Monthly Archives: July 2015

Linea

Warning: Sunglasses are highly recommended when gazing at the four new Linea models! The brightly coloured straps that wrap around your wrist are as invigorating and powerful as a vitamin-packed shot. They awaken the skin and dazzle the eyes. The scaly alligator leather strap comes in lemon yellow like the sun (Peppy Honey), bright jade like a freshly cut lawn (Fresh Green), warm purple like the setting sun (Graphic Violet) or eye-popping magenta like a tropical flower (Pop Pink). That’s enough to make you want to either jet off or extend your holiday! The 27mm polished steel case houses a bezel engraved with the hour rim leaving the dauphine-shape hour and minute hands and central seconds hand to dance around the silver-tone dial. The time functions are brought to life by a quartz movement. Price: 1,950 CHF

Master Ultra Thin Squelette

The Vallée de Joux watch brand shows how multi-talented it is – a.k.a. Métiers Rares® – on the dial and heart of its iconic Master Ultra Thin. Four different types of handmade skill adorn four timepieces each limited to 100 pieces: skeletonised manual wind 849ASQ calibre, engraved mother-of-pearl or enamelling on the hour rim, gem-set bezel surrounding the 38mm white or rose gold. The movement bringing the leaf-shape hour and minute hands has been delicately openworked and sculpted to create a real mechanical spectacle that you can see both front and back; it also provides a 33-hour power reserve. Depending on the model, the hour rim features a mother-of-pearl strip carved out with a wavy pattern or a layer of enamel under the indices: intense, almost Klein, blue paired with white gold or red-tinged brown cradled by warm rose gold. Price: 57,500 CHF (enamel on rose gold) – 73,500 CHF (mother-of-pearl on diamond white gold)

Montre joaillerie “chevron”

In 1896, 42 years after the brand was founded, Georges Vuitton designed the famous monogram bearing his father Louis’ initials. It has since become world famous as the brand’s signature. The V in LV which features on this summer’s Speedy 30 bag also appears in the ready-to-wear collection by creative director Nicolas Ghesquière to form a chevron pattern which you can see on the openwork knit dresses. The watch take on the pattern has a dial zigzagged with 222 diamonds and a hypnotic red and black miniature painting. The dazzling dial features two leaf-shape silver hands to track the hours and minutes which are brought to life by a quartz movement in the gleaming white gold case glittering with 46 diamonds. Two black or red lizard and diamond buckle straps wrap the timepiece around your wrist. Price upon request

Oyster Perpetual Yacht-Master 40

If we’d ranked the top 5 most beautiful pieces at this year’s Baselworld, the Oyster Perpetual Yacht-Master would certainly come top. Let’s be objective: this sporty and exciting model by the regal brand is the perfect balance of substance and style. In terms of movement, it is fitted with Rolex’s own self-winding 3135 calibre which is COSC-certified and brings to life the 48-hour power reserve, time and date functions. In terms of design, its 40mm Everose gold case has a ribbed back and screwdown crown; it is topped by a rotating bezel with a matt black ceramic chapter ring (Cerachrom) bearing a 3D 60-minute scale. As for the dial, the matt black disc features three hour, minute and seconds hands in rose gold and Chromalight which glide above the applied indices. Price: 23,800 CHF

HERMÈS – Arceau automatique

Designed in 1978 by the talented artist Henri d’Origny who spent over 50 years as an illustrator at Hermès, the Arceau is a classic in the Parisian brand’s watch collections. “Arceau” means “arch” in French and the curvy model certainly lives up to its name. Its asymmetric lugs are inspired by the shape of a stirrup as the equestrian world has been intrinsic to Hermès since 1837. The self-winding calibre inside the new Arceau’s 40mm steel case is named after the milestone year. It brings to life the time and date functions along with a 50-hour power reserve. The centre of the silver dial features chevrons and two rhodium-plated leaf-shape hands tracking the hours and minutes; they glide over the hour rim with Arabic applied numerals which lean forwards like a jockey riding his steed against the wind. Price: 5000 CHF

Roma Finissimo 40th

Some say that a woman is in her prime at 40. She is, so they say, in full bloom and at peace as time hasn’t yet had its way with her but the way she sees the world radiates wisdom. I don’t know if it’s true but I like to believe it as I’m 40, just like the iconic Roma de Bvlgari which launched in 1975. The timepiece has gone Finissimo for 2015 and its hourglass figure is in perfect proportion: 5.15mm thick, 41mm in diameter all carved out of steel and topped by a large flat bezel engraved with the names of the brand and model. This curvaceous setting houses the ultra-thin BVL128 calibre whose power reserve lasts up to 65 hours; the manual wind movement brings to life the time functions which appear on the black lacquer dial as two silver baton-shape hour and minute hands and a small seconds counter off-centre at 7.30. Price: 11’900 CHF

Mini

Was the Saint-Imier watch brand inspired by the 1966 song “Mini, mini, mini” by French star Jacques Dutronc? Has it designed its own take on the proverb “big things come in small packages”? Or perhaps it’s riding the current trend for leaving anything that’s big/heavy/bulky for things that are small/mini/cute? Whatever the reason, it looks amazing! The steel case is just 16mm in diameter and its bezel is adorned with a glittering ring of 42 brilliant-cut diamonds. Its round white mother-of-pearl dial has been stripped back to basics: four diamond markers shimmer at 3, 6, 9 and 12 o’ clock and elevate the iridescent surface. The march of time (hours and minutes) is tracked by two rhodium-plated baton-shape hands in the centre. The watch is finished with two leather straps in black, red, beige or lavender blue (my personal favourite!). Price: 1350 CHF

BLANCPAIN – L-evolution Tourbillon Carrousel

The tourbillion, invented by Abraham-Louis Breguet in 1801, is a mechanical system which houses escapement fittings and the regulator in a rotating cage. As well as turning on itself alongside the lever, balance wheel and spring, it also spins around the seconds wheel. The carrousel, designed by Danish watchmaker Bahne Bonniksen in 1892, is a similar system but it has two wheel trains: one to tilt the cage and the other to supply energy to the balance wheel and escapement. These two watchmaking masterpieces counter the effect of gravity on the watch’s function. This L-evolution by Blancpain brings both devices together in a single movement. Two cylinders wound by a single crown supply energy to both regulators. This extraordinary movement with NAC-coated peen patterned bridges is housed in a 47.4mm platinum case. Price: 348,000 CHF

PATEK PHILIPPE – Calatrava Pilot Travel Time réf. 5524

There were only 24 years between the Wright brothers’ first flight in 1903 and Charles Lindbergh’s first plane journey across the Atlantic in 1927! Watchmaking is no stranger to this sort of fast growth. Like the navy in the 18th century, aviation used watches as a navigation tool. Based on an idea by US Naval Officer Philip van Horn Weems and suggestions from Charles Lindbergh, “the hour angle watch” was invented. Used alongside a sextant and radio signal, this instrument enabled them to calculate their position quickly, easily and accurately. Patek Philippe designed two types of this watch, also known as siderometers. The new 5524 model is a tribute to the time when man conquered the skies. The now redundant hour angle has been replaced by a second time zone which is easy to control using two pushers at 8 o’ clock (+1 hour) and 10 o’ clock (-1 hour). The two hands come together beautifully when local and home time are the same. White gold 42mm case. Price: 42,000 CHF

First Class

First Class epitomises a slightly hedonistic lifestyle. It represents the most comfortable and quiet class with premium services when you travel by plane, train or boat. Perrelet’s spin on First Class has given rise to a collection of classic watches all fitted with self-winding movements (P.321 or P.391 calibre) for men and women. The steel case is notched on the side and comes in two diameters: 42.5mm or 35mm (the smallest has a diamond bezel). The dial is available in black or white dial with a grained centre and guilloché hour rim for both models or mother-of-pearl with applied or diamond indices on the smaller model. Some versions in both sizes have a round display showcasing the balance wheel at 6 o’ clock whilst other models in the collection feature a date display instead. Price: 2450 CHF – 5950 CHF