voutilainen shake hands. While mechanically not in the same league as Rexhepi's monster of a movement, the LVKV-02 GMR 6 is a visual show-stopper. The dial alone is a four-part masterclass in craft. The outer hour ring features 28 colours and took 32 hours of painting and another eight hours of kiln time to achieve its stained-glass glow – all courtesy of Louis Vuitton's metiers d'art workshop. The centre dial bears Voutilainen's signature guilloche, riffing on LV's iconic Damier pattern and executed using 18th-century machinery. Voutilainen's team was also responsible for the hand-engraved sun and moon of the day/night indicator, as well as the design, assembly, and finishing of the movement, though Louis Vuitton contributed a final psychedelic flourish with the hand-painted mainspring barrel. Only five pieces will be made, and yes, each one will arrive in a custom Louis Vuitton travel trunk, hand-painted to match the dial and cheerfully signed off with: 'Louis cruises with Kari.' SARPANEVA X MOOMIN Five years ago, Finland's most poetic watchmaker paid tribute to Finland's most beloved fictional family. To mark the 75th anniversary of the Moomins, Stepan Sarpaneva created a charming homage under his more accessible SUF Helsinki label to sell-out success. So he turned up the horological volume the next year, releasing a higher-end version under the Sarpaneva name, complete with layered, hand-painted dials and his signature scalloped case. Now, with the Moomins turning 80, Sarpaneva returns with yet another endearing edition, available in two variants: A monochrome dial or a multi-coloured version. Both feature a three-part dial depicting a scene from Comet in Moominland (1946), an odd choice for an anniversary tribute given its slightly apocalyptic plot, but is charming nonetheless. Especially since the model adds a 'shooting star' aperture between 11 and 1 o'clock that houses a dragging hours display that sweeps the heavens in slow motion. The fairy tale feel intensifies as night falls. Thanks to 10 different shades of Super-LumiNova hidden throughout the scene, both versions transform after dark into miniature, glowing dreamscapes. Each version is limited to just 30 pieces. LOUIS ERARD X SYLVIE FLEURY It's practically de rigueur for an artist to subvert everyday notions of everyday things. For Swiss artist Sylvie Fleury, she's directed that irreverent spirit into contemporary sculptures featuring everything from makeup to shopping bags. As it turns out, makeup palettes also make excellent watch dials. Especially when paired with the clean, vertical 'three in line' layout of Louis Erard's Le Regulateur. In the Le Regulateur Palette of Shadows, the glossy black dial serves as a dramatic backdrop for two recessed subdials: In coral for the hours and magenta for the seconds. Each subdial features a matching hand, while the central minute hand stays black. The case is 39mm in black PVD-coated steel, paired with black calf leather strap. Limited to 178 pieces, and not for the beige-of-heart. RADO X TEJ CHAUHAN When Rado launched the DiaStar in 1961, it looked like it had been teleported from the future. We're now in that future – and it still looks like something from another timeline. That's part of the charm: It has never quite fit in, and doesn't plan to start now. For this new limited edition, British industrial designer Tej Chauhan brings his signature retro-futurist flair to the DiaStar, dialling up the fun without sacrificing its oddball appeal. It's the perfect sequel to bright yellow Rado True Square he reimagined in 2020, which had a radar-patterned dial and plenty of popping colour. Now, the DiaStar gets a yellow gold-coloured PVD-coated steel case, a Ceramos bezel, and a pillowy light grey rubber strap. Between 9 and 12 o'clock, the scale is highlighted in bright cyan – Chauhan's creative peak (or, depending on your lifestyle, peak party hours). The day-date display at 3 o'clock is wonderfully eccentric: Each day of the week appears in a different custom font and colour, while the date glows in neon red. Flip it over and you'll find Chauhan's logo on the caseback, along with a peekaboo sapphire window showing the R764 automatic movement.
