Monthly Archives: February 2016

HARRY WINSTON – Midnight Diamond Stalactites Automatic

Harry Winston – Midnight Diamond Stalactites Automatic

Winter spirit glows from the shimmering dial of the latest Harry Winston piece. Inspired by long ice formations moulded by dripping water and frozen by the cold, delicate diamond stalactites form the name of this dazzling watch: Midnight Diamond Stalactites Automatic.

The vertical strips of different lengths which seem to melt are made up of 161 brilliant-cut diamonds. Their intense shine is elevated by the reflection off the gleaming mother-of-pearl. The stalactites echo two rose gold markers each paved with three diamonds at 3 and 9 o’ clock along with five triangular markers at the base of the dial.

Two gold hour and minute hands burst from the winter wonderland brought to life by the self-winding HW2008 calibre. The 36mm rose gold case’s bezel, three “claws” at 3 o’ clock and lugs are adorned with 84 diamonds.

Price upon request

By Sharmila Bertin

harrywinston.com

OMEGA – Seamaster Planet Ocean

Omega – Seamaster Planet Ocean

When the Seamaster Planet Ocean collection first appeared in 2005, it not only proved to the world that orange could be sexy but also that a diver’s watch could be as cool as a classic model.

In 2016, Omega is once again proving that the Seamaster Planet Ocean looks as good in the deep sea depths as it does beneath a blazer sleeve with a blend of two warm hues: SednaTM gold (gold, copper and palladium alloy created by Omega) and chocolate ceramic.

The 39.5mm SednaTM gold case is topped by a ceramic bezel encrusted with a gold diving scale using CeragoldTM technology. The self-winding 8801 calibre has the new METAS certification, provides a 55-hour power reserve and fuels the hour/minute/second and date functions which appear in the chocolate dial in the centre and date display at 3.

Price: 20,200 CHF

By Sharmila Bertin

TAG HEUER – Carrera Heuer-02T

TAG Heuer – Carrera Heuer-02T

Everything TAG Heuer does is a hit. The avant-garde brand knows how to spot trends and make products that their fans want. However, one of the collections shines brighter than the rest, especially with the Carrera Heuer-02T showcasing the watch brand’s expertise.

Its 45mm titanium case is topped by a black bezel engraved with a tachymeter scale and fuelled by a COSC-certified self-winding chronometer. The movement provides a 65-hour power reserve and brings the time, chronograph and tourbillon functions to life.

The markers on the all-black openwork dial are rimmed with silver: luminescent hour and minute hands in the centre, hollow indices, chronograph counter rims (minutes at 3 and hours at 9), chronograph seconds and features surrounding the tourbillon.

Price: 14,900 CHF – 19,900 CHF (Black Phantom limited edition)

By Sharmila Bertin

tagheuer.com

ROGER DUBUIS – Velvet by Massaro

Roger Dubuis – Velvet by Massaro
The big names in fashion and haute couture all want it: Massaro. The famous Parisian bootmaker that has been working to showcase men’s and women’s feet since 1894 and has lent its artisan, creative and unique expertise to Genevan watchmaker Roger Dubuis.
Velvet by Massaro is a joint creation with a gold leather strap that’s braided in the centre. The two gleaming straps wrap around a white gold case that dazzles with rows of diamonds. The self-winding RD821 calibre lies in the heart of the 36mm case; it brings to life the hour and minute functions alongside a 48-hour power reserve.
Two series of black Roman numerals stand on the silver sunburst dial punctuated by two gold applied numerals at 6 and 12 o’ clock. The dauphine hour and minute hands appear in a diamond-covered and gold-bevelled barrel shape in the centre.
Price: 48,600 CHF (limited edition 88 available)
By Sharmila Bertin

RICHARD MILLE ANNOUNCES NEW 10-YEAR PARTNERSHIP WITH McLAREN-HONDA

Richard Mille is delighted to announce a new long-term partnership with the McLaren-Honda Formula 1 team.

It is a perfectly balanced partnership: both brands share a passion for modern technology, cutting-edge design and precision engineering.

The Swiss brand, a relative newcomer to the watchmaking world, started making watches in 2001 but quickly established itself as one of the pre-eminent players within the industry, developing a unique, immediately recognisable architectural aesthetic. Founder and CEO Richard Mille continues obsessively to push the limits of haute horlogerie, his engineers creating increasingly intricate, innovative and elaborate designs.

In comparison, McLaren has established itself as one of grand prix racing’s most successful and enduring names, having won 20 world championships and 182 grands prix. This year, the team will celebrate its 50th anniversary on the Formula 1 grid (founder Bruce McLaren first raced a car bearing his own name in a Grand Prix at Monaco in 1966), while pushing hard to return to the front with works engine partner Honda.

The partnership will see Richard Mille timepieces grace the wrists of the team’s world champion drivers Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button, distinctive branding appear on the new MP4-31 car, and a commitment to develop a unique and exclusive series of exceptional calibres inspired by the tremendous heritage of the McLaren brand.

Richard Mille, CHAIRMAN & CEO Richard Mille Horometrie SA, said:

“As both a passionate aficionado and long-time advocate of international motorsport, I’m incredibly pleased and proud to be able to announce our new partnership with McLaren-Honda.

“The McLaren brand has existed at the very pinnacle of Formula 1 racing for 50 years, and its reputation for continual technical innovation, painstaking attention to detail and race-winning success perfectly matches the philosophy of the Richard Mille brand.

“The chance to partner with McLaren is particularly timely: we’ve been evaluating Formula 1 on a restricted basis for several years, but this opportunity has enabled us to engage in a deeper, more meaningful way, with proper focus and effort directed on a major team.

“For me, the association with McLaren is so striking, because I still vividly remember, back in 1981, when McLaren was the first constructor to introduce an all-carbonfibre monocoque to Formula 1. It was a technology that would revolutionise the sport – and still does to this day. Years later, I was able to adopt the same technical solution – a carbonfibre structure – for the baseplates of our watch movements and cases.

“I feel strongly that the Maison Richard Mille embodies the very essence of motorsport: we’re dedicated to the ultimate mechanical challenge, and we’re inspired by the concepts and materials used in Formula 1. For everyone at Richard Mille, this will be a thrilling partnership.”

Ron Dennis, chairman and CEO, McLaren Technology Group, added:

“I’ve watched with quiet admiration as Richard and his team have built up the Richard Mille brand over the past 15 years. To have established himself at the vanguard of the watchmaking world in such a short space of time is an incredible achievement, and a testament to his vision and determination.

“For him to commit Richard Mille to a 10-year partnership with McLaren underlines our shared belief in the value of long-term agreements, and the benefits that can be derived from growing and developing together.

“The two brands share a distinct common DNA: a passion for design, technology and aesthetics, and I’m excited about the great work we can achieve together over the next 10 years.”

Notes for editors:

New Zealand racing driver Bruce McLaren founded the McLaren team in 1963. Since 1966, when it entered its first Formula 1 race, McLaren has won over 180 grands prix, eight constructors’ titles and 12 world championship titles with some of the sport’s greatest drivers – Emerson Fittipaldi, James Hunt, Niki Lauda, Alain Prost, Ayrton Senna, Mika Hakkinen and Lewis Hamilton.

The McLaren-Honda team campaigns the 2016 FIA Formula 1 World Championship with the best driver pairing in the sport: world champions Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button. They drive the McLaren-Honda MP4-31.

richardmille.com

AUDEMARS PIGUET – Royal Oak Chronograph

Audemars Piguet – Royal Oak Chronograph
Yellow gold was lauded for a long time until its popularity lapsed in the early Noughties. Now it’s making a comeback in Audemars Piguet’s classic collections.
The iconic Royal Oak Chronographe shines like the summer sun and its dial comes in two hues which perfectly match warm yellow gold: timeless white and inky blue adorned by the signature “Grande Tapisserie” pattern. The luminescent hour markers are tracked by two Royal Oak hour and minute hands whilst the seconds counter stands at 6.
The white or blue date display appears at 4.30 and the chronograph counters are placed as follows: seconds in the centre, minutes at 3 and hours at 9. The functions are fuelled by the self-winding 2385 calibre inside the 41mm case.
Price: 52,800 CHF
By Sharmila Bertin

IWC – Pilot’s Watch Automatic 36

IWC – Montre d’Aviateur Automatique 36
Pilot watches have an instantly recognisable design: large size, big Arabic numerals, chunky hands, protruding crown and minimalist dial. Although highly popular with watch enthusiasts, some criticise the case size and depth for comfort or design reasons.
To put a smile on these clients’ faces, IWC has designed a smaller and slimmer Pilot’s Watch Automatic 36 which, as the name suggests, has a 36mm steel case. The self-winding 3511 calibre powers the time and date functions along with the 42-hour power reserve.
The dial comes in three colours: silver, slate and blue. The central disc bearing the black and white Arabic numerals and luminescent hour, minute and seconds hands stands slightly above the minute track. A black-on-white date display appears at 3 o’ clock.
Price upon request.
By Sharmila Bertin

GIRARD-PERREGAUX – Cat’s Eye Water Lily

Two water lilies lie on calm shimmering water on the Cat’s Eye Water Lily’s dial. The star of the bejewelled Girard-Perregaux watch collections has been transformed into a zen garden awash with brilliant-cut diamonds (412 gems for a total of two carats) set concentrically using the so-called “à grains” technique. Two lotus flowers bloom at 5 and 9 o’ clock each with three petals in pink sapphire (0.24 carat) or emerald (0.15 carat) depending on the model. Two leaf-shape hands blossom in the heart of the piece to float over the hours and minutes. The time functions are brought to life by a self-winding mechanical movement by Girard-Perregaux which also provides a 46-hour power reserve. The GPO 3300-0101 calibre lies in the oval white gold 35.44×30.44mm case with 62 diamonds glittering on the bezel. Price: 51,900 CHF (pink sapphires) – 59,400 CHF (emeralds). Sharmila Bertin

BREITLING – Avenger Bandit

This new Avenger Bandit is inspired by the grey hue and agile yet solid character of aircraft carriers, the huge warships with an airbase. The 45mm matt brushed titanium case houses a COSC-certified self-winding movement fuelling the time, chronograph and date functions alongside the 42-hour power reserve. The blue grey dial features aeronautic-style Arabic hour numerals reflected by the numbers engraved on the rotating bezel. The hours and minutes appear in the centre whilst the seconds count down at 9 o’ clock. The chronograph counters are laid out symmetrically: hours at 6 and minutes at 12. All the chronometer features (central seconds tip, graduations and markers on the counters) are splashed with scarlet. Price: 5,860 CHF. Sharmila Bertin

JAEGER-LECOULTRE – Reverso Classic

The iconic Reverso by Jaeger-LeCoultre may be 85 years old but it doesn’t look it. To celebrate its anniversary, it’s reliving its youth with more streamlined lugs on the rectangular steel case. The Reverso Classic collection has been designed to have something for everyone with three different sizes: Small (34x21mm), Medium (40×24.4mm) and Large (45.6×27.4mm). The time functions are brought to life by two types of movement: quartz for the small model and self-winding mechanical for the other two (965 calibre, 38-hour power reserve). Engine-turned honeycomb lies in the centre of the silver dial surrounded by a black minute track beneath blue baton-shape hands. The decal Arabic numerals display the hours on a vertically brushed surface. Flip it over and the back can be customised with initials, a romantic message or even a picture. Price: 4,300 CHF (Small) – 8,050 CHF (Medium) – 8,500 CHF (Large). Sharmila Bertin