Ceramic is the latest trend in watch technology, having been dormant for many years (ceramic watches first emerged in the 1960s). The recent popularity of ceramic watches like the Chanel J12, not to mention the ceramic accents on high-tech watches from Hublot and Audemars Piguet, has created a demand for more and more ceramic designs from a variety of manufacturers. Entering the fray is Bell & Ross with a variety of new ceramic models, including the BR03-92 Military Ceramic (green, as we have here, and blue due later this year) and the upcoming BR01-92 Ceramic.

Frederique Constant (and sister company Alpina) have a history of interesting sports sponsorships. Alpina sponsors the 12 Hours of Sebring endurance race, while Frederique Constant has been a part of the Lake Geneva Regatta for classic boats (commemorated by the Runabout series), and has also worked with the Austin Healey owners club for the Healey line. The latest limited edition from Frederique follows that same idea of a classic watch for a classic event – the Peking to Paris chronograph commemorates the legendary automobile rally between China and France.

Since we introduced Alpina to the Montreal market some three years ago, we here at Matt Baily’s have seen the brand evolve from a small manufacturer of quirky sport watches into a well-respected marque producing very desirable watches for very reasonable prices. This year Alpina has introduced a slew of new entry-level models that are very reasonably priced while still showing a marked improvement in quality. Chief among these new models is the Startimer Pilot series, which was announced earlier this year alongside the Sailing collection. After several months of anticipation, we finally have the Startimer collection in store, and they do not disappoint.

This week on the blog we introduce the U-Boat Classico U-1001 47mm Limited Edition, a scaled down and dressed up version of the U-1001 diving watch, now available in-store at Matt Baily's.

New in-store are the latest offerings from Matt Baily favourites Alpina and Frederique-Constant. We have received a number of new luxury watches that run the gamut from supremely elegant to casual sport, including the much-anticipated Frederique Slimline Automatic and Alpina Startimer Chronograph.

New in store is a very cool product for your Rolex watches – Rubber B straps. Made in Switzerland with high quality vulcanized rubber, these straps are designed to perfectly match Rolex cases with form-fitted lugs and special end-pieces that connect to the Rolex OEM fliplock clasp.

As I’ve mentioned in the blog before, we are seeing a return to classic and simple designs in the luxury watch industry after years of huge and bold sporty watches... A perfect example of this trend is the new Hamilton Thin-o-Matic, an updated re-edition of a classic dress watch from Hamilton’s golden age.

Vacheron Constantin has always been a traditional luxury manufacture, preferring to make classic haute gamme timepieces rather than bowing to the market fads. They have made sporty designs in recent years, but they are still best known for their elegant dress watches that combine impeccable quality with a timeless understated style... Case in point – the Toledo 1952 annual calendar, which is part of the Historique collection of classically inspired timepieces...

A video presentation of the new 2011 U-Boat Classico U-1001 limited edition watches in 47mm, from this year's Baselworld show in Switzerland.

The U-Boat range is divided into three main models – Classico, Flightdeck and Thousands of Feet. One of the most popular models is the Flightdeck Chronograph which has become one of U-Boat’s signature designs, featuring an automatic Valjoux chronograph in a sporty case with very legible dials. Traditionally the Flightdeck features a stainless steel case, but a few lesser known variations exist – the ceramic and titanium models. What we have here is one of my favourite U-Boats and the latest addition to the Flightdeck line – reference 1881 in titanium...