Time’s triumphant transitions

Capture time’s triumphant transitions adorned in the most stunning watch creations of the season! Painstakingly handcrafted in select materials these mechanical marvels by the world’s leading brands are the soul of precision and perfection, inspiring their wearers to reach for the stars….

Leading Swiss luxury brand Chopard brought luck to the top winners at the recently held 87th Academy Awards. Eddie Redmayne becomes the fourth Best Actor in a Leading Role to wear a Chopard watch on his big day. The British actor, who plays acclaimed scientist Stephen Hawking in ‘The Theory of Everything’, wore a Chopard L.U.C. XPS platinum watch matching his navy and black Alexander McQueen tux when he collected his coveted Oscar from Oscar winner Cate Blanchett who sparkled in Tiffany & Co’s High Jewellery Turquoise necklace.

Chopard has established a tradition of celebrating each new cycle of the Chinese calendar. For Chinese New Year 2015, it continues its love affair with Asian traditions. The ancient Japanese art of Urushi is employed to create another L.U.C XP watch inspired by the “Year of the Goat” theme and driven by an ultra-thin L.U.C movement. Proclaimed a “Living National Treasure” by the Japanese authorities, artist Kiichiro Masumura has created this unique dial for Chopard based on the time-honoured lacquering techniques of Urushi and Maki-e. Chopard’s 39.5 mm, Year of the Goat watch is equipped with the mechanical self-winding entirely hand-decorated L.U.C Calibre 96.17-L ensuring a 65-hour power reserve. It has a transparent sapphire case-back and the case comes in a choice of 18k rose gold or white gold, and is fitted with a black alligator leather strap and delivered in a special presentation box, also decorated according to Urushi techniques, shaped like an octagon, the oriental symbol of joyfulness.

For this new edition, of its charming Bird Repeater Geneva Jaquet Droz has brought together the sum of the talents that make up its Ateliers d’Art to stage a further celebration, this one in praise of Geneva, where Pierre Jaquet-Droz opened the city’s first clockmaking manufacture in 1784 and, at the same time, introduced the production of timepieces featuring grand complications.

Pastoral and urban converge to form the background décor of The Bird Repeater Geneva, uniting all the symbols of the Swiss city on a white mother-of-pearl dial. Thus have the engravers, painters and enamelers achieved the feat of reproducing, in miniature, Lake Geneva, its famous Jet d’Eau fountain and lighthouse – Le Phare des Pâquis – as well as the silhouette of the Salève, the pre-Alpine peak considered the city’s “balcony.” At the center of the dial, a pair of elegant  goldfinches have nested right in the heart of Île Rousseau, the island paradise for birds located precisely at the entrance to the lake. These creatures, their plumage as brightly colored as a Fauvist canvas, hand-sculpted in gold, are accompanied by their two young, and the group is gathered around an egg in the middle of the nest. The meticulously rendered details, the vivacity of the colors, the attention paid as much to the eyes as to each wisp of straw, is a testament to the illustrative talent of the La Chaux-de-Fonds artisans.

In keeping with previous editions, The Bird Repeater Geneva boasts 8 animations, minuscule yet spectacular – the birds feeding their fledglings, the spreading wings, the flowing water, the hatching egg – and all paying genuine tribute to the renowned humanoid automata created by Pierre Jaquet-Droz and his son in the 18th century.

The animated tableau contrasts with the great simplicity of the hours and minutes dial, off-centered at 12 o’clock and produced from a disc of black onyx on which two red gold lancine hands make their circular journey, echoing the light diffused by the case, also in red gold and 47 millimeters in diameter. The Bird Repeater Geneva is equipped with a Jaquet Droz RMA88 automatic winding movement and enjoying a 48-hour power reserve, and comes in a total of just eight pieces.

A living legend in the watchmaking arts, Anita Porchet worked on the delicate enamel decoration in Chanel’s Mademoiselle Prive Coromandel watch. This adds genuine watchmaking dial art to the entire Mademoiselle Privé collection. Of course, the collection is also full of references and symbols important to Gabrielle Chanel herself. For example, the Coromandel watch features scenes from lacquer screens owned by the great lady, reportedly antiques from Ming Dynasty China. the watches of the Mademoiselle Privé collection feature an array of watchmaking skills – enameling, stone-setting, carving and engraving.

One more denizen joins the team in tribute of the Chinese Year of the Goat - Ulysse Nardin’s Classico Goat. Created in champlevé’ enamel, the Classico Goat timepiece features a family of three goats, black and white in color, against a blue-sky. The goat symbolizes independence, solitude, intelligence, serenity and introspection, while people born in the year of the goat are typically considered highly creative.

Ulysse Nardin honors the individualistic and artistic character of the goats, with the new Classico Goat timepiece, which continues the rare and exceptional tradition of champlevé enamel creation Each of the watches from the 88-piece series features a hand-made dial that vividly depicts the image of a goat, made using the highly complex champlevé method of enameling. The dial is created by a master artisan who carves segments on the 18-karat white gold   dial and then completes it with enamel painting. The Classico Goat — a COSC-certified chronometer — houses the UN 815 mechanical movement, providing 42 hours of power reserve, and it is sealed against the ingress of water to up to 50 meters. Just 88 pieces will be made.

Legendary Swiss watch brand Breguet turned poetic with its Reine de Naples Jour/Nuit model, a mechanical interpretation of the daily ballet of the sun and the moon in the heavens. Last year the brand offered a variant that is even more splendid with a gem-encrusted Reine de Naples model that does honour to the jewellery skills of Breguet’s artists. The bezel and case band are set with 131 baguette diamonds, while the dial and the ball attachment are finely decorated in a frosting of diamonds. The crown is topped by a briolette diamond.

 

Breguet’s mechanical expertise is also on display, since this watch is fitted with the movement specially made for the Reine de Naples collection. Apart from indicating the hours and minutes it animates a whimsical representation of the hours of the day and night on a second dial. The two dials combine in a figure 8, a symbolic number in many cultures, which recalls the sign for infinity. A titanium moon is placed on a disc of lapis lazuli while the path of the sun is represented by the facetted rim of the balance-wheel that throws out rays of light. The sun moves according to the motion of the balance on a daylong tour of the Arabic Chapter ring before setting beneath the horizon of the steel bridge supporting the mechanism. Decorations on the disc add to the enchantment with inserts of mother-of-pearl for clouds and the living gleam of gold stars. The hours and minutes has a mother-of-pearl chapter ring engraved with Roman numerals, while Arabic numerals adorn the mother-of-pearl inset surrounding the representation of the day and night hours.

For Baselworld 2015, German watch manufacture Glashütte Original unveils two new versions of its PanoReserve model in red gold with a matt black dial, and in polished/satin brushed stainless steel editions with a dark blue dial made in the brand’s own dial manufactory in Pforzheim. Up to 40 separate operations, performed by true masters of their craft, are required to produce the refined and carefully finished dials.

It gives prominence to the clear, pure design with its off-centre placement of hour and minute hands and small seconds display. The version in stainless steel features a galvanised blue dial with hands in white gold, applied hour indexes and an impressive Panorama Date in white on blue below the power reserve. All versions feature luminous highlights on the hour and minute hands. The heart of the PanoReserve is the manual winding Calibre 65-01 with 42 hour power reserve and it has a sapphire crystal case back and is matched by a dark blue calf's leather or Louisiana Alligator nubuck leather strap.

Continuing the octagonal theme is Bulgari’s Octo The Octo, one of the mainstay of Bulgari watch-lines, has a surprise for many, entering into the arena of the ultra-thin.  The Octo is an octagonal watch based on certain geometry with a round bezel and many facets to have interesting light-play when the watch is viewed from different perspectives. It combines the boldness of Italian aesthetics with great Swiss watchmaking and its dial is minimalist and uncluttered with a maximum of two numerals hour indexes.

Bulgari’s 38mm Octo Solotempo comes in various versions with 18K pink gold or steel case with either leather strap or bracelets (in steel or gold). Featured here is the model combining a steel case with steel and gold bracelet and 18K gold crown with ceramic inlay. It has a transparent screw-down caseback and the water-resistance is rated higher at 10 ATM, 100m.

The Calibre Solotempo is designed and manufactured in-house by BVLGARI. This will be the base movement for other future developments. It beats at 4Hz and has a power reserve of 42hours. It also has stop-second when the crown is pulled for accurate time adjustment. Bidirectional rotor is mounted on ceramic ball bearings.

The ornate, double-dialed Grandmaster Chime has dominated coverage of Patek Philippe’s 175th anniversary last year. Its other watch which was created to mark the occasion is the Patek Philippe Chiming Jump Hour Reference 5275P-001 produced in a limited edition of 175 pieces. As the name indicates, this watch offers a jumping hour display with minutes and small seconds, and it strikes a single chime at the top of each hour. Never judge a book by its cover. The simplistic design hides its extreme complexity. It has 438 parts in the movement, offers central hours and minutes, small seconds, a minute repeater and a tourbillon, and it contains 336 parts. It displays hours, minutes, and seconds, and it strikes a single chime at the top of each hour.

This entirely new, highly complex movement, that took four years to develop and that has four patents, will be used exclusively in the Chiming Jump Hour. The power reserve is a healthy 48 hours. Most jumping displays employ separate springs to store and release energy. Yet the Chiming Jump Hour has only a one mainspring and a small spring in the jumping seconds system, where a new material, Silinvar, Patek’s version of silicon, has been used. Extremely light and almost friction-free it also saps very little energy and allows the watch to offers a healthy 48 hours power reserve.   

Girard-Perregaux’s Tourbillon with Three Bridges has been an icon of classic design for almost 150 years. This year it’s reborn with a radical new look. It features a completely redesigned caliber GP09400 that is larger than previous versions. The trademark bridges present a sculptural new shape. Fashioned from titanium, they are carved from a solid block of material, then skeletonized. Once shaped, the titanium is sandblasted before receiving a black PVD finish. This unique construction creates a strong three-dimensional effect. The mainplate is treated with ruthenium anthracite and then sandblasted, producing a finely grained texture in a soft grey color that compliments the bridges. The one-minute tourbillion retains its classic lyre shape, though for the first time it is crafted from titanium. The diameter is a larger-than-average 14.44 mm and includes 80 components, yet it weighs just 0.25 grams.

The Rolex Daytona is by far the most popular Rolex watch for men. Released in 1963, its style hasn't changed, and has stood the test of time. The popularity wasn't immediate for this Rolex sports model watch for men. It wasn't until the late 1980's when it became hugely popular. Nowadays, men seek out this watch as their first Rolex. Equipped with a tachymetric scale on the bezel to measure speed, it enables precision timing to one eighth of a second. Powered by caliber 4130, Rolex’s high performance mechanical chronograph movement, it offers striking good looks combining 18k yellow gold and stainless steel. It sports a white dial, luminous hour markers, sapphire crystal and is matched by the brand’s famous Oyster bracelet.

The Daytona is inspired by a legendary beach in Florida and is synonymous with speed. The iconic chronograph was born to race and is the fitting trophy for every winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans - the world's oldest active sports car race in endurance racing, held annually since 1923 near the town of Le Mans, France, and considered to be one of the most prestigious. For a demanding 24 straight hours, drivers must endure unforgiving curves and a track only 20% illuminated at night.

Also unveiled at SIHH 2015 luxury watch exhibition, the new Classima collection from Swiss watch brand Baume & Mercier is designed for young generation and offers ‘affordable luxury’ .

Ready to reach new heights, available in steel or two-tone versions, the Classima Men’s version comes in a new 40 mm case size, has a date window at 3 o’clock, that is more stylish than ever, fitted with a sapphire crystal case back on all self-winding models revealing the Swiss Made mechanical self-winding movements, as well as the oscillating weight engraved with the emblematic Greek ‘Phi’, the Baume & Mercier logo and the symbol of the ‘golden ratio’.

And because women also want to take control of their future with a blend of charm and elegance, the Classima range offers them new dedicated 36.5 mm-diameter mechanical self-winding or quartz models graced with a fine sunray guilloché decor. :  Several exceptional references feature diamond-set dials sparkle with unmistakable femininity. Committed to marking life’ special moments, the Maison extends an invitation to have a personal message engraved on the back of the Classima watches.

Swiss luxury watch maker Blancpain presents an exclusive feminine mechanical wristwatch specially created to celebrate, Saint Valentine’s Day. Christened as Blancpain Saint Valentine’s Day 2015, it is available in a limited edition of 14 pieces and displays the manufacture’s technical knowhow and artistic mastery. The 36.8 mm diameter white-gold case is lit up with 121 diamonds and its mother-of-pearl dial blossoms with a majestic inlaid rose at its heart. The two intertwined rows of different-sized stones are reminiscent of the brand’s emblematic double-stepped bezel, while the setting of the horn-shaped lugs and the crown complete the ensemble. At the heart of this original two-hand model is an off-center hour movement, the signature complication of the Women collection. On the back of the watch, the pink mother-of-pearl inlaid on the oscillating weight echoes the dial’s design and it is adorned with a white ostrich leather strap.

The Ajourée collection concentrates the entire Boucheron philosophy in each of their creations and plays with our senses between delicately sculpted and crafted landscapes and the play of light on a dream day.  The time keeping function of the watch is reduced to its simplest expression to leave more room for the spirit of the Maison. A tribute to transparency and finesse, the radiance of the Aronda is enhanced by the play of the open-work which curls around the case. The swallow set with diamonds plays with its shadow in sculpted gray mother of pearl. Associated with hope and freedom, Aronda is lightness itself in its open-work case. Aronda houses a quartz ETA E01 movement, with hour and minute functions and with a push button. The timepiece is completed with a grey brushed satin strap equipped with a pin buckle in white gold.

Breitling interprets the technical, understated and efficient styling of the Colt collection in a new chronograph powered by a self-winding movement. The Colt was first launched in the 1980s and initially intended for the armed forces, before appealing to a broad audience because of its sturdiness, its functionality and readability. It has subsequently established itself as the most accessible Breitling model, offering a blend of performance and unusual design.

Available to date in four versions with well-defined characters, including a quartz chronograph and a ladies’ watch, the Colt collection now welcomes a new self-winding chronograph equipped with a movement chronometer-certified by the COSC (Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute). Born for action, feats and thrills, this instrument brilliantly reinterprets all the key assets of the Colt collection, with counters placed at 12, 9 and 6 o’clock. The broad unidirectional rotating bezel, with satin-brushed finishes and engraved hour-markers, is distinguished by its four “rider tabs”– a signature Breitling feature – ensuring both excellent handling and optimal protection of the sapphire crystal glare-proofed on both sides. The 44 mm-diameter polished steel case is water-resistant to 200 m (660 ft) and features a large screw-locked crown with protective reinforcements. The black, blue or silver dials are enlivened by a fine circular raised motif, and their readability is reinforced by oversized hands and hour-markers enhanced by a luminescent coating.

DeWitt’s 46mm Twenty-8-EightTourbillon Prestige The Twenty-8-Eight collection is a tribute to Jérôme de Witt’s illustrious ancestor, Napoleon Bonaparte, proclaimed “Emperor of the French”. Limited to 99 pieces, the Twenty-8-Eight Tourbillon Prestige introduces a patented and extremely ingenious Automatic Sequential Winding (A.S.W) device, driven by a peripheral oscillating rotor. Its tourbillon carriage is suspended to the left with the dead-beat second directly connected to the Tourbillon carriage. Functions offered include, Tourbillon, hours, minutes, dead-beat seconds, 72 hours power reserve and has 18,000 vph. Crafted in 18k rose gold, it has a sapphire crystal caseback and an eye-catching green lacquer dial with rhodium-plated railings. It features open-work on the Tourbillon carriage at 6 o’clock and on the power reserve at 9 o’clock, a ‘railroad’ indicating the minutes and 18k rose gold applique with the “W” logo at 12 o’clock. Water resisitant to 30m,

Longines launched a new chronograph: the Conquest Classic Moonphase, a new chronograph with a moonphase display. In line with the intention of celebrating the elegance of equestrian sports, it combines Longines’ watchmaking tradition with a sporty touch. The 42mm case is available in steel, in steel and rose gold cap or in 18k rose gold. The black or silvered dial is set with 9 applied indices coated with Super-LumiNova and  features the 12-hour counter and the moonphase display at 6 o’clock, the 24-hour indicator and the subdial for the seconds at 9 o’clock, as well as the 30-minute counter and the day-and-month display at 12 o’clock.  The date is indicated by a half-moon central hand. Water-resistant to 5 bar, these models display a transparent case back through which the self-winding mechanical chronograph movement L678 can be observed. It is fitted on a black alligator strap or a matching bracelet, all having a triple folding safety clasp.

A new chronograph joins the line of Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Master Compressor Extreme LAB watches, a collection distinguished by precise and reliable time measurement. The Master Compressor Extreme LAB 2 embodies a combination of scientific materials, cutting-edge materials and horological research. It combines extremely sophisticated ergonomics with the precision and reliability that are a must at Jaeger-LeCoultre. Featuring a patented digital counter to indicate the chronograph jumping seconds, a radial 60h power-reserve indication and a GMT function, the Master Compressor Extreme LAB2 was provided by a function selector and an independent stop-seconds mechanism specially designed to ensure optimal access to the various watch functions.

Also driven by a concern for legibility, this new model was imagined with a resolutely graphic spirit, alternating between blue and white colour codes, particularly on the chronograph hours counters.

Adding to the aesthetic intensity of this chronograph, The Master Compressor Extreme LAB2 was provided with high-tech materials, daring shapes combined with the double-ringed case structure. Its movement is housed in a sturdy case made of a light and resistant TiVan15 titanium alloy, fitted with a high-tech ultra scratch-resistant ceramic bezel. The crown also made of ceramic, echoes the particularly elegant bezel with its polished and satin-brushed finish. While its appearance is undeniably complex, the Master Compressor Extreme LAB 2 is easily tamed by the person who has chosen to adopt it.

Omega has announced their latest Bond limited edition – a Seamaster Aqua Terra inspired by the 24th James Bond film. The watch itself is largely the Aqua Terra we know and love, but with some fairly subtle Bond tweaks. The blue dial is embossed with the Bond coat of arms, which is also applied to the seconds hand. It is also resistant to seven more gauss than the standard model – a convenient total of 15,007 gauss in terms of its anti-magnetic properties. 15,007 is also the number of watches available in this ‘limited’ edition – a number which exceeds the entire annual production of many brands. The watch, powered by the soon-to-be-standard one two punch of ‘Master’ (referring to anti-magnetic) Co-Axial (referring to their patented escapement) calibre 8507 will feature an oscillating weight that will resemble the iconic Bond gun barrel. Get ready for Bond’s spectacular Spectre!

Frederique Constant’s new Worldtimer Manufacture watch is the perfect symbiosis between finest watchmaking technology and esthetic design. This model is driven by the FC-718 Manufacture automatic caliber, with 26 jewels and a 42-hour power reserve, and is completely developed in-house at its manufacture in Plan-les-Ouates in Geneva. The technological genius of this timepiece is that all functions are easily accessible through the crown, there are no extra push buttons sticking out on the sides of the case. Simple to use, the Worldtimer function can be used by selecting the desired city and placing it at the 12’oclock position on the dial. Once the internal discs are synchronized, you will know what time it is in the biggest cities of the world. Furthermore, these discs also indicate if it’s the day, with the white disc or if it’s the night, with the blue disc. You can also read the date on the 6’oclock counter.

Its elegant blue navy dial features an incredibly detailed anthracite grey world map in its center. The hour and minute hands are silver with a hint of a luminous white on it. It is presented with highly-polished, three part stainless steel case, convex sapphire crystal, a see-through case back and is water resistant to 50 meters beneath the sea, and is fitted on a unique blue alligator bracelet.

The design of the new sporty 44 mm Girard-Perregaux Chrono Hawk Pink Gold combines the preciousness of pink gold with the technical nature of black ceramic and rubber. It serves as the basic structure that incorporates the other components. It is water-resistant to a depth of 100 metres. The highly resistant and scratch-proof ceramic is used for the bezel and for the chronograph push piece parts, including the push piece protectors and the crown. The motif of the dial of the Chrono Hawk Pink Gold is inspired by the shape of the famous Girard-Perregaux Tourbillon Bridges while the three-dimensionality of the dial is accentuated by the inclined flange graduated with the minutes scale. The indexes and the hands are treated with luminescent material to enable night reading. The small seconds are viewed on a subdial at 3 o'clock, while the chronograph functions are displayed via the central seconds hand and a subdial at 9 o'clock for the minutes. An aperture at 6 o'clock shows the date. It is powered by the in-house automatic movement GP03300 beating at 28,800 vibrations per hours and offering a power reserve of 46 hours and the distinctive arrow-shaped oscillating weight is visible through the sapphire crystal case-back. 

TAG Heuer’s Carrera Calibre 18 Telemeter Glassbox is sized like a vintage chronograph at 39mm. To create its new Carrera Calibre 18 Chronograph, TAG Heuer has drawn inspiration from a true icon: the first chronograph specially designed for racing drivers that Jack Heuer made in the 1960s. It’s all there: the original Panda effect with two anthracite counters standing out against a silver-toned dial; robustness together with tried and trusted functionality, and even the historical Heuer logo. Topped by spherical sapphire crystal inspired by the original model, this vintage-touch automatic chronograph is also equipped with a telemetric scale on its inner bezel ring. This function was formerly used by the military to measure their distance from artillery fire based on the speed of sound. Modern-day adventurers notably use it to see how far they are from a storm. The kind of adventurers who can perfectly identify with the Carrera collection, whose Spanish name means “top-level competition”.

In 2012 Harry Winston brought together two age-old forms of expertise that, until then, nothing had destined to meet: watchmaking, the infinitely complex art of time measurement, and plumasserie, the rare and almost forgotten craft of creating art from feathers. The new Midnight Feathers Automatic 42mm now leads us on a fascinating journey into the deepest realms of the animal and plant kingdoms, for the colours of the feathers suggest the amber-tinted roots of vetiver, bulrushes and cedar wood. Each watch is a unique experience as each hand-crafted dial naturally varies with the individual feathers and the master craftsman's touch. With infinite patience, each remige, or flight feather, is selected, coaxed into shape then laid in its exact position on the dial, using a loupe for the greatest possible precision. The visually striking marquetry plays on alternating colours, further accentuated by the perfect harmony between the pink gold of the case and the chocolate shades of the alligator strap.