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Aston Martin Unveils $146K Timepiece Developed With Girard-Perregaux

Aston Martin and Swiss watchmaker Girard-Perregaux have just revealed their first timepiece dubbed the Tourbillon with Three Flying Bridges – Aston Martin Edition.

The watch is made from Grade 5 titanium and features a 44 mm case steeped in Diamond-Like Carbon. Found inside the frame are three bridges spanning the dial and harkening back to Girard-Perregaux’s signature 19th-century pocket watch.

Perhaps the key highlight of the timepiece is the fact that it lacks a traditional dial and is transparent, thus revealing the complex movement. The timepiece also features a tourbillon cage that is 10 mm in diameter and is composed of 79 components that collectively weigh just 0.25 grams. Other key features include a white gold micro-rotor, a sapphire crystal box and an engraving of Aston Martin’s name on the vertical flank of the micro-rotor that has been filled with white luminescent treatment that appears blue in restricted light.

Watch Also: McLaren Elva, Ferrari Monza SP1 And Aston V12 Speedster Take A Trip To The Scottish Highlands

“We are delighted to partner with Aston Martin, entrusting their team with arguably our most iconic timepiece, delivering a fresh perspective on Haute Horlogerie,” Girard-Perregaux chief executive Patrick Pruniaux said in a statement. “Rarely do we work with others to reinterpret the Three Bridges, however, on this occasion, we have made an exception, mindful of Aston Martin’s prowess for design.”

“The greatest of the challenges we faced with the design of this new timepiece were those of scale, as you can imagine,” added Aston Martin executive vice president and chief creative officer Marek Reichman. “We had to consider lines and proportion on a far smaller scale than we are used to in the realm of automotive design. That said, good design is good design, whether it is a watch or a car, the principles remain the same. I’m delighted with the finished watch and congratulate everyone who worked on this project as this collaboration has produced a timepiece of great beauty.”

Only 18 examples of the timepiece will be made, each with a price tag of $146,000.

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The Aston Martin DBX Is Hugely Important For The Brand, But Does It Deliver The Goods?

Roughly one month after production of the long-awaited Aston Martin DBX commenced, Harry Metcalfe has had the opportunity to test the performance-focused SUV.

Aston Martin has spent roughly five years making the DBX a reality, and its future arguably rests on the DBX’s shoulders.

Power is supplied by a 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 sourced from Mercedes-AMG that is rated at 542 hp and 516 lb-ft (700 Nm) of torque. This engine is mated to a nine-speed automatic transmission that’s coupled to an advanced four-wheel drive system. Aston Martin says the DBX requires just 4.5 seconds to accelerate from naught to 62 mph (100 km/h) and will top out at 181 mph (291 km/h).

Read Also: Aston Martin DBX Luxury SUV Enters Production In Wales

When driving the DBX, the first thing Metcalfe discusses is the air suspension. Not only does it offer an adjustable ride height, but it apparently absorbs bumps beautifully. What’s more, he says that the handling dynamics are “extraordinary,” thanks in no small part to the trick anti-roll bars that use 48-volt technology.

The veteran journalist recently had the opportunity to test out a Lamborghini Urus on the same roads where he reviewed the DBX, and the Aston Martin seems to handle just as well, if not better. However, the SUV is not perfect, with Metcalfe pointing out that the braking is the vehicle’s weak point. He also says that the DBX is not “crazy quick” like the Urus, but is nevertheless more than fast enough.

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Can A Mercedes SLR Keep Up With An Aston DBS Superleggera And Ferrari GTC4Lusso?

The market for luxurious, high-performance Grand Tourers has never been more hotly contested and CarWow recently brought together three particularly fine GT’s for a series of performance tests.

The real star of this comparison test is the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren. Sure, it is almost 20 years since production of the German icon commenced but when it hit the market, it offered up similar performance to the Porsche Carrera GT but in a much more approachable, comfortable, and refined package. There wasn’t anything quite like it in the early 2000s.

Fast forward to today and there are heaps of exotic Grand Tourers to choose from and in this test, we are presented with an Aston Martin DBS Superleggera and a Ferrari GTC4Lusso.

Watch Also: Is The Aston Martin DBS Superleggera Volante As Awesome As It Looks?

In terms of grunt, the SLR is slightly down on its modern-day rivals. Whereas its 5.4-liter supercharged V8 churns out 617 hp and 575 lb-ft (780 Nm) of torque, the 6.2-liter naturally-aspirated V12 of the GTC4Lusso has 681 hp and 514 lb-ft (697 Nm). The DBS Superleggera is the most powerful of the bunch with 715 hp and 664 lb-ft (900 Nm) from its 5.2-liter twin-turbo V12.

Despite its power deficit, the SLR McLaren performs surprisingly well. A handful of drag races were staged and in the first, the Ferrari took the win over the Aston Martin with the Mercedes finishing last. In the third drag race, however, the SLR actually got off the line much quicker than the Aston and only trailed behind the Ferrari.

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