A must-visit event on the calendars of any haute horology enthusiast, the Salon de TE fair thankfully lived up to its hype when it rolled into town last month. Now in its seventh year, the horological affair stands as one of the region’s premier timepiece-themed events, featuring 144 brands from 22 countries in 2018 alone.
Not one to rest on its laurels, this year’s mammoth showcase boasted a staggering 840 exhibitors across its five-day itinerary. Perhaps the most noteworthy watches, though, came courtesy of the World Brand Piazza, one of the five specially-themed zones at Salon de TE. Sponsored by Prince Jewellery & Watch, it served up a plethora of eye-popping designs from some of the best-loved haute horology houses. While it would be folly to highlight the high-specced specifications of every piece, the seven statement timepieces below merit particular mention…
First up is renowned German watchmaker Glashütte Original with its PanoInverse – Limited Edition. Restricted to just 25 pieces, this timeless platinum iteration comes replete with an evocatively engraved skeleton dial that draws all attention squarely to its butterfly bridge and the manual-winding Calibre 66-08 movement beneath. Further fitted with an unusual off-centre hours / minutes dial and a small seconds subdial, dark blue Louisiana alligator leather straps complete its sophisticated appeal.
Another classically refined design comes courtesy of Jaquet Droz, with the newest interpretation of its Grande Seconde Dual Time seeing its much-loved figure-eight dual-dial updated to feature an azimuthal map of the world as viewed from the North Pole in its lower home time display. The 24-hour time indicator, now split into two distinct 12-hour day / night time segments, is another deft touch, while the local time takes pride of place in the upper half of its fascia. Available in a steel or rose gold case, it also comes with the option of opaline or Grand Feu enamel dials.
Taking a more minimalist approach is luxury watchmaker Breguet in the form of its Classique Tourbillon Extra-Plat 5367. Showcasing the marque’s renowned handcraftsmanship skills, this is the first-ever Grand Feu enamel dial in its Grandes Complications collection. Fitted with its iconic blue steel hour and minute hands, the only conspicuous exception allowed on its Arabic-numeralled fascia is a dazzling tourbillon perched at 5 o’clock.
Athletically-inclined enthusiasts, meanwhile, could hardly be blamed for gravitating towards Blancpain’s Fifty Fathoms Automatique. Though adhering to the same design conceits – luminescent hands, numerals and hour markers, and a ratcheted unidirectional rotating bezel – that made the Fifty Fathoms one of the world’s most iconic dive watches, this new edition features an exceptional “Red Gold Case” and a debut blue ceramic dial for the collection. Set on blue calf leather straps, this maritimepiece is water-resistant to depths of 300m.
Also taking nautical exploration as its main motif is CORUM’s Admiral AC-ONE 45 Openworked Tourbillon. Interjecting an element of the outré, its avant-garde dodecagonal case boasts an exquisite skeletonised dial, revealing the cutting-edge CO 298 movement – created specifically for this model – underneath. With a power reserve indicator at 3 o’clock and a small seconds subdial at 9 o’clock, the pride of this open-worked black-on-rose-gold watch is undoubtedly the intricate tourbillon resting at 6 o’clock, which offers the high-precision accuracy required for any true seafarer.
That selfsame black-and-rose-gold motif was evident – albeit with a haute joaillerie twist – in another horological standout: Piaget’s expansively real-estated Emperador Coussin XL 700P. While its cushion-shaped pink gold case measures a staggering 46.5mm, it nevertheless feels slim on the wrist, courtesy of its ultrathin 700P movement, which is perfectly highlighted through the use of the high-end brand’s iconic “reverse-construction” dial design. Ringed with an attractive diamond-studded bezel, only 118 pieces of this elegant creation will ever be made.
Perhaps the most eye-wateringly spectacular mash-up of high-end jewellery and haute horology, though, comes in the form of Franck Muller’s Rainbow Invisible Setting Tourbillon. Fitted with a glimmering gem-set tourbillon at 6 o’clock, its true attraction lies in the staggering array of precious gemstones that punctuates its acreage. Replete with 122 baguette-cut diamonds and 21 baguette-cut coloured sapphires on its dial, and burnished with a further 108 diamonds and 40 coloured sapphires on its rounded case, this shimmering statement timepiece added an additional dimension of sparkle to the glitteringly successful showing at this year’s Salon de TE.
Text: Tenzing Thondup