On 50th anniversary of moon landing, Omega unveils new Speedmaster Moonwatch
On 21 July, 1969, when the astronauts of the fateful Apollo 11 mission landed on the moon, they were equipped with the now-famous Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch, making it the first watch ever to be worn on the moon. Five decades on, in celebration of the lunar landing’s 50th anniversary, the renowned Swiss watchmaker has unveiled the latest iteration of this historic haute horological treasure – the Speedmaster Moonwatch 321 Platinum.
Here the original Calibre 321 movement – used not only by the Apollo 11 astronauts, but also used by Ed White during the first American spacewalk in 1965 – has been painstakingly resurrected in-line with its original specifications. The refurbished mechanism, which is housed in a 44mm platinum alloy case, can be admired through its sapphire crystal caseback.
Fitted on fetching black leather straps, the Speedmaster Moonwatch 321 Platinum’s case has been inspired by the asymmetrical design that once graced the fourth generation of this iconic timepiece. What’s more its black ceramic bezel features the model’s iconic tachymetre scale in a delicate white enamel.
Finally, as an apt tribute to the watch’s lunar heritage, the subdials have been especially crafted from real moon meteorite components, making the Speedmaster Moonwatch 321 Platinum truly an out-of-this-world chronogram.
Jacob & Co. hosts Magnificent Timepieces & Jewels Exhibition
Jacob Arabo, founder of Jacob & Co.
Over the course of three days this past weekend, Jacob & Co., the renowned crafter of haute joaillerie and high-end watches, took over The Peninsula Hotel’s Peninsula Suite to host its Magnificent Timepieces & Jewels Exhibition. The unique showcase highlighted the opulent designs that are the crème de la crème of Jacob & Co’s current catalogue.
Founded in 1986 by genius designer Jacob Arabo, the brand’s stunning gemstone designs and outré chronograms have long found favour with discerning collectors the world over. At the event, we sat with the man himself to find out more about Jacob & Co. and its unique legacy. Check out the video below to see the full interview.
Auto Winders: Check out these latest high-octane car-watch collaborations
Both cars and watches have long had a special place in the hearts of refined gentlemen of means, and with good reason. The two owe their origins to pressing needs for convenience and precision, with each now treasured as epitomising a true fusion of precision engineering and enduring elegance. Given their shared heritage and matching aspirational feel, car-watch partnerships were all but inevitable. Indeed, many such strategic car-watch brand alliances have proved fruitful and long-lived, while yielding some truly stunning designs…
In celebration of its three-decade collaboration with the Mille Miglia race – a 1,600km-long classic car rally held in Italy each year – Chopard has launched the Mille Miglia 2019 Race Edition. Here, the requisite tachymetre bezel and chronograph pushers set the rallying tone, while its generous 44mm fascia allows for easy legibility. The self-winding movement, meanwhile, provides ultra-precise time measurements, which are said to be accurate to an eighth of a second. Limited to just 1,000 pieces, perforated leather straps – reminiscent of the texture of driving gloves – complete a truly vintage look.
Chopard’s Mille Miglia 2019 Race Edition
An equally grand race-inspired timepiece comes courtesy of Bremont, with its historic partnership with Jaguar, a fellow British brand, having culminated in the launch of the limited-edition Jaguar D-type. A knowing homage to Jaguar’s hugely successful D-type – the car that won the gruelling Le Mans 24 Hours race from 1955 to 1957 – the 300bHp of its original engine is given a knowing nod by the fact that just 300 pieces are to be produced. Set on blue racing calf-leather straps, the 43mm blue-dialled bi-compax timepiece features a tachymetre scale, an effective contrast with its brushed nickel sub-dials. Sporty yet sophisticated, its racing pedigree is more than apparent at even the most cursory of glances.
Bremont’s Jaguar D-type
Taking a similarly heritage-centric approach is Breitling’s Bentley-channelling Premier Bentley Centenary Limited Edition. Designed to celebrate the motoring marque’s 100th anniversary, the left side of the case bears the same Bentley engraving that graced the dashboard of the iconic 1929 Bentley Blower. With both the stainless steel and rose gold models featuring a white printed tachymetre scale on a unique brown elm burl dial, its classic appeal is undoubtable.
Breitling’s Premier Bentley Centenary Limited Edition
A more contemporary approach, meanwhile, comes in the memorable form of the Classic Fusion Ferrari GT, the latest timepiece on offer from Hublot and Ferrari, the self-styled supercar marque. In place of the former’s traditionally angular designs, this flyback chronograph is the very epitome of aerodynamic curvature. Available in titanium, King Gold or 3D Carbon, the watch’s beautifully open-worked fascia proudly displays Ferrari’s famed prancing horse at 12 o’clock, while also highlighting its recessed Calibre UNICO HUB1280 movement. Hybrid black rubber-Schedoni leather straps and a convex case design round out its automotive appeal.
Hublot’s Classic Fusion Ferrari GT
In an unusual move, TAG Heuer and Aston Martin have taken the symbiotic nature of car-watch partnerships to a whole new level, with the former’s Carrera Calibre Heuer 02 Aston Martin DBS Superleggera 2019 timepiece and the latter’s DBS Superleggera TAG Heuer Edition on offer as one all-inclusive car-watch package. More specifically, the purchase of any of the new sportscars – available in a limited edition of just 50 – will see the lucky owner also walk away with TAG’s latest chronogram. Obviously inspired by the car it namechecks, the marque’s all-new design includes several unambiguously DBS accents, notably its grille-motif hexagonal cut-out fascia and embossed leather straps, while a hint of red detailing adorns its otherwise all-black finish.
TAG Heuer’s Carrera Calibre Heuer 02 Aston Martin DBS Superleggera 2019
Revving proceedings up several gears, avant-garde watchmaker Roger Dubuis has teamed with Lamborghini and tyre brand Pirelli to create its undeniably eclectic Excalibur One-off. Blending the expertise of the three partners in their individual areas of excellence – haute horology, adrenaline-driven performance and precision engineering – this truly superlative chronogram perfectly balances aggressive athleticism with aesthetic appeal. Its delightfully open-worked fascia, meanwhile, reveals its purpose-built RD 106SQ movement, as well as its double flying tourbillon and a jumping hours display at 12 o’clock – all structured to resemble the engine of the Lamborghini SC18 Alston supercar that provided the original inspiration.
Roger Dubuis’ Excalibur One-off
The most recent members of the car-watch collaborators club – renowned Swiss haute horology house Jacob & Co. and legendary hypercar company Bugatti – though, may just prove to be the most outré. The first fruit of this partnership – the Twin Turbo Furious Bugatti Edition – is nothing short of overwhelming, in terms of both size and complexity. It comes with a decimal repeater as standard, as well as a racing-themed “fuel” power reserve indicator and stunningly intricate dual triple-axis sequential high-speed tourbillons. With each individual watch carrying a price tag of US$500,000, the exclusivity of this 39-piece release is heightened yet more by the fact that it is only purchasable by Bugatti owners.
Twin Turbo Furious Bugatti Edition by Jacob & Co.
Text: Tenzing Thondup
George Daniels Prime Pocket Watch Headlines Auction
While ‘modern pocket watch’ may seem somewhat oxymoronic in terminology terms, a particularly prized example of just such a haute horological highlight – a George Daniels Grand Complication pocket watch – stunned industry insiders recently when it sold for a staggering US$2.4 million, an all-time high among the specially-sourced lots going under the gavel in Geneva this season.
While many may not be familiar with the name ‘George Daniels’, he is an English horologist of a 1926-2011 vintage and oft considered one of the greatest watchmakers of his generation. His chief claim to fame lies in his invention of the co-axial escapement, a monumentally innovative mechanism that continually keeps precise time without the watch’s movement requiring any conducive lubrication.
This particular pocket watch, created at the height of the ’70s Quartz Crisis, features that very mechanism, as well as Daniels’ first-ever instantaneous perpetual calendar, a retrograde date, a minute repeater, a thermometer, an equation of time and a power reserve indicator.
Obviously only too aware of its value, Alexandre Ghotbi, head of sales for Phillips Geneva, described this unique statement timepiece as “the greatest horological invention of the last 200 years.” And he should know.
Perpetual Bliss: A round-up of the latest perpetual calendar watches
It’s no secret that, pretty much since it was invented by Thomas Mudge, an intrepid English watchmaker, back in 1762, the perpetual calendar has taken pride of place on the fascia of countless treasured timepieces from many of the world’s most well-loved haute horology houses. For the uninitiated, these are mechanisms capable of not only keeping track of the date, day and month, but also of every passing year – including leap years. In the case of most currently available models, their movements can remain untweaked until 2100 at the very least.
Today, despite the time and effort that go into creating these notoriously complex complications, there is no shortage of innovative new iterations. A particularly admirable example comes courtesy of Chopard in the form of its L.U.C Perpetual T Spirit of the Dragon and the Pearl. A homage to the Tian Long dragons of classical Chinese mythology, two such beasts majestically adorn the watch’s beautifully hand-engraved rose gold case – a process said to require some 200 hours of work by one of the brand’s finest artisans. The dial proper then boasts a tourbillon at 6 o’clock, while the perpetual calendar indicators can be found at 3 and 9 o’clock. Fitted with a hand-wound Calibre L.U.C 02.15-L movement as standard, this one-of-a-kind timepiece is a collectors’ item in waiting.
L.U.C Perpetual T Spirit of the Dragon and the Pearl by Chopard
Eschewing the outré in favour of the more minimalist, Montblanc’sHeritage Perpetual Calendar opts for a truly timeless white-rose gold combination. A 100-piece limited-model, it boasts a moon phase movement and a dual-time function, as well as its duly-forefronted perpetual complication. One particularly adept addition is a nifty new safety feature that prevents users from adjusting the chronogram between the hours of 9pm and 3am – a move that ensures its precision mechanism remains tamper-free and its useful life is extended and optimised.
Montblanc’s Heritage Perpetual Calendar
Delightfully clean counters are also on offer from A Lange & Söhne and have been ably enshrined in its blue-and-white Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar “25th Anniversary”. Beneath its dazzling dial – elegantly embellished with an off-key, off-centre hour-and-minute subdial, a moon phase display and day-date-month indicators – beats the house’s legendary Calibre L082.1, a self-winding movement that’s so complex it comprises 624 individual parts. With a hidden subdial tourbillon only adding to its sophistication, it is daringly debonair yet unobtrusively opulent.
Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar “25th Anniversary” by A Lange and Sohne
Again sporting an eminently elegant blue-and-white gold livery is the Master Ultra Thin Perpetual Enamel, one of the latest offerings from the ever-innovative house of Jaeger-LeCoultre. Elegantly showcasing the marque’s renowned artisanal craftsmanship, its hand-guilloché dial is the perfect counterpoint to its fascia-featured perpetual complication and moon phase movements. Polished and poised, this ultra-slim limited-edition model is an apt homage to beautiful yet intricate watchmaking at its very finest.
Master Ultra Thin Perpetual Enamel by Jaeger-LeCoultre
Acknowledging the current ascendancy of the super-slim look, Vacheron Constantin’s new Minute Repeater Perpetual Calendar, meanwhile, weighs in with a positively waif-like depth of 5.7mm, a feat made more miraculous still by the fact its sensationally-slender width houses a perpetual calendar, a moon phase and a minute repeater. Powering all this is the remarkable manual-winding Calibre 1731 movement, a feat of precision engineering comprising 438 individual wafer-thin components. One of the true hero pieces in the watchmaker’s widely-admired Les Cabinotiers range, only two one-off versions – one in white gold and one in pink gold – are ever destined to see the light of day.
With its eye firmly on the Asian market, for its part, Blancpain has opted to release an exclusive boutique version of its rightly-lauded Villeret Quantième Perpétuel. Available in a limited edition of just 88, the white gold case of the original has been upgraded to platinum, while its redesigned dial rejoices in an all-new sunray-brushed deep blue hue. In a particularly deft move, Blancpain has also damage-proofed the perpetual calendar via an integral security system within the self-winding Calibre 5954 movement.
Blancpain’s Villeret Quantième Perpétuel
The title of Perpetual Calendar King – were it on offer – though, would surely go to Patek Philippe, long considered among the most masterful of marques when it comes to grand complications. As proof incontestable, the latest iteration of its Grandmaster Chime Ref.6300G-010 is undoubtedly its most complex to date, a title attested to by its incorporation of 20 individual complications.
Grandmaster Chime Ref.6300G-010 by Patek Philippe
With a touch of the avant-garde, its entire case can be rotated around its lug connection points, with both fascia deployed to display its intricate inner workings – which, in addition to the perpetual complication, include five different chiming modes, a second time zone display with day / night indicator and a moon phase. In a knowing nod to the kind of wealthy, debonair gentlemen likely to sport such a horological high-water mark, each watch comes boxed with complimentary complementing cufflinks boasting the same blue opaline-on-white gold motif as this truly timeless timepiece.
Text: Tenzing Thondup
Presents for Pappa: Father’s Day gift guide 2019
With Father’s Day falling on 16 June, you still have plenty of time to track down a gift or two for dad. Here at Gafencu, we know all too well that dads have a reputation of being a bit more difficult to shop for than mom, and so, we’ve made it easier for you with our father’s day gift guide.
Tassels
Known for being the quintessential male accessory, it’s hard to go wrong with a tie – especially if that tie comes from E.Marinella the 105-year old Italian necktie company from Naples, Italy. With over one-hundred years of craftsmanship going into these extraordinary handmade ties, dad will surely be delighted with the silk fabrics which are on offer in an assortment of unique and colourful designs. www.tassels.com.hk
Hydrogen
Those looking to impress their dad on Father’s Day would be well advised to check out luxury sportswear brand Hydrogen’s Hole In One golf collection. The range’s sporty, lightweight, breathable and wrinkle-resistant materials are said to ensure that pop’s swing is amply enhanced, while he remains reassuringly snug within a Hydrogen Golf Long-Sleeve top that comes contoured to his body shape. Fashioned from thermo-regulating fabric, this is the ideal greenwear for golf grandees. www.hydrogen.it
Salvatore Ferragamo
Guaranteed to give dad a modern and sophisticated look, especially when he goes in for the dinner cheque, is the bi-fold wallet courtesy of Salvatore Ferragamo. Made with hammered leather, the wallet is given a near three-dimensional look thanks to its thick grain. With a double compartment including document pockets and multiple card slots, this wallet won’t only help dad look good, it’ll keep him organized. www.ferragamo.com
Piaget
Anyone looking to go the extra mile with gift-giving this Father’s Day may want to opt for this dad-approved Altiplano Ultimate Automatic Watch from Piaget. This 41mm timepiece comes in 18K white gold casing, with a black off-centre dial and black alligator-skin strap, and is one of the thinnest self-winding watches in the entire world. www.int.piaget.com
Hugo BOSS
Meanwhile, for the truly contemporary chap, why not seek out the BOSS BOTTLED Infinite from Boss, the ultimate German luxury brand. In addition to gifting any man the alluring aroma of sparkling mandarin, cinnamon and lavender, this rich scent also boasts notes of sandalwood, while blending harmoniously touch with the skin. As the first fragrance to benefit from diamond technology, dad can remain scentsational from the office, to the golf course and on even to when it’s time for bed. www.hugoboss.com
Montblanc
If dad is one to dismiss the more recent adage that the art of letter writing is past its day, you’ll be wise to check out German luxury brand Montblanc‘s Meisterstück Le Petit Prince Solitaire Doué Midsize Ballpoint Pen. The pen is not only a superb writing instrument but has also been designed to pay homage to the sweet story of The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, a story which reminds its reader to consider life through the eyes of a child. A beautiful way, indeed, to show dad that he’s an inspiration, no matter your age. www.montblanc.com
TUMI
Help dad maintain a classic look during his travels, but with just a touch of flash, with TUMI‘s Alpha Bravo Reno Kit in Grey Highlands Print. The Reno kit has been designed with an on-the-go dad in mind and is the perfect little travel bag from home all the way to the hotel. Equipped with an antibacterial lining, you’ll be ensuring dad comes home off the plane germ-free. www.tumi-hk.com
Jaquet Droz unveils stunningly intricate new Novelties 2019 timepieces
As if the stunning designs launched for Chinese New Year weren’t enough, luxury watchmaker Jaquet Droz has revealed another slew of beautifully crafted timepieces to tempt any haute horology enthusiast. From painstakingly-handcrafted enamel designs to the latest member of its iconic automaton line, here are three eye-poppingly gorgeous watches to whet your collector’s appetite.
The latest Grande Seconde Dual Time features an azimuthal map of the world
Jaquet Droz Grande Seconde Dual Time
Targeting the well-heeled jetsetter, the newest iteration of its popular Grande Seconde Dual Time sees its much-loved figure-eight dual-dial design updated to feature an azimuthal map of the world as viewed from the North Pole – a truly traveller-appropriate touch – in its lower home time display. Another new touch here is the 24-hour time indicator. Now split into two distinct 12-hour time segments, one for the daytime and one for the night, the dual shades allow for a more intuitive and fluid reading of the time. Meanwhile, the local time display inhabits the upper half of the figure-eight fascia. Available with a steel or rose gold case, lucky buyers can opt for four different dials made from opaline or Grand Feu enamel.
The beautiful plique-à-jour Petite Heure Minute Smalta Clara Hummingbird
Jaquet Droz Petite Heure Minute “Smalta Clara Hummingbird”
Jaquet Droz’s newest plique-à-jour enamel creation comes in the form of its Petite Heure Minute “Smalta Clara Hummingbird”. This ancient and painstaking enamelling technique allows craftspeople to create a single composition from multiple pieces of enamel melded together with golden thread, as opposed to the more common method of crafting from one sole piece. The effect of this more flexible design is wholly evident in this iridescent timepiece’s fascia. The elegantly minimalist off-centre dial is embraced lovingly by a multi-hued, mosiac-ed hummingbird, whose effect is only heightened by the 100 diamonds set on its white gold case. Just eight pieces of each version – pink-light blue or green-turquoise – will ever be made.
Perhaps the most exciting and evocative new design from the haute horology house, though, is the Magic Lotus Automaton. Atop its generous 43mm fascia lies the crown jewel of this attention-grabbing creation, a tranquil lotus pond that is wholly automated thanks to Jaquet Droz’s masterful mechanic engineering. Here, four mother-of-pearl lotus flowers each represent an individual season, or, more prosaically, the stages of life, from seedling to bud to blossom.
Two complementing automaton movements power give this timepiece an entrancing aura. First, there’s a koi fish ‘swimming’ playfully beneath the lotuses, which draws attention to the second movement of a mother-of-pearl-petalled lotus whose heart transforms with a series of precious stones of blue, red and yellow hues. As befitting a marque renowned for its finest artisanal craftsmanship, the entire automation runs for a staggering four minutes, and features a movement that contains over 500 components and four patents pending. Limited to a 28-piece release, this is a guaranteed collectors’ item in the making.
IWC Schaffhausen unveils Silver Spitfire Exhibition at 1881 Heritage
To celebrate the 10th anniversary of its first Flagship Boutique in the world, legendary Swiss watchmaker IWC Schaffhausen took over the Grand Piazza at 1881 Heritage in Tsim Sha Tsui for one aeronautically-charged evening on Wednesday. Taking centre stage at the proceedings was a 10m x 10m life-size replica of a vintage Silver Spitfire fighter plane that served the British Royal Air Force back in WWII.
The stunning model, of course, was to mark the grand opening of the haute horology house’s Silver Spitfire Exhibition ahead of the “Silver Spitfire – The Longest Flight” expedition, which will see a fully-restored version of the plane circumnavigate the globe on a four-month, 43,000km journey in August 2019. With a target of visiting over 25 countries along the way, the adventure will also be sponsored by IWC Schaffhausen.
IWC Schaffhausen Managing Director Peter Lao with Matt Jones, pilot of the Silver Spitfire Expedition
Over 150 guests attended the high-octane event, which included a flash mob dance performance as well as speeches by Peter Lao, Managing Director for IWC Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, and British pilot Matt Jones, who will be co-piloting the around-the-world mission alongside fellow aviator Steve Boultbee Brooks.
To further heighten the experience, attendees were also treated to a first-hand look at the latest Spitfire and TOP GUN lines of the Big Pilot’s Watches collection. A slew of historic timepieces were also on display, including a massive 55mm Mark 11, the largest model from the collection on loan just for the occasion from the IWC Museum, as well as a 1940 design created for the Royal Air Force.
To visit this dazzling display of aeronautical haute horology, head to the IWC Schaffhausen boutique at 1881 Heritage from now until 1st July.
Jacob & Co. unveils dazzling new timepieces at Baselworld
Swiss watchmaker Jacob & Co. has been captivating haute horology enthusiasts for over 30 years now thanks to its much-lauded ability to smoothly encapsulate the stunning tenets of high jewellery design into its groundbreaking, precision-engineered timepieces.
Jacob & Co Twin Turbo Furious Bugatti Edition
This year, Jacob & Co. chose Baselworld – the world’s biggest watch event – to stage the latest chapter in its illustrious legacy. To begin the proceedings, the watchmaker announced an exciting new partnership with renowned supercar marque, Bugatti. To mark the historic moment, it unveiled the 39-piece limited-edition Twin Turbo Furious Bugatti Edition, replete with two intricate triple-axis tourbillons, a decimal repeater and a racing-themed “fuel” power reserve indicator.
Astronomia Maestro by Jacob & Co
If that weren’t enough, the luxury label has also introduced two all-new models into its much-acclaimed Astronomia collection. First up was the Astronomia Maestro, a beautiful grand complication timepiece that not only incorporates the brand’s acclaimed gravitational triple axis tourbillon movement, but also features a minute repeater with carillon gongs, all set within the iconic space-themed fascia for which the collection is famed.
Jacob & Co Astronomia Casino
Last, but certainly not least, is Jacob & Co.’s Astronomia Casino. Here, the central design conceit is the fully-operational roulette wheel that dominates its generous fascia, painstakingly crafted from green, red and black enamel with mahogany inlays. Furthermore, each of these haute horological masterpieces can be personalised to display its fortuitous owner’s lucky number. Limited to just 18 pieces, it’s the perfect timepiece for those chosen few who don’t surrender to chance, but instead control their luck and command their own fortunes.
A Hint of Basel: Haute horological treasures from Baselworld 2019
The month of March is inevitably ring-fenced and red-circled on the wall-planners of watch lovers the world over. This, of course, is because within its 31-day span, some six of them are given over to Baselworld, the high point of the haute horology year and the expo par excellence for keen chronometer collectors.
This year, the event ran from 21 to 26 March, with the 520 brands on show attracting 81,200 attendees. While the available space does not stretch to showcasing all the debutante designs that merit a mention, the claim to greater attention of seven of them in particular just cannot be disputed.
MB&F Legacy Machine FlyingT
Female watch fans were in for a particular treat with MB&F opting to unveil its first-ever ladies’ timepiece – the Legacy Machine FlyingT – at the event. With its accentuated crystal dome, dazzlingly diamond-studded bezel and fascia, and central flying tourbillon, this was one new arrival that was all but impossible to miss. Quirky yet undeniably chic, it’s a design that’s every bit as eye-catching as any of the marque’s more outré chap-friendly chronometers.
Chanel Boy∙friend Skeleton Black Edition
For those in search of something a tad subtler, Chanel’s limited-edition Boy∙friend Skeleton Black Edition is an ode to minimalism, with its rectangular black ceramic case – devoid of any embellishments – the perfect foil for its skeletonised dial. Here the proprietary manually-winding Calibre 3 movement is clearly visible, as are the overlapping hour-and-minute dial and small seconds subdial. It’s actually something of a shame that only 55 such watches are ever to see the light of day.
Bulgari Octo Finissimo Chronograph GMT Automatic
Gentlemen horological connoisseurs, meanwhile, were treated to a veritable smorgasbord of timepiece treasures, including Bulgari’s groundbreaking Octo Finissimo Chronograph GMT Automatic. Rightly securing the marque its fifth world record, this ultra-slim timepiece’s Calibre BVL 318 movement clocks in at just 3.3mm, with the watch’s overall thickness being merely 6.9mm. Fitted with a GMT function – allowing the watch to display two separate time zones – this would be a welcome addition to the armoury of any non-tardy traveller.
Rolex Oyster Perpetual Yacht-Master 42
A more athletic approach was on offer from Rolex in the form of its all-new upsized 42mm Oyster Perpetual Yacht-Master 42. From the off, its white gold bezel (complete with a striking matte black Cerachrom insert) and all-black dial make it a real attention-grabber. Underneath beats a Calibre 3235 movement, the most cutting-edge time-and-date generator this most eminent of watchmakers has ever produced. Sturdy yet sophisticated, this is truly a chronogram for the sophisticated seafarer.
TAG Heuer Autavia Isograph
Eschewing seaborne soirées for airborne adventure is Swiss watchmaker TAG Heuer with a new iteration of its long-loved Autavia – (aut)o and (avia)tion – collection. Dubbed the Autavia Isograph, its bi-directional 60-minute bezel, broad hands and oversized Arabic numeral hour markers are all in true cockpit character. For the curious, the Isograph nomenclature is a knowing nod to the unique carbon composite that resides within its Calibre 5 movement – a fittingly innovative touch for a watch that has already won fans the world over.
Patek Philippe Alarm Travel Time Ref. 5520P
Renowned haute horology label Patek Philippe also revealed a new aviation-inspired design at the event – the Alarm Travel Time Ref. 5520P. Its robust, four-crown, pilot-style platinum case stylishly houses the brand’s latest high-precision movement, a slim 6.6mm Calibre AL 30-660 S C FUS, while its all-black dial is home to a 24-hour alarm, a digital alarm display, a second time zone display and a day-night indicator. As intricate as it is innovative, this limited-edition creation is all but guaranteed to be a real collectors’ item.
Chopard L.U.C Flying T Twin
A true statement timepiece, though, came courtesy of Chopard in the beguiling form of its L.U.C Flying T Twin. Set to astound in aesthetic terms alone, its painstakingly hand-guilloché dial is fetchingly patterned with the selfsame honeycomb motif that company founder Louis-Ulysse Chopard selected as the maison’s first logo, making this an apt showcase for the brand’s renowned artisanal handcraftsmanship.
Beyond its alluring looks, however, the virtuoso technical skills on show here also merit a special mention. From its ultra-sleek 3.3mm Calibre 96.24-L movement to its flying tourbillon – a first for Chopard – this is haute horology at the very highest end. If that weren’t enough, it is also crafted using only ethically-sourced Fairmined gold for its case, hands and hour markers. By fusing time-honoured techniques with contemporary flair, and mechanical know-how with visually stunning iconography, it stands as a resounding celebration for the watchmaking craft and more than justifies any Baselworld jolly in its own right.
