MECHANICAL THRILLS
Boasting a unique mechanism and design, this limited series will delight anyone looking for more than just a simple watch. We made contact with the new watchmaking racer designed by Roger Dubuis.
At the 2018 SIHH trade show, Roger Dubuis announced the launch of a partnership with the Lamborghini sports car department. The partnership soon produced the Excalibur Aventador S, a watch with a surprising calibre, featuring double sprung balances linked with a differential at an angle of 90°. The movement’s architecture recalled the V12 made by the Italian carmakers. For SIHH 2019, the brand will be introducing the press to a new episode in the collaboration, the Excalibur Huracan Performante. Once again, innovation is the watchword with a brand-new self-winding movement, the RD630, which stands out with a 12° angle balance escapement. The inclusion of a double barrel provides a power reserve of 60 hours.
The technical components are housed in a 45-mm-wide titanium case. Many of them play a role in the watch’s design, too. The bridges are faceted like a strut bar in the V10 engine of a Lamborghini super car, while the rotor is shaped like a car rim. A honeycomb-style design recalls the radiator grill on a racing car.
The 88 pieces in this limited edition come with a strap combining alcantara and rubber. And for perfect grip, the inside pattern borrows from the P Zero Trofeo R tyre developed by Pirelli, another one of Roger Dubuis’ partners.
Price on request
By Dan Diaconu
This outstanding watch deploys all the craftsmanship of the Geneva-based brand and represents a dazzling work of engraving cut into the surface using the intaglio technique. The result brings the animal to life, as it peers out of a gold bamboo forest. The finesse of the craftsmanship brings out numerous details, such as the veins on the leaves, the horizontal lines on the stalks and the animal’s thick coat. The tiger’s yellow eyes seem to be watching for a virtual prey with a determined look.
In this decor of unvarnished elegance are placed some delicate gold indices, with slim hour and minute hands. Only a counter at 3 o’clock is cut into the surface of the piece of meteorite. The watch is powered by an extra-flat automatic movement. The calibre 1203P will keep the time information running for 44 hours, along with the date.
Price: 30,900 CHF (rose gold) – 17,700 CHF (steel with diamonds) – 14,900 CHF (steel) 
The TAG Heuer Carrera Heuer 02 by Fragment Hiroshi Fujiwara comes in just 500 pieces. The number is engraved on the sapphire caseback. The watches are only available in the brand’s boutiques and website.
The various functions are driven by the calibre PF441, an automatic movement with chronometer certification by the COSC. With the help of a double barrel, it supplies the watch with up to 55 hours of power reserve.
The functions in the Grande Heure Minute models are powered by the calibre Jaquet Droz 1169.Si. The automatic movement is housed in a 43mm-wide steel case and runs at the standard frequency of 4Hz. Equipped with two barrels, it supplies a power reserve of 68 hours.
The watches are in a very attractive price segment, since they cost less than 1,000 Swiss francs. As their name suggests, they come with a 24-hour display. In the centre of the silver grey or anthracite dial with a Clou de Paris pattern, a satin ring displays the said function in black or white Arabic figures. “Regular” time, covering 12 hours, as well as the minutes, are shown by a couple of silver and luminous dauphine-style hands. There is also a central hand for the seconds.
Like a sweet box containing multi-coloured treats, the dial on the Premier Candy Automatic 31mm contains over 200 brilliant-cut stones with three different sizes and using the snow-setting technique. This jewelled rainbow is made from 108 diamonds, 25 blue Paraiba tourmalines, 24 green tsavorites, 24 orange spessartite garnets, 17 navy blue and 17 sky blue sapphires, 16 red spinels and 13 pink sapphires. The two silvered hour and minute hands, driven by the automatic calibre HW2010 and supplying 40 hours of power reserve, make their way around the dial discreetly.