Ad Category Above Title [D:1440×400 M:1440×400]

gafencu Shop

gafencu  app

Ad Category Sidebar [D:300×300 M:300×300]

Ad Video Category Above Title

For extra-special elegance and sparkle, watches embellished with diamonds raise their appeal that notch higher. Their allure is such that these fine mechanical works of art represent some of the most desired – and visually stimulating – timepieces available to collectors.



<div style="height:15px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



The heart of watchmaking, Switzerland, is replete with Haute Horlogerie manufacturers including Audemars Piguet, which recently unveiled two limited-edition 39 Royal Oak ‘Jumbo’ Extra-Thin models entirely set with gems. The 18-carat white-gold version has an 8.1-mm-thick case set with 138 brilliant-cut diamonds – about 2.6 carats – and glare-proofed sapphire crystal front and back. Adding to its lustre, the bracelet features 968 brilliant-cut diamonds and the dial is set with 422 brilliant-cut diamonds (for a grand total of 1,528 brilliant-cut diamonds and 8.3 carats) along with white-gold applied hour-markers and Royal Oak hands with luminescent coating.


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/AP5-1024x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-79627" width="768" height="768" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/AP5-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/AP5-280x280.jpg 280w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/AP5-768x768.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/AP5-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/AP5-2048x2048.jpg 2048w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/AP5-200x200.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/AP5-800x800.jpg 800w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/AP5-100x100.jpg 100w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></figure></div>


The 18-carat yellow-gold model is similarly carpeted with gems across the case, bezel, dial and bracelet – though these are yellow sapphires forming 10.41 carats.



<div style="height:15px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



Cartier delighted with a number of exquisite high- jewellery watches at Watches and Wonders 2023. The iconic Cartier Jewelled Tank watch remains true to its design code with its distinctive rectangular dial and parallel brancards. Whilst retaining that undeniable Tank identity, the bejewelled models are elevated by a flexible bracelet of mobile cylinders in onyx, chrysoprase or coral with articulated links to offer greater comfort, and a face flanked on all sides by diamonds of varying sizes. These new Tank watches pay homage to the colour palette of Jeanne Toussant with their coloured stones – coral, chrysoprase, amethysts and diamonds – and interplay of colour contrasts. The amethysts, coral, and chrysoprases, rose-gold dial of the Jewelled Tank watch, large model, quartz movement is set with 272 brilliant-cut diamonds and features polished rose steel sword-shaped hands.


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/4-Jewelled-Baignoire-watch-small-model-quartz-movement-1024x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-79624" width="768" height="768" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/4-Jewelled-Baignoire-watch-small-model-quartz-movement-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/4-Jewelled-Baignoire-watch-small-model-quartz-movement-280x280.jpg 280w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/4-Jewelled-Baignoire-watch-small-model-quartz-movement-768x768.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/4-Jewelled-Baignoire-watch-small-model-quartz-movement-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/4-Jewelled-Baignoire-watch-small-model-quartz-movement-2048x2048.jpg 2048w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/4-Jewelled-Baignoire-watch-small-model-quartz-movement-200x200.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/4-Jewelled-Baignoire-watch-small-model-quartz-movement-800x800.jpg 800w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/4-Jewelled-Baignoire-watch-small-model-quartz-movement-100x100.jpg 100w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></figure></div>


For the new Baignoire Allongée, Cartier has built on the original design by creating a case composed of two parts combined by means of a micro-welding tool to incorporate two colour codes – yellow gold and white gold. It features a diamond-lit case that contrasts with a dial divided into different sections of varying sizes; the white and yellow gold areas are distinguished by a hand-carved sunray motif. The case is set with 212 brilliant-cut diamonds totalling 2.81 carats.



<div style="height:15px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



The Baignoire continues to evolve and new Jewelled Baignoire editions showcase lines of diamonds that ring a snow-set dial and then extend the length of the bracelet to enhance the timepiece’s slim curves.


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/PP_4997_200R_001_SDT_5695_50093-1024x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-79629" width="768" height="768" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/PP_4997_200R_001_SDT_5695_50093-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/PP_4997_200R_001_SDT_5695_50093-280x280.jpg 280w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/PP_4997_200R_001_SDT_5695_50093-768x768.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/PP_4997_200R_001_SDT_5695_50093-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/PP_4997_200R_001_SDT_5695_50093-2048x2048.jpg 2048w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/PP_4997_200R_001_SDT_5695_50093-200x200.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/PP_4997_200R_001_SDT_5695_50093-800x800.jpg 800w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/PP_4997_200R_001_SDT_5695_50093-100x100.jpg 100w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></figure></div>


Presenting a discreet diamond face, Patek Philippe’s Ref: 4997/200R Calatrava in rose gold sets 76 internally flawless Top Wesselton diamonds around the bezel. An ultra-thin self-winding Calibre 240 movement with a 22-carat gold mini-rotor powers the timepiece, which is housed in a 35 mm- diameter rose-gold case with a sapphire crystal caseback. Of note is its colour scheme: an eye- catching purple lacquered dial with an embossed pattern and rose-gold dauphine hands harmonises perfectly with a purple calfskin strap with a satinated finish and rose-gold prong buckle.



<div style="height:15px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



Richard Mille’s iconic RM 07-01 collection of automatic watches aimed at women is joined by new Intergalactic models combining the brand’s signature Carbon TPT with diamonds. The possibly unique combination of Carbon TPT – ultra-lightweight but strong with a warm velvety texture – and diamonds undoubtedly gives these models extra sparkle and highlights the fine attributes of each. Such is the strength of this high-performance material that settings for the stones as well as some snazzy red- gold prongs are machined with a diamond-bit milling tool. Diamonds are particularly prominent on the RM 07-01 Starry Night, worn with a Carbon TPT bracelet, and Bright Night models.


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/RM07-01_STARRYNIGHT_FRONT-WB-1024x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-79635" width="768" height="768" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/RM07-01_STARRYNIGHT_FRONT-WB-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/RM07-01_STARRYNIGHT_FRONT-WB-280x280.jpg 280w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/RM07-01_STARRYNIGHT_FRONT-WB-768x768.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/RM07-01_STARRYNIGHT_FRONT-WB-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/RM07-01_STARRYNIGHT_FRONT-WB-2048x2048.jpg 2048w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/RM07-01_STARRYNIGHT_FRONT-WB-200x200.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/RM07-01_STARRYNIGHT_FRONT-WB-800x800.jpg 800w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/RM07-01_STARRYNIGHT_FRONT-WB-100x100.jpg 100w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></figure></div>


<div class="wp-block-media-text alignwide is-stacked-on-mobile"><figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="1024" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/m128345rbr-0068-1024x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-79628 size-full" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/m128345rbr-0068-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/m128345rbr-0068-280x280.jpg 280w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/m128345rbr-0068-768x768.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/m128345rbr-0068-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/m128345rbr-0068-2048x2048.jpg 2048w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/m128345rbr-0068-200x200.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/m128345rbr-0068-800x800.jpg 800w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/m128345rbr-0068-100x100.jpg 100w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure><div class="wp-block-media-text__content">
The new Oyster Perpetual Day-Date 36 by Rolex welcomes dials made of decorative stone in shimmering tones that evoke the Mediterranean coast. Green aventurine, carnelian and turquoise are paired with watches in 18-carat Everose, yellow and white gold respectively. Each of these three models features a diamond-set dial, diamond-set bezel and President bracelet with a concealed folding clasp. This bracelet, composed of carefully selected 18-carat gold, is a brand signature dating back to the launch of the line in 1956. A total of 52 brilliant- cut diamonds are affixed to the bezel in a precisely aligned, hand-carved setting.
</div></div>



<div class="wp-block-media-text alignwide has-media-on-the-right is-stacked-on-mobile"><div class="wp-block-media-text__content">
Unveiled at Watches and Wonders 2023, Vacheron Constantin’s Patrimony Self-Winding Jewellery novelty glitters with diamonds, boasting a total encrustation of 769 round-cut stones, of which 420 embellish the dial. This sleek 18-carat white-gold watch comes with a sapphire crystal caseback and a shiny dark-blue alligator leather strap.
</div><figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="1024" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/VAC_Patrimony_4116U-000G-B909_SDT.tif_38692557-1024x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-79630 size-full" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/VAC_Patrimony_4116U-000G-B909_SDT.tif_38692557-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/VAC_Patrimony_4116U-000G-B909_SDT.tif_38692557-280x280.jpg 280w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/VAC_Patrimony_4116U-000G-B909_SDT.tif_38692557-768x768.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/VAC_Patrimony_4116U-000G-B909_SDT.tif_38692557-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/VAC_Patrimony_4116U-000G-B909_SDT.tif_38692557-2048x2048.jpg 2048w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/VAC_Patrimony_4116U-000G-B909_SDT.tif_38692557-200x200.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/VAC_Patrimony_4116U-000G-B909_SDT.tif_38692557-800x800.jpg 800w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/VAC_Patrimony_4116U-000G-B909_SDT.tif_38692557-100x100.jpg 100w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure></div>



Chopard’s Red Carpet Collection 2023 embraces a plethora of watches exotically and colourfully adorned with diamonds. These Haute Joaillerie masterpieces include Ref. 104429-1001, which shimmers with pear-shaped and brilliant-cut diamonds, and the dazzling Ref. 104672-1001 with 28.3 carats of white diamonds and 21.65 carats of emeralds. Ref. 134154-5001’s pretty satin strap is distinguished by a diamond-set buckle.


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/104429-1001_Red-Carpet-Collection-1024x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-79626" width="768" height="768" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/104429-1001_Red-Carpet-Collection-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/104429-1001_Red-Carpet-Collection-280x280.jpg 280w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/104429-1001_Red-Carpet-Collection-768x768.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/104429-1001_Red-Carpet-Collection-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/104429-1001_Red-Carpet-Collection-2048x2048.jpg 2048w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/104429-1001_Red-Carpet-Collection-200x200.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/104429-1001_Red-Carpet-Collection-800x800.jpg 800w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/104429-1001_Red-Carpet-Collection-100x100.jpg 100w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></figure></div>


<div class="wp-block-media-text alignwide is-stacked-on-mobile"><figure class="wp-block-media-text__media"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" width="1024" height="1024" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/W85194-001_primary-1024x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-79631 size-full" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/W85194-001_primary-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/W85194-001_primary-280x280.jpg 280w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/W85194-001_primary-768x768.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/W85194-001_primary-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/W85194-001_primary-2048x2048.jpg 2048w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/W85194-001_primary-200x200.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/W85194-001_primary-800x800.jpg 800w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/W85194-001_primary-100x100.jpg 100w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure><div class="wp-block-media-text__content">
Chaumet has numerous models adorned with diamonds including the Souveraine and Maharani secret watches worn with black alligator-leather straps. The former dazzles with an 18-carat white gold case and hinges set with 111 brilliant-cut diamonds, and a secret cover resplendent in 155 brilliant-cut, pear-shaped and rose-cut diamonds. 
</div></div>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" src="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/30_Marble-Marquetry-Timepiece-d-1024x1024.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-79625" width="768" height="768" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/30_Marble-Marquetry-Timepiece-d-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/30_Marble-Marquetry-Timepiece-d-280x280.jpg 280w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/30_Marble-Marquetry-Timepiece-d-768x768.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/30_Marble-Marquetry-Timepiece-d-1536x1536.jpg 1536w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/30_Marble-Marquetry-Timepiece-d-2048x2048.jpg 2048w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/30_Marble-Marquetry-Timepiece-d-200x200.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/30_Marble-Marquetry-Timepiece-d-800x800.jpg 800w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/30_Marble-Marquetry-Timepiece-d-100x100.jpg 100w" sizes="(max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px" /></figure></div>


Marble Marquetry by Harry Winston, on the other hand, is a spectacular bracelet watch showcasing 56 blue sapphires set among a blaze of white light comprising a grand total of 208 brilliant- cut, baguette-cut and pear-cut diamonds.

Diamond Precision: Time is more precious when prestigious watchmakers turn to stones

<div style="width: 640px;" class="wp-video">
<video class="wp-video-shortcode" id="video-60786-1" width="640" height="360" preload="metadata" controls="controls"><source type="video/mp4" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Time_sep21_gafencu.mp4?_=1" /><a href="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Time_sep21_gafencu.mp4">//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Time_sep21_gafencu.mp4</a></video></div>
The high-end watch industry is seemingly enamoured with the adage ‘bigger is better’, as new designs are launched to one-up the competition in terms of dial size and depth. However, those seeking a subtler, more streamlined aesthetic need not despair – several haute-horology brands have drawn back the curtain on more minimalist wrist adornments. Here, we spotlight seven slender timepieces that are more than worth a thorough perusal.
Omega De Ville Trésor Power Reserve
<a href="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Omega-De-Ville-Trésor-Power-Reserve_gafencu.png"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-60791" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Omega-De-Ville-Trésor-Power-Reserve_gafencu.png" alt="Omega De Ville Trésor Power Reserve_gafencu" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Omega-De-Ville-Trésor-Power-Reserve_gafencu.png 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Omega-De-Ville-Trésor-Power-Reserve_gafencu-200x133.png 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Omega-De-Ville-Trésor-Power-Reserve_gafencu-421x280.png 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Omega-De-Ville-Trésor-Power-Reserve_gafencu-120x80.png 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Omega-De-Ville-Trésor-Power-Reserve_gafencu-500x333.png 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Omega-De-Ville-Trésor-Power-Reserve_gafencu-400x266.png 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Omega-De-Ville-Trésor-Power-Reserve_gafencu-600x399.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></a>
First up on our list of ultra-thin watches is Omega’s De Ville Trésor Power Reserve in 18K yellow gold. The model that debuted back in 1949 has now been updated to feature a power reserve indicator at 12 o’clock and a small-seconds sub-dial resting diametrically opposite. While retaining the understated vintage elegance of the original, it comes equipped with an up-to-the-minute movement – the hand-wound Master Chronometer Calibre 8935. Delivering a robust 72-hour power reserve, it nevertheless manages to pack everything into a 10.07mm-thin case.
&nbsp;
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak “Jumbo” Extra-Thin
<a href="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Audemars-Piguet-Royal-Oak-“Jumbo”-Extra-Thin_gafencu.png"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-60788" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Audemars-Piguet-Royal-Oak-“Jumbo”-Extra-Thin_gafencu.png" alt="Audemars Piguet Royal Oak “Jumbo” Extra-Thin_gafencu" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Audemars-Piguet-Royal-Oak-“Jumbo”-Extra-Thin_gafencu.png 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Audemars-Piguet-Royal-Oak-“Jumbo”-Extra-Thin_gafencu-200x133.png 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Audemars-Piguet-Royal-Oak-“Jumbo”-Extra-Thin_gafencu-421x280.png 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Audemars-Piguet-Royal-Oak-“Jumbo”-Extra-Thin_gafencu-120x80.png 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Audemars-Piguet-Royal-Oak-“Jumbo”-Extra-Thin_gafencu-500x333.png 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Audemars-Piguet-Royal-Oak-“Jumbo”-Extra-Thin_gafencu-400x266.png 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Audemars-Piguet-Royal-Oak-“Jumbo”-Extra-Thin_gafencu-600x399.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></a>
Audemars Piguet has also released new interpretations of a classic design in the form of the Royal Oak “Jumbo” Extra-Thin. When its predecessor was launched at the 1972 Baselworld fair, it pretty much birthed the luxury sports watch category. These latest versions, however, are somewhat more sophisticated, thanks to the 1,102 brilliant-cut diamonds punctuating their case, bezel and bracelet. Available with a light blue or black dial in a white or pink gold case, its slimness may be attributed to the self-winding Manufacture Calibre 2121 movement within, whose thickness measures just 3.05mm.
Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="//www.gafencushop.com/watch-grand-prix-dhoelogerie-de-geneve/">The best watches from the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Geneve</a>
Montblanc Heritage Pythagore Small Second Limited Edition 148
<a href="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Montblanc-Heritage-Pythagore-Small-Second-Limited-Edition-148_gafencu.png"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-60790" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Montblanc-Heritage-Pythagore-Small-Second-Limited-Edition-148_gafencu.png" alt="Montblanc Heritage Pythagore Small Second Limited Edition 148_gafencu" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Montblanc-Heritage-Pythagore-Small-Second-Limited-Edition-148_gafencu.png 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Montblanc-Heritage-Pythagore-Small-Second-Limited-Edition-148_gafencu-200x133.png 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Montblanc-Heritage-Pythagore-Small-Second-Limited-Edition-148_gafencu-421x280.png 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Montblanc-Heritage-Pythagore-Small-Second-Limited-Edition-148_gafencu-120x80.png 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Montblanc-Heritage-Pythagore-Small-Second-Limited-Edition-148_gafencu-500x333.png 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Montblanc-Heritage-Pythagore-Small-Second-Limited-Edition-148_gafencu-400x266.png 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Montblanc-Heritage-Pythagore-Small-Second-Limited-Edition-148_gafencu-600x399.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></a>
Rounding out our trio of timeless classics made contemporary is Montblanc’s Heritage Pythagore Small Second Limited Edition 148, which was inspired by the historic ’40s-era Minerva Pythagore calibre 48. With that movement as a reference, the engineers at Montblanc developed an all-new, hand-wound 4.07mm Manufacture Calibre MB M14.08 for the new creation, replete with an impressive 80-hour power reserve. Available in blue with a white gold case or ‘burnt caramel’ encased in pink gold, both avatars are limited to a release of just 148 pieces.
&nbsp;
Panerai Luminor Due
<a href="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Panerai-Luminor-Due_gafencu.png"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-60792" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Panerai-Luminor-Due_gafencu.png" alt="Panerai Luminor Due_gafencu" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Panerai-Luminor-Due_gafencu.png 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Panerai-Luminor-Due_gafencu-200x133.png 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Panerai-Luminor-Due_gafencu-421x280.png 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Panerai-Luminor-Due_gafencu-120x80.png 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Panerai-Luminor-Due_gafencu-500x333.png 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Panerai-Luminor-Due_gafencu-400x266.png 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Panerai-Luminor-Due_gafencu-600x399.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></a>
Similarly upscaling an athletic model in a streamlined form is Panerai, with its new Luminor Due boasting an automatic P.900 calibre movement that’s just 4.2mm thick. To ensure this mechanism remains tamper-proof, Panerai has equipped a Safety Lock crown-protection device on the side of its square-shaped bezel. Fitted with a three-day power reserve, this elegant blue-and-steel timepiece comes furnished with a navy sun-brushed dial punctuated with a small seconds sub-dial and a date aperture at nine o’clock and three o’clock respectively. A blue alligator-skin strap rounds out its sporty feel.
Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="//www.gafencushop.com/miss-time-womens-watches/">Miss Time &#8211; The wonder that is the world of women’s watches…</a>
 Ressence Type 1 Slim Red
<a href="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Ressence-Type-1-Slim-Red_gafencu.png"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-60794" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Ressence-Type-1-Slim-Red_gafencu.png" alt="Ressence Type 1 Slim Red_gafencu" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Ressence-Type-1-Slim-Red_gafencu.png 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Ressence-Type-1-Slim-Red_gafencu-200x133.png 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Ressence-Type-1-Slim-Red_gafencu-421x280.png 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Ressence-Type-1-Slim-Red_gafencu-120x80.png 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Ressence-Type-1-Slim-Red_gafencu-500x333.png 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Ressence-Type-1-Slim-Red_gafencu-400x266.png 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Ressence-Type-1-Slim-Red_gafencu-600x399.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></a>
Introducing a splash of scarlet to proceedings is Antwerp-headquartered independent manufacture Ressence’s striking Type 1 Slim Red. Unlike traditional dial layouts with hour and minute hands rotating around a central axis, the Type 1 Slim Red’s fascia displays the Ressence Orbital Convex System to tell time. In layman’s terms, it features three separate indicators for hours, seconds and week days. Distinguished with a bold red dial and matching rubber strap, the new model has been slimmed down by some 20 percent since its 2019 debut.
Hermès&nbsp;Slim d’Hermès La Source de Pégase
<a href="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Hermès-Slim-d’Hermès-La-Source-de-Pégase_gafencu.png"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-60789" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Hermès-Slim-d’Hermès-La-Source-de-Pégase_gafencu.png" alt="Hermès&nbsp;Slim d’Hermès La Source de Pégase_gafencu" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Hermès-Slim-d’Hermès-La-Source-de-Pégase_gafencu.png 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Hermès-Slim-d’Hermès-La-Source-de-Pégase_gafencu-200x133.png 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Hermès-Slim-d’Hermès-La-Source-de-Pégase_gafencu-421x280.png 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Hermès-Slim-d’Hermès-La-Source-de-Pégase_gafencu-120x80.png 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Hermès-Slim-d’Hermès-La-Source-de-Pégase_gafencu-500x333.png 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Hermès-Slim-d’Hermès-La-Source-de-Pégase_gafencu-400x266.png 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Hermès-Slim-d’Hermès-La-Source-de-Pégase_gafencu-600x399.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></a>
Elevating colourful dials to literal works of art, Hermès has unveiled the Slim d’Hermès La Source de Pégase, powered by a 2.6mm-thin mechanical self-winding Manufacture Hermès H1950 movement. Drawing on the craft skills of miniature painting, straw marquetry, enamelling and hand-engraving, the delicate dial features a majestic winged horse rearing to strike a rock with its hooves. Two avatars of this vibrant design – a reinterpretation of the eponymous Hermès silk scarf designed by French artist Pierre Marie – are on offer: a yellow Pegasus dial with white strap and an all-blue version. With only 12 of each version to be produced, they’re sure to fly quickly to the hands of discerning collectors.
 Piaget&nbsp;Altiplano Ultimate Concept
<a href="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Piaget-Altiplano-Ultimate-Concept_gafencu.png"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-60793" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Piaget-Altiplano-Ultimate-Concept_gafencu.png" alt="Piaget&nbsp;Altiplano Ultimate Concept_gafencu" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Piaget-Altiplano-Ultimate-Concept_gafencu.png 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Piaget-Altiplano-Ultimate-Concept_gafencu-200x133.png 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Piaget-Altiplano-Ultimate-Concept_gafencu-421x280.png 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Piaget-Altiplano-Ultimate-Concept_gafencu-120x80.png 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Piaget-Altiplano-Ultimate-Concept_gafencu-500x333.png 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Piaget-Altiplano-Ultimate-Concept_gafencu-400x266.png 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Piaget-Altiplano-Ultimate-Concept_gafencu-600x399.png 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></a>
Rounding out our list is Piaget’s Altiplano Ultimate Concept “Tribute to La Côte-aux-Fées”. A past master at creating slim designs, the brand almost defies the laws of physics with a timepiece measuring just 2mm thick, roughly the equivalent of a HK$1 coin. The Calibre 900P-UC movement is directly machined onto the cobalt alloy case – which is fronted by an intriguing open-worked dial – in order to achieve this incredible slimness; just 0.12mm separates the workings from the wearer’s skin. A tribute to cutting-edge watchmaking, it proudly claims the title of 2021’s thinnest watch.
Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="//www.gafencushop.com/unusually-shaped-timepieces-avant-garde-watches/">Unusually shaped watches that bring a fresh perspective on timekeeping</a>
&nbsp;
&nbsp;
(Text: Tenzing Thondup)

Slimmed down luxury: Exquisite, ultra-thin timepieces

When renowned watchmaker Abraham-Louis Breguet invented the tourbillon back in 1795, it was rightly hailed as a revolution in the horological arts. After all, this tiny mechanism – a genius bit of engineering that houses the escapement and balance wheel in a continuously rotating cage – counteracts the effects of gravity by continuously correcting any positional errors. This innovative mechanism ensured that the popular pocket watches of the day – worn vertically and hitherto susceptible to gravity-derived inaccuracies – told precisely the right time no matter where they were positioned.
<a href="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/gafencu-time-gmhk-gravity-defying-watch-tourbillon.jpg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-56681" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/gafencu-time-gmhk-gravity-defying-watch-tourbillon.jpg" alt="gafencu time gmhk gravity defying watch tourbillon" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/gafencu-time-gmhk-gravity-defying-watch-tourbillon.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/gafencu-time-gmhk-gravity-defying-watch-tourbillon-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/gafencu-time-gmhk-gravity-defying-watch-tourbillon-421x280.jpg 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/gafencu-time-gmhk-gravity-defying-watch-tourbillon-120x80.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/gafencu-time-gmhk-gravity-defying-watch-tourbillon-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/gafencu-time-gmhk-gravity-defying-watch-tourbillon-400x266.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/gafencu-time-gmhk-gravity-defying-watch-tourbillon-600x399.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></a>
In the contemporary, wristwatch-favouring era, of course, tourbillons are inevitably a little less indispensable. This, though, has in no way diminished their appeal to the more discerning collector, with haute horology houses subsequently never more keen to unveil ever-more ornate iterations of the original design. While their numbers truly are legion, seven in particular merit especial consideration…
<a href="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/gafencu-time-gmhk-gravity-defying-watch-tourbillon-De-Bethune-DB-Kind-of-Two-Tourbillon.jpg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-56674" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/gafencu-time-gmhk-gravity-defying-watch-tourbillon-De-Bethune-DB-Kind-of-Two-Tourbillon.jpg" alt="gafencu time gmhk gravity defying watch tourbillon De Bethune DB Kind of Two Tourbillon" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/gafencu-time-gmhk-gravity-defying-watch-tourbillon-De-Bethune-DB-Kind-of-Two-Tourbillon.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/gafencu-time-gmhk-gravity-defying-watch-tourbillon-De-Bethune-DB-Kind-of-Two-Tourbillon-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/gafencu-time-gmhk-gravity-defying-watch-tourbillon-De-Bethune-DB-Kind-of-Two-Tourbillon-421x280.jpg 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/gafencu-time-gmhk-gravity-defying-watch-tourbillon-De-Bethune-DB-Kind-of-Two-Tourbillon-120x80.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/gafencu-time-gmhk-gravity-defying-watch-tourbillon-De-Bethune-DB-Kind-of-Two-Tourbillon-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/gafencu-time-gmhk-gravity-defying-watch-tourbillon-De-Bethune-DB-Kind-of-Two-Tourbillon-400x266.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/gafencu-time-gmhk-gravity-defying-watch-tourbillon-De-Bethune-DB-Kind-of-Two-Tourbillon-600x399.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></a>
First up is the somewhat unconventional DB Kind of Two Tourbillon, a relatively new offering from independent Swiss watch manufacture De Bethune, which boasts not one but two distinct faces on its 42.8mm titanium pivoting case. On one side lies a traditional blue-on-white guilloché watch face with Arabic hour markers ringed by a seconds indicator. The reverse dial, though, is all about contemporary appeal, with a lovingly crafted titanium Ultra-light De Bethune 30” tourbillon taking pride of place at 6 o’clock. Blending the past and present with true aplomb, extra-supple alligator straps complete its appeal.
<a href="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/gafencu-time-gmhk-gravity-defying-watch-tourbillon-Chopard-Mille-Miglia-Lab-One.jpg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-56678" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/gafencu-time-gmhk-gravity-defying-watch-tourbillon-Chopard-Mille-Miglia-Lab-One.jpg" alt="gafencu time gmhk gravity defying watch tourbillon Chopard Mille Miglia Lab One" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/gafencu-time-gmhk-gravity-defying-watch-tourbillon-Chopard-Mille-Miglia-Lab-One.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/gafencu-time-gmhk-gravity-defying-watch-tourbillon-Chopard-Mille-Miglia-Lab-One-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/gafencu-time-gmhk-gravity-defying-watch-tourbillon-Chopard-Mille-Miglia-Lab-One-421x280.jpg 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/gafencu-time-gmhk-gravity-defying-watch-tourbillon-Chopard-Mille-Miglia-Lab-One-120x80.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/gafencu-time-gmhk-gravity-defying-watch-tourbillon-Chopard-Mille-Miglia-Lab-One-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/gafencu-time-gmhk-gravity-defying-watch-tourbillon-Chopard-Mille-Miglia-Lab-One-400x266.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/gafencu-time-gmhk-gravity-defying-watch-tourbillon-Chopard-Mille-Miglia-Lab-One-600x399.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></a>
A more futuristic twist, meanwhile, comes courtesy of Chopard with its new Mille Miglia Lab One. Conceived as a concept watch and a homage to the high-performance race cars of Italy’s famous Mille Miglia race, this stunning timepiece has been crafted from ultra-lightweight black bead-blasted titanium. The brand’s first self-winding tourbillon chronometer, under the hood of this 20-piece limited release can be found a Chopard 04.03-M movement, effortlessly powering a titanium tourbillon at 6 o’clock.
<a href="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/gafencu-time-gmhk-gravity-defying-watch-tourbillon-Bulgari-Octo-Roma-Carillon-Tourbillon.jpg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-56677" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/gafencu-time-gmhk-gravity-defying-watch-tourbillon-Bulgari-Octo-Roma-Carillon-Tourbillon.jpg" alt="gafencu time gmhk gravity defying watch tourbillon Bulgari Octo Roma Carillon Tourbillon" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/gafencu-time-gmhk-gravity-defying-watch-tourbillon-Bulgari-Octo-Roma-Carillon-Tourbillon.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/gafencu-time-gmhk-gravity-defying-watch-tourbillon-Bulgari-Octo-Roma-Carillon-Tourbillon-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/gafencu-time-gmhk-gravity-defying-watch-tourbillon-Bulgari-Octo-Roma-Carillon-Tourbillon-421x280.jpg 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/gafencu-time-gmhk-gravity-defying-watch-tourbillon-Bulgari-Octo-Roma-Carillon-Tourbillon-120x80.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/gafencu-time-gmhk-gravity-defying-watch-tourbillon-Bulgari-Octo-Roma-Carillon-Tourbillon-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/gafencu-time-gmhk-gravity-defying-watch-tourbillon-Bulgari-Octo-Roma-Carillon-Tourbillon-400x266.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/gafencu-time-gmhk-gravity-defying-watch-tourbillon-Bulgari-Octo-Roma-Carillon-Tourbillon-600x399.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></a>
Similarly opting for an ever so cool all-black aesthetic is the Octo Roma Carillon Tourbillon, which is now available from the indisputably luxurious Bulgari brand. Fetchingly, its noir fascia comes fitted with an open-worked metallic grille, allowing a fascinating glimpse of its new BVL428 manual-winding movement. Housed in a black DLC titanium case, this 44mm timepiece effectively combines both a tourbillon and a three-hammer case while maintaining a minimalist – almost industrial – flair.
<a href="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/gafencu-time-gmhk-gravity-defying-watch-tourbillon-Jaeger-LeCoultre-Master-Ultra-Thin-Tourbillon-Moon.jpg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-56675" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/gafencu-time-gmhk-gravity-defying-watch-tourbillon-Jaeger-LeCoultre-Master-Ultra-Thin-Tourbillon-Moon.jpg" alt="Master Ultra Thin Tourbillon Moon" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/gafencu-time-gmhk-gravity-defying-watch-tourbillon-Jaeger-LeCoultre-Master-Ultra-Thin-Tourbillon-Moon.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/gafencu-time-gmhk-gravity-defying-watch-tourbillon-Jaeger-LeCoultre-Master-Ultra-Thin-Tourbillon-Moon-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/gafencu-time-gmhk-gravity-defying-watch-tourbillon-Jaeger-LeCoultre-Master-Ultra-Thin-Tourbillon-Moon-421x280.jpg 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/gafencu-time-gmhk-gravity-defying-watch-tourbillon-Jaeger-LeCoultre-Master-Ultra-Thin-Tourbillon-Moon-120x80.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/gafencu-time-gmhk-gravity-defying-watch-tourbillon-Jaeger-LeCoultre-Master-Ultra-Thin-Tourbillon-Moon-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/gafencu-time-gmhk-gravity-defying-watch-tourbillon-Jaeger-LeCoultre-Master-Ultra-Thin-Tourbillon-Moon-400x266.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/gafencu-time-gmhk-gravity-defying-watch-tourbillon-Jaeger-LeCoultre-Master-Ultra-Thin-Tourbillon-Moon-600x399.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></a>
Deservedly meriting our fourth slot is the stunningly slim Master Ultra-Thin Tourbillon Moon&nbsp;from Jaeger-LeCoultre, which comes complete with a classic white-on-rose gold motif. Unashamedly taking tourbillon stylings to a new height – quite literally – this elegant wrist adornment’s flying tourbillon is paired with a moon phase aperture ringed by a jumping date indicator at the top of the dial. The design’s thinness – something of a signature look for JLC – belies the complexity of its engineering and measures a scant 12.1mm.
<a href="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/gafencu-time-gmhk-gravity-defying-watch-tourbillon-Audemars-Piguet’s-Code-1159-by-Audemars-Piguet-Selfwinding-Flying-Tourbillon.jpg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-56676" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/gafencu-time-gmhk-gravity-defying-watch-tourbillon-Audemars-Piguet’s-Code-1159-by-Audemars-Piguet-Selfwinding-Flying-Tourbillon.jpg" alt="gafencu time gmhk gravity defying watch tourbillon Audemars Piguet’s Code 1159 by Audemars Piguet Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/gafencu-time-gmhk-gravity-defying-watch-tourbillon-Audemars-Piguet’s-Code-1159-by-Audemars-Piguet-Selfwinding-Flying-Tourbillon.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/gafencu-time-gmhk-gravity-defying-watch-tourbillon-Audemars-Piguet’s-Code-1159-by-Audemars-Piguet-Selfwinding-Flying-Tourbillon-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/gafencu-time-gmhk-gravity-defying-watch-tourbillon-Audemars-Piguet’s-Code-1159-by-Audemars-Piguet-Selfwinding-Flying-Tourbillon-421x280.jpg 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/gafencu-time-gmhk-gravity-defying-watch-tourbillon-Audemars-Piguet’s-Code-1159-by-Audemars-Piguet-Selfwinding-Flying-Tourbillon-120x80.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/gafencu-time-gmhk-gravity-defying-watch-tourbillon-Audemars-Piguet’s-Code-1159-by-Audemars-Piguet-Selfwinding-Flying-Tourbillon-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/gafencu-time-gmhk-gravity-defying-watch-tourbillon-Audemars-Piguet’s-Code-1159-by-Audemars-Piguet-Selfwinding-Flying-Tourbillon-400x266.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/gafencu-time-gmhk-gravity-defying-watch-tourbillon-Audemars-Piguet’s-Code-1159-by-Audemars-Piguet-Selfwinding-Flying-Tourbillon-600x399.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></a>
Another precision engineering masterpiece setting its sights on the skies is the Code 11:59 by Audemars Piguet Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon, with its 18K pink gold case – burnished with a shimmering black aventurine dial reminiscent of a star-lit night sky – making it a real standout. Equipped with a Calibre 2950 movement that combines a flying tourbillon with a central rotor, this 41mm timepiece is also available as a white gold-blue aventurine avatar.
<a href="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/gafencu-time-gmhk-gravity-defying-watch-tourbillon-Vacheron-Constantin’s-Traditionnelle-Tourbillon-Qilin.jpg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-56680" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/gafencu-time-gmhk-gravity-defying-watch-tourbillon-Vacheron-Constantin’s-Traditionnelle-Tourbillon-Qilin.jpg" alt="gafencu time gmhk gravity defying watch tourbillon Vacheron Constantin’s Traditionnelle Tourbillon Qilin" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/gafencu-time-gmhk-gravity-defying-watch-tourbillon-Vacheron-Constantin’s-Traditionnelle-Tourbillon-Qilin.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/gafencu-time-gmhk-gravity-defying-watch-tourbillon-Vacheron-Constantin’s-Traditionnelle-Tourbillon-Qilin-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/gafencu-time-gmhk-gravity-defying-watch-tourbillon-Vacheron-Constantin’s-Traditionnelle-Tourbillon-Qilin-421x280.jpg 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/gafencu-time-gmhk-gravity-defying-watch-tourbillon-Vacheron-Constantin’s-Traditionnelle-Tourbillon-Qilin-120x80.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/gafencu-time-gmhk-gravity-defying-watch-tourbillon-Vacheron-Constantin’s-Traditionnelle-Tourbillon-Qilin-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/gafencu-time-gmhk-gravity-defying-watch-tourbillon-Vacheron-Constantin’s-Traditionnelle-Tourbillon-Qilin-400x266.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/gafencu-time-gmhk-gravity-defying-watch-tourbillon-Vacheron-Constantin’s-Traditionnelle-Tourbillon-Qilin-600x399.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></a>
For those in search of something a little more outré, German luxury label Montblanc’s new Star Legacy Exo Tourbillon Skeleton Limited Edition 8&nbsp;skeletonised tourbillon timepiece delivers in spades. Its innovative open-worked approach, for instance, affords direct views into the inner workings of its Calibre M B M 18.69 movement – a mechanism comprising 188 disparate parts, all lovingly handcrafted by the maison’s skilled artisans. Its dial proper, meanwhile, has been neatly bisected, with an off-centre hour-and-minute dial at 12 o’clock perfectly balancing the Exo Tourbillon on its southern hemisphere. As its name suggests, this fine example of haute horology is available in a limited edition of just eight.
<a href="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/gafencu-time-gmhk-gravity-defying-watch-tourbillon-Montblanc’s-Star-Legacy-Exo-Tourbillon-Skeleton-LE8.jpg"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-56679" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/gafencu-time-gmhk-gravity-defying-watch-tourbillon-Montblanc’s-Star-Legacy-Exo-Tourbillon-Skeleton-LE8.jpg" alt="gafencu time gmhk gravity defying watch tourbillon Montblanc’s Star Legacy Exo Tourbillon Skeleton LE8" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/gafencu-time-gmhk-gravity-defying-watch-tourbillon-Montblanc’s-Star-Legacy-Exo-Tourbillon-Skeleton-LE8.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/gafencu-time-gmhk-gravity-defying-watch-tourbillon-Montblanc’s-Star-Legacy-Exo-Tourbillon-Skeleton-LE8-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/gafencu-time-gmhk-gravity-defying-watch-tourbillon-Montblanc’s-Star-Legacy-Exo-Tourbillon-Skeleton-LE8-421x280.jpg 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/gafencu-time-gmhk-gravity-defying-watch-tourbillon-Montblanc’s-Star-Legacy-Exo-Tourbillon-Skeleton-LE8-120x80.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/gafencu-time-gmhk-gravity-defying-watch-tourbillon-Montblanc’s-Star-Legacy-Exo-Tourbillon-Skeleton-LE8-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/gafencu-time-gmhk-gravity-defying-watch-tourbillon-Montblanc’s-Star-Legacy-Exo-Tourbillon-Skeleton-LE8-400x266.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/gafencu-time-gmhk-gravity-defying-watch-tourbillon-Montblanc’s-Star-Legacy-Exo-Tourbillon-Skeleton-LE8-600x399.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" /></a>
A true statement timepiece, however, concludes this month’s round-up – Vacheron Constantin’s recently-unveiled Traditionnelle Tourbillon Qilin. Launched to welcome the Lunar New Year, its hand-guillochéd black dial comes elaborately burnished with a pair of matching hand-engraved Qilin – the mythical hooved chimeric creature of Chinese legend. The tourbillon proper at 6 o’clock, meanwhile, comes fitted with a small seconds indicator and sits beneath a gold-accented power-reserve indicator. A perfect blend of precision engineering and gorgeous aesthetics, this is a future collector’s piece in waiting.

Tourbillon and on: The continual rise of the world’s favourite gravity defying watch…

Every year, pretty much anyone with a senior enough role in keeping the global <a href="//www.gafencushop.com/dfs-master-time-different-periods/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">watchmaking</a> sector ticking over descends upon Geneva for the ever-illustrious Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Geneve (GPHG) awards. Founded in 2001 and now one of team timepiece’s preeminent tournaments, it sees the world’s leading haute horology houses all keenly competing to be crowned as creators of the most finely-crafted, most ambitious and most high-tech bit of haute horology of the year.
For the 2019 event, a bumper crop of 84 high-end chronograms went before a 30-strong jury of the wisest of watchmen, who were then tasked with winkling out the winners in each of the 18 keenly-contested categories. Of the timepieces triumphant, six stood out as particularly meriting top horological honours…
Aiguille D’Or Grand Prix
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-50766 size-full" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/466x700-Jan_Time2_opt.jpg" alt="" width="466" height="700" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/466x700-Jan_Time2_opt.jpg 466w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/466x700-Jan_Time2_opt-200x300.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/466x700-Jan_Time2_opt-186x280.jpg 186w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/466x700-Jan_Time2_opt-120x180.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/466x700-Jan_Time2_opt-400x601.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 466px) 100vw, 466px" />
The preeminent performer at this year’s event was undoubtedly <a href="https://www.audemarspiguet.com/en/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Audemars Piguet</a>’s Royal Oak Selfwinding Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin. The world’s thinnest perpetual calendar watch, its movement has a depth of just 2.89mm, a cunning bit of compression brought to be by merging the three traditional layers of the perpetual calendar mechanism into just one component. This marvel of precision engineering even required the devisement of two new bits of tech – both subsequently patented – an end-of-the-month cam integrated into the date wheel and a combination month wheel / cam. &nbsp;Indeed, it would be hard to think of a worthier winner of the Aiguille d’Or Grand Prix, the competition’s highest honour,
Innovation Prize
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-50768 size-full" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/466x700-Jan_Time1_opt.jpg" alt="" width="466" height="700" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/466x700-Jan_Time1_opt.jpg 466w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/466x700-Jan_Time1_opt-200x300.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/466x700-Jan_Time1_opt-186x280.jpg 186w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/466x700-Jan_Time1_opt-120x180.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/466x700-Jan_Time1_opt-400x601.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 466px) 100vw, 466px" />
Another award-winner – and another to feature a perpetual calendar complication – was Swiss marque <a href="https://www.vacheron-constantin.com/en4/home.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Vacheron Constantin</a>, with its Traditionelle Twin Beat Perpetual Calendar rightfully winning GPHG’s Innovation Prize. Blending formidable aesthetic appeal with remarkable functionality, its flexibility is its greatest asset. In active use, its Calibre 3610 QP movement oscillates at a singularly high frequency, driving the hour, minute, date, month and leap year cycle indicators with outstanding precision. Off-wrist, it powers down, extending its power reserve to at least 65 days.
Ladies’ Complication Watch Prize
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-50769 size-full" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/466x700-Jan_Time3_opt.jpg" alt="" width="466" height="700" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/466x700-Jan_Time3_opt.jpg 466w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/466x700-Jan_Time3_opt-200x300.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/466x700-Jan_Time3_opt-186x280.jpg 186w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/466x700-Jan_Time3_opt-120x180.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/466x700-Jan_Time3_opt-400x601.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 466px) 100vw, 466px" />
Avant-garde maison <a href="https://www.mbandf.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MB&amp;F</a>’s first-ever ladies’ watch – the Legacy Machine FlyingT – soared straight to the top this year, clinching the Ladies’ Complication Watch Prize on its maiden outing. Its accentuated crystal dome and dazzlingly diamond-studded fascia have been cunningly designed to ensure its movement and its centrally-mounted flying tourbillon are ably highlighted. Its subsidiary dial, meanwhile, nestles against this array at an unusual 50-degree angle, ensuring the ensemble remains quirky yet undeniably chic. Overall, it’s a design classic and a true statement timepiece for any avid collector of femininely-fashioned timepieces,
Men’s Complication Watch Prize
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-50770 size-full" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/466x700-Jan_Time4_opt.jpg" alt="" width="466" height="700" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/466x700-Jan_Time4_opt.jpg 466w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/466x700-Jan_Time4_opt-200x300.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/466x700-Jan_Time4_opt-186x280.jpg 186w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/466x700-Jan_Time4_opt-120x180.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/466x700-Jan_Time4_opt-400x601.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 466px) 100vw, 466px" />
Audemars Piguet returned to the fray and secured a second accolade with its Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet Minute Repeater Supersonnerie winning hands down in the Men’s Complication Watch Prize category. Despite its stunning blue-on-white gold motif, it still remains remarkably minimalist in style. Underneath its smoked-blue enamel dial, however, its manual-winding movement is the height of mechanical sophistication, partly on account of its subtle incorporation of cutting-edge minute repeater supersonnerie technology – an innovation that notably amplifies its signature chime. In addition, its outer caseback has even been tactically perforated in order to admirably enhance its acoustics.
Men’s Watch Prize
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-50771 size-full" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/466x700-Jan_Time5_opt.jpg" alt="" width="466" height="700" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/466x700-Jan_Time5_opt.jpg 466w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/466x700-Jan_Time5_opt-200x300.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/466x700-Jan_Time5_opt-186x280.jpg 186w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/466x700-Jan_Time5_opt-120x180.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/466x700-Jan_Time5_opt-400x601.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 466px) 100vw, 466px" />
In the case of the Finnish watchmaker Kari <a href="http://www.voutilainen.ch/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Voutilainen</a>, its 28ti timepiece certainly had the wow factor as far as the GPHG jury were concerned. Attention-grabbing pretty much to the max, the ‘ti’ in its epithet stands for ‘titanium inverse’, a reference to both its premium case material and the fact that its handmade movement has been inversely fitted to allow direct viewing through its transparent caseback. Beautifully skeletonised, its front fascia has also been expertly optimised, with showcasing the watch’s elegant inner workings clearly a priority. Crafted wholly in-house, its elegance and technological prowess made it popular winner of the Men’s Watch Prize.
Mechanical Exception Watch Prize
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-50772 size-full" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/466x700-Jan_Time6_opt.jpg" alt="" width="466" height="700" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/466x700-Jan_Time6_opt.jpg 466w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/466x700-Jan_Time6_opt-200x300.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/466x700-Jan_Time6_opt-186x280.jpg 186w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/466x700-Jan_Time6_opt-120x180.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/466x700-Jan_Time6_opt-400x601.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 466px) 100vw, 466px" />
The first production chronogram from Swiss marque <a href="https://genuswatches.swiss/the-brand/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Genus</a> – the GNS1.2, winner of the Mechanical Exception Watch Prize at this year’s GPHG – proved a true revelation in the art of contemporary watchmaking, one that highlighted the intrinsic relationship between form and function – albeit with a decidedly outré twist. With its traditional hour markers set on a rotating ring, with an hour indicator fitted at 9 O’clock, it also features two minute rings, artfully connected by a serpentine chain that embraces them in that ever-lucky figure-of-eight pattern. Limited to a release of – unsurprisingly – eight pieces, the GNS1.2 ably blends traditional watchmaking conventions with a wholly contemporary appeal, making it – as with the other rightfully-celebrated timepieces – a truly worthy winner.
Text: Tenzing Thondup

Second Prizes: Worthy winning timepieces from this year’s Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Geneve

The <a href="https://www.onlywatch.com/">Only Watch Charity Auction</a> has become something of a fixture on the calendars of haute horology enthusiasts the world over. Now in its eight iteration, the biennial event was first founded by Luc Pettavino to raise funds for his charitable organisation, the Monegasque Association against Muscular Dystrophy (AMM), which combats the rare Duchenne strain of the disease. It was the death of Pettavino’s son, Paul, who tragically succumbed to the condition at just 21, that inspired him to take up this worthy cause.
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-49486" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Only-Watch-Charity-Auction-2019-unique-watches.jpg" alt="Only Watch Charity Auction 2019 unique watches" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Only-Watch-Charity-Auction-2019-unique-watches.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Only-Watch-Charity-Auction-2019-unique-watches-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Only-Watch-Charity-Auction-2019-unique-watches-421x280.jpg 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Only-Watch-Charity-Auction-2019-unique-watches-120x80.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Only-Watch-Charity-Auction-2019-unique-watches-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Only-Watch-Charity-Auction-2019-unique-watches-400x266.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Only-Watch-Charity-Auction-2019-unique-watches-600x399.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" />
Not only do all proceeds from the Only Watch Charity Auction go towards research for the neuromuscular disorder (it has raised an eminently-worthy 40 million Swiss francs since its inception), this exclusive horological event also affords collectors the chance to acquire one-of-a-kind timepieces from the world’s best-loved brands. This year, the auction will feature 50 unique lots crafted by 52 watchmakers, all donated pro bono, which are set to go under the gavel in Geneva from 7 to 9 November. Below, we highlight seven of the most outstanding designs on offer.
<figure id="attachment_49480" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-49480" style="width: 466px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-49480" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Only-Watch-Charity-Auction-2019-Code-11.59-by-Audemars-Piguet-Tourbillon-Openworked.jpg" alt="Only Watch Charity Auction 2019 - Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet Tourbillon Openworked" width="466" height="700" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Only-Watch-Charity-Auction-2019-Code-11.59-by-Audemars-Piguet-Tourbillon-Openworked.jpg 466w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Only-Watch-Charity-Auction-2019-Code-11.59-by-Audemars-Piguet-Tourbillon-Openworked-200x300.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Only-Watch-Charity-Auction-2019-Code-11.59-by-Audemars-Piguet-Tourbillon-Openworked-186x280.jpg 186w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Only-Watch-Charity-Auction-2019-Code-11.59-by-Audemars-Piguet-Tourbillon-Openworked-120x180.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Only-Watch-Charity-Auction-2019-Code-11.59-by-Audemars-Piguet-Tourbillon-Openworked-400x601.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 466px) 100vw, 466px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-49480" class="wp-caption-text">Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet Tourbillon Openworked</figcaption></figure>
First up is luxury watchmaker Audemars Piguet with a unique white and rose gold Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet Tourbillon Openworked. This dual-tone interpretation of the model serves to heighten the architectural complexity and geometric shapes of the Code 11.59 layered case. Its central case, crafted from 18K rose gold and shaped in the brand’s iconic octagonal figure, sits sandwiched between an ultra-slim bezel, lugs and caseback, all burnished in a contrasting white gold hue. Its open-worked dial, meanwhile, provides an easy aperture through which to view the hand-wound skeletonised movement underneath.
<figure id="attachment_49484" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-49484" style="width: 466px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-49484" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Only-Watch-Charity-Auction-2019-Piagets-Altiplano-Ultimate-Automatic.jpg" alt="Only Watch Charity Auction 2019 - Piaget's Altiplano Ultimate Automatic" width="466" height="700" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Only-Watch-Charity-Auction-2019-Piagets-Altiplano-Ultimate-Automatic.jpg 466w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Only-Watch-Charity-Auction-2019-Piagets-Altiplano-Ultimate-Automatic-200x300.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Only-Watch-Charity-Auction-2019-Piagets-Altiplano-Ultimate-Automatic-186x280.jpg 186w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Only-Watch-Charity-Auction-2019-Piagets-Altiplano-Ultimate-Automatic-120x180.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Only-Watch-Charity-Auction-2019-Piagets-Altiplano-Ultimate-Automatic-400x601.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 466px) 100vw, 466px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-49484" class="wp-caption-text">Piaget&#8217;s Altiplano Ultimate Automatic</figcaption></figure>
Another two-toned submission is an arresting blue and rose gold version of Piaget’s Altiplano Ultimate Automatic. While it’s a debut colour combination for the brand, this particular model already holds the distinction of being one of the world’s thinnest mechanical watches with a thickness of just 4.3mm. Indeed, it took the marque three years to bring this super-slim, open-worked design to life, with its watchmakers ultimately fashioning its Altiplano Ultimate Automatic 910P movement and case as one cohesive structure.
<figure id="attachment_49481" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-49481" style="width: 466px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-49481" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Only-Watch-Charity-Auction-2019-Jaquet-Drozs-Grande-Seconde-Skelet-One-Ceramic-for-Only-Watch.jpg" alt="Only Watch Charity Auction 2019 - Jaquet Droz's Grande Seconde Skelet-One Ceramic for Only Watch" width="466" height="700" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Only-Watch-Charity-Auction-2019-Jaquet-Drozs-Grande-Seconde-Skelet-One-Ceramic-for-Only-Watch.jpg 466w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Only-Watch-Charity-Auction-2019-Jaquet-Drozs-Grande-Seconde-Skelet-One-Ceramic-for-Only-Watch-200x300.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Only-Watch-Charity-Auction-2019-Jaquet-Drozs-Grande-Seconde-Skelet-One-Ceramic-for-Only-Watch-186x280.jpg 186w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Only-Watch-Charity-Auction-2019-Jaquet-Drozs-Grande-Seconde-Skelet-One-Ceramic-for-Only-Watch-120x180.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Only-Watch-Charity-Auction-2019-Jaquet-Drozs-Grande-Seconde-Skelet-One-Ceramic-for-Only-Watch-400x601.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 466px) 100vw, 466px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-49481" class="wp-caption-text">Jaquet Droz&#8217;s Grande Seconde Skelet-One Ceramic for Only Watch</figcaption></figure>
For its part, Swiss haute horology label Jaquet Droz has also donated a superbly skeletonised watch to the charitable auction – the Grande Seconde Skelet-One Ceramic for Only Watch. Taking pride of place on its fascia is a smaller hour-and-minute subdial at 12 o’clock and a larger small seconds dial at 6 o’clock, both overlapping to form the brand’s iconic figure-eight emblem. This unique rendition, though, sees its rail-track, hands and strap all furbished in a vibrant red in honour of the flag of Monaco, where AMM is headquartered.
<figure id="attachment_49482" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-49482" style="width: 466px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-49482" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Only-Watch-Charity-Auction-2019-Montblancs-1858-Split-Second-Chronograph-Only-Watch-2019.jpg" alt="Only Watch Charity Auction 2019 - Montblanc's 1858 Split Second Chronograph Only Watch 2019" width="466" height="700" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Only-Watch-Charity-Auction-2019-Montblancs-1858-Split-Second-Chronograph-Only-Watch-2019.jpg 466w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Only-Watch-Charity-Auction-2019-Montblancs-1858-Split-Second-Chronograph-Only-Watch-2019-200x300.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Only-Watch-Charity-Auction-2019-Montblancs-1858-Split-Second-Chronograph-Only-Watch-2019-186x280.jpg 186w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Only-Watch-Charity-Auction-2019-Montblancs-1858-Split-Second-Chronograph-Only-Watch-2019-120x180.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Only-Watch-Charity-Auction-2019-Montblancs-1858-Split-Second-Chronograph-Only-Watch-2019-400x601.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 466px) 100vw, 466px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-49482" class="wp-caption-text">Montblanc&#8217;s 1858 Split Second Chronograph Only Watch 2019</figcaption></figure>
Not to be outdone, Montblanc has produced the stunning blue-on-titanium 1858 Split Second Chronograph Only Watch 2019. The deep azure dial, lovingly crafted from blue agate, a hard semiprecious stone, stands in sharp contrast to the white-and-red double chronograph scale that rings it. Inspired by the marque’s ’30s-era military-style timepieces, a telemeter encircles its outer reaches, while a snail-shaped tachymeter dominates its central fascia. Powering the entire 44mm design is the hand-wound, hand-finished MB M16.31 movement, enticingly visible through its transparent caseback.
<figure id="attachment_49485" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-49485" style="width: 466px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-49485" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Only-Watch-Charity-Auction-2019-Zeniths-El-Primero-A386-Revival-for-Only-Watch.jpg" alt="Only Watch Charity Auction 2019 - Zenith's El Primero A386 Revival for Only Watch" width="466" height="700" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Only-Watch-Charity-Auction-2019-Zeniths-El-Primero-A386-Revival-for-Only-Watch.jpg 466w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Only-Watch-Charity-Auction-2019-Zeniths-El-Primero-A386-Revival-for-Only-Watch-200x300.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Only-Watch-Charity-Auction-2019-Zeniths-El-Primero-A386-Revival-for-Only-Watch-186x280.jpg 186w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Only-Watch-Charity-Auction-2019-Zeniths-El-Primero-A386-Revival-for-Only-Watch-120x180.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Only-Watch-Charity-Auction-2019-Zeniths-El-Primero-A386-Revival-for-Only-Watch-400x601.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 466px) 100vw, 466px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-49485" class="wp-caption-text">Zenith&#8217;s El Primero A386 Revival for Only Watch</figcaption></figure>
Meanwhile, to mark the 50th anniversary of its iconic 1969 El Primero, Zenith has served up the El Primero A386 Revival for Only Watch. A millimetre-accurate reproduction of the original, the only updates to its 37mm fascia are the use of sapphire crystal instead of acrylic and a new transparent caseback. As part of its celebrations, Zenith is further offering its lucky buyer a series of luxurious experiences, including a VIP visit to its Le Locle Manufacture, a lifetime warrantee and even an invitation to be a guest at the El Primero 50th Anniversary closing event in Geneva.
<figure id="attachment_49483" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-49483" style="width: 466px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-49483" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Only-Watch-Charity-Auction-2019-Patek-Philippes-Grandmaster-Chime-Ref.-6300A-010.jpg" alt="Only Watch Charity Auction 2019 - Patek Philippe's Grandmaster Chime Ref. 6300A-010" width="466" height="700" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Only-Watch-Charity-Auction-2019-Patek-Philippes-Grandmaster-Chime-Ref.-6300A-010.jpg 466w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Only-Watch-Charity-Auction-2019-Patek-Philippes-Grandmaster-Chime-Ref.-6300A-010-200x300.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Only-Watch-Charity-Auction-2019-Patek-Philippes-Grandmaster-Chime-Ref.-6300A-010-186x280.jpg 186w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Only-Watch-Charity-Auction-2019-Patek-Philippes-Grandmaster-Chime-Ref.-6300A-010-120x180.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Only-Watch-Charity-Auction-2019-Patek-Philippes-Grandmaster-Chime-Ref.-6300A-010-400x601.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 466px) 100vw, 466px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-49483" class="wp-caption-text">Patek Philippe&#8217;s Grandmaster Chime Ref. 6300A-010</figcaption></figure>
Perhaps the most mechanically intricate design at the 2019 Only Watch Charity Auction, though, comes courtesy of Patek Philippe, the masterful marque behind some of the world’s most cutting-edge timepieces. Its submission this year, the Grandmaster Chime Ref. 6300A-010, is a delightful stainless steel interpretation of the first modern grand-sonnerie in its current collection. It boasts a staggering 20 complications in all, including two world firsts – an acoustic alarm chiming at a preselected time, and a date repeater that sounds the date on demand. Its patented reversible dual-dial case, meanwhile, has been burnished alternately in a striking black ebony and an unusual salmon pink hue. From start to finish, this expansively-acreaged statement timepiece stands as a tribute to the finest haute horological arts.
Text: Tenzing Thondup 
Photos: Only Watch Charity Auction

One-of-a-kind watches to hit Only Watch Charity Auction 2019

No matter how nice a watch you got for Christmas or just which top timepiece you wielded as you ticked down the dying seconds of 2018 in Victoria Harbour, your head was probably half-elsewhere – almost certainly more than 9,500km away in Geneva, the second-largest city in Switzerland and – far more importantly – home to the annual Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH). An event that almost every true haute horologist across the world looks forward to, more than 20,000 of them make an annual pilgrimage to the Salon to see just what the world of watches has in store for the coming year…
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-42626" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Best-watches-from-SIHH.jpg" alt="Best watches from SIHH" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Best-watches-from-SIHH.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Best-watches-from-SIHH-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Best-watches-from-SIHH-421x280.jpg 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Best-watches-from-SIHH-120x80.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Best-watches-from-SIHH-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Best-watches-from-SIHH-400x266.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Best-watches-from-SIHH-600x399.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" />
As ever, the 2019 edition – the 29th iteration of the event – saw hundreds of dazzling dials, burnished bezels and marvellous movements all unveiled for the many keen acolytes of accurate timekeeping in attendance. While, in truth, every one was a wonder of watchmaking wizardry, seven superb, collector-friendly chronographs particularly stood out…
<figure id="attachment_42628" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-42628" style="width: 466px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-42628" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Cartier-Libre-Collection-Baignoire-Allongée-Black.jpg" alt="Cartier Libre Collection Baignoire Allongée Black" width="466" height="700" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Cartier-Libre-Collection-Baignoire-Allongée-Black.jpg 466w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Cartier-Libre-Collection-Baignoire-Allongée-Black-200x300.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Cartier-Libre-Collection-Baignoire-Allongée-Black-186x280.jpg 186w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Cartier-Libre-Collection-Baignoire-Allongée-Black-120x180.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Cartier-Libre-Collection-Baignoire-Allongée-Black-400x601.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 466px) 100vw, 466px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-42628" class="wp-caption-text">Cartier Libre Collection Baignoire Allongée Black</figcaption></figure>
In a knowing nod to the rise of watch-minded women everywhere, Cartier opted to use the event as the launchpad for the latest additions to its Cartier Libre Collection. Multicoloured, multi-faceted and bejewelled to the hilt, each of these distinctly avant-garde timepieces was an apt celebration of the beauty of non-conformity, complete with a selection of unconventional bezels and dials that proved both sophisticated and playful.
<figure id="attachment_42631" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-42631" style="width: 466px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-42631" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Piaget-Altiplano-–-36mm.jpg" alt="Piaget Altiplano – 36mm" width="466" height="700" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Piaget-Altiplano-–-36mm.jpg 466w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Piaget-Altiplano-–-36mm-200x300.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Piaget-Altiplano-–-36mm-186x280.jpg 186w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Piaget-Altiplano-–-36mm-120x180.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Piaget-Altiplano-–-36mm-400x601.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 466px) 100vw, 466px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-42631" class="wp-caption-text">Piaget Altiplano – 36mm</figcaption></figure>
Piaget, meanwhile, opted for a subtler approach, with its undeniably understated Piaget Altiplano – 36mm boasting a classic dark blue-white gold combination, while a selection of baguette-cut diamonds proved fine enhancements to its bezel and hour markers. With an ultrathin Calibre 430P movement as standard, this 36mm watch was made for the wrist of a truly femme fashionista.
<figure id="attachment_42629" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-42629" style="width: 466px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-42629" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Jaeger-LeCoultres-Master-Ultra-Thin-Moon-Enamel.jpg" alt="Jaeger-LeCoultre's Master Ultra Thin Moon Enamel" width="466" height="700" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Jaeger-LeCoultres-Master-Ultra-Thin-Moon-Enamel.jpg 466w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Jaeger-LeCoultres-Master-Ultra-Thin-Moon-Enamel-200x300.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Jaeger-LeCoultres-Master-Ultra-Thin-Moon-Enamel-186x280.jpg 186w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Jaeger-LeCoultres-Master-Ultra-Thin-Moon-Enamel-120x180.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Jaeger-LeCoultres-Master-Ultra-Thin-Moon-Enamel-400x601.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 466px) 100vw, 466px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-42629" class="wp-caption-text">Jaeger-LeCoultre&#8217;s Master Ultra Thin Moon Enamel</figcaption></figure>
Debonair gentlemen looking for a similarly uncluttered conceit were best steered towards Jaeger-LeCoultre’s elegant Master Ultra Thin Moon Enamel. Once again, a blue-and-white gold colour scheme dominated, with the watch’s handcrafted guilloché blue enamel dial an apt showcase of the marque’s artisanal skills. Just over 10mm in depth, its crowning jewel is undoubtedly its reworked 6 o’clock moon-phase setting.
<figure id="attachment_42624" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-42624" style="width: 466px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-42624" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Arceau-78-by-Hermès.jpg" alt="Arceau 78 by Hermès" width="466" height="700" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Arceau-78-by-Hermès.jpg 466w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Arceau-78-by-Hermès-200x300.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Arceau-78-by-Hermès-186x280.jpg 186w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Arceau-78-by-Hermès-120x180.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Arceau-78-by-Hermès-400x601.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 466px) 100vw, 466px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-42624" class="wp-caption-text">Arceau 78 by Hermès</figcaption></figure>
Another fine example of the ‘less is more’ conceit was Hermès’ Arceau 78. A model first made public in 1978, this latest incarnation features a fetchingly grained anthracite dial, intriguingly ringed by a matte beat-blasted bezel. In a break from tradition, its numeral hour markers are slightly italicised, giving the look of a horse at full gallop. Dubbed a Very Large Model (40mm) and fitted with natural Barénia calf straps, this is minimalism to the max.
<figure id="attachment_42627" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-42627" style="width: 466px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-42627" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Big-Pilot’s-Watch-Constant-Force-Tourbillon-Edition-“Le-Petit-Prince”-by-IWC.jpg" alt="Big Pilot’s Watch Constant-Force Tourbillon Edition “Le Petit Prince” by IWC" width="466" height="700" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Big-Pilot’s-Watch-Constant-Force-Tourbillon-Edition-“Le-Petit-Prince”-by-IWC.jpg 466w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Big-Pilot’s-Watch-Constant-Force-Tourbillon-Edition-“Le-Petit-Prince”-by-IWC-200x300.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Big-Pilot’s-Watch-Constant-Force-Tourbillon-Edition-“Le-Petit-Prince”-by-IWC-186x280.jpg 186w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Big-Pilot’s-Watch-Constant-Force-Tourbillon-Edition-“Le-Petit-Prince”-by-IWC-120x180.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Big-Pilot’s-Watch-Constant-Force-Tourbillon-Edition-“Le-Petit-Prince”-by-IWC-400x601.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 466px) 100vw, 466px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-42627" class="wp-caption-text">Big Pilot’s Watch Constant-Force Tourbillon Edition “Le Petit Prince” by IWC</figcaption></figure>
Moving to the somewhat sportier end of the spectrum, IWC had on offer a very special limited edition – the Big Pilot’s Watch Constant-Force Tourbillon Edition “Le Petit Prince”. Created in collaboration with the estate of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (the author of The Little Prince), just 10 such items will be made. The product of a truly unique partnership, it is both the first pilot watch ever to feature a constant force tourbillon and the first to be fashioned from a special, ultraresistant red gold. In another plus, its perpetual moon phase complication won’t require any adjustment until at least 2595.
<figure id="attachment_42630" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-42630" style="width: 466px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-42630" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Panerai-Submersible-Chrono-–-Guillaume-Néry-Edition.jpg" alt="Panerai Submersible Chrono – Guillaume Néry Edition" width="466" height="700" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Panerai-Submersible-Chrono-–-Guillaume-Néry-Edition.jpg 466w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Panerai-Submersible-Chrono-–-Guillaume-Néry-Edition-200x300.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Panerai-Submersible-Chrono-–-Guillaume-Néry-Edition-186x280.jpg 186w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Panerai-Submersible-Chrono-–-Guillaume-Néry-Edition-120x180.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Panerai-Submersible-Chrono-–-Guillaume-Néry-Edition-400x601.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 466px) 100vw, 466px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-42630" class="wp-caption-text">Panerai Submersible Chrono – Guillaume Néry Edition</figcaption></figure>
Eschewing outer space for deep sea depths, Panerai introduced a timepiece co-authored with Guillaume Néry, the French free-diving champion – the Panerai Submersible Chrono – Guillaume Néry Edition. Combining performance, strength and reliability, its robust and waterproof titanium case, its unidirectional rotating bezel and its luminescent hour markers have all been designed with the safety of underwater explorers very much in mind.
<figure id="attachment_42625" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-42625" style="width: 466px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-42625" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Audemars-Piguets-Royal-Oak-Offshore-Chronograph-“Camo”.jpg" alt="Audemars Piguet's Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph “Camo”" width="466" height="700" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Audemars-Piguets-Royal-Oak-Offshore-Chronograph-“Camo”.jpg 466w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Audemars-Piguets-Royal-Oak-Offshore-Chronograph-“Camo”-200x300.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Audemars-Piguets-Royal-Oak-Offshore-Chronograph-“Camo”-186x280.jpg 186w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Audemars-Piguets-Royal-Oak-Offshore-Chronograph-“Camo”-120x180.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Audemars-Piguets-Royal-Oak-Offshore-Chronograph-“Camo”-400x601.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 466px) 100vw, 466px" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-42625" class="wp-caption-text">Audemars Piguet&#8217;s Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph “Camo”</figcaption></figure>
And finally, rounding out this year’s list of SIHH standouts were the latest additions to Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak Offshore collection – the Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph “Camo”. Of the three new versions, it is perhaps the company’s first-ever brownceramic chronogram that merits most approbation. Crafted in pink gold and mounted on caramel-and-brown camouflage rubber straps, an extra-large Mega Tapisserie chequerboard guillochéd dial completes this 44mm watch’s rugged appeal.
Once again, SIHH did not disappoint, allowing all attendees a tantalising glimpse of many of the latest trends in global haute horology. From marvellously minimalist designs to super-sporty standouts, from artisanal avant gardery to precision-built mechanical marvels, no technique lacked a true showpiece, no style was bereft of a standard-bearer and no complication was denied its day in the Swiss sunshine. And, take heart, the next SIHH showcase is now just over a year away.
Text: Tenzing Thondup

SIHH Standouts: Highlights from the Geneva-based haute horology fair

<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-29874 size-full" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Elizabeth-Doerr-recommends-some-Chiming-Watches-1.jpg" alt="Elizabeth-Doerr-recommends-some-Chiming-Watches" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Elizabeth-Doerr-recommends-some-Chiming-Watches-1.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Elizabeth-Doerr-recommends-some-Chiming-Watches-1-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Elizabeth-Doerr-recommends-some-Chiming-Watches-1-421x280.jpg 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Elizabeth-Doerr-recommends-some-Chiming-Watches-1-120x80.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Elizabeth-Doerr-recommends-some-Chiming-Watches-1-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Elizabeth-Doerr-recommends-some-Chiming-Watches-1-400x266.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Elizabeth-Doerr-recommends-some-Chiming-Watches-1-600x399.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" />
Elizabeth Doerr, co-founder of <a href="http://www.quillandpad.com/">Quill &amp; Pad</a>, presents seven new chiming watches you’ll want to flaunt in 2018. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Chiming watches evolved from a need to know the time at all hours – even when the sun doesn’t shine. Super-LumiNova wasn’t around in the Middle Ages, so, without any way for townsfolk to see the clock tower at night, the hand struck a bell to signify the hour.
The idea was later adapted to portable timekeepers after the balance spring was invented. More often than not, a slide in the case band is used to wind and activate the repeating mechanism. One such kind, a minute repeater, chimes out the hours, quarter-hours and minutes, with the strikes differentiated by hammers and gongs that ring in unique or even double (ding-dong) tones.
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-29771 size-full" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Chiming-Watches-Ulysses-Nardin.jpg" alt="Chiming Watches: Ulysses Nardin Hourstriker Pin-Up" width="466" height="700" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Chiming-Watches-Ulysses-Nardin.jpg 466w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Chiming-Watches-Ulysses-Nardin-200x300.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Chiming-Watches-Ulysses-Nardin-186x280.jpg 186w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Chiming-Watches-Ulysses-Nardin-120x180.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Chiming-Watches-Ulysses-Nardin-400x601.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 466px) 100vw, 466px" />
In addition to being among the rarest luxury timepieces, wristwatches with striking complications are among the hardest to manufacture. As Ulysse Nardin’s late owner, Rolf Schnyder, once said, “The real challenge is the sound quality. Despite significant advances in technology today, minute repeaters cannot be industrialised, and a minute repeater is as much a musical instrument as it is a timekeeper.”
He would likely be proud of the Swiss brand’s Hourstriker Pin-Up. The hand-painted dial depicts a burlesque dancer who cheekily reveals glimpses of herself when the hammer strikes the gong on the hour and half-hour. The “hourstriker” was known in the 16th-century as the clock-watch, and it struck the hours with a single blow “in passing” (en passant) without having to activate a slide or push a button. Available in a 43mm pink gold or platinum case, the timepiece is limited to just 28 pieces.
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-29767 size-full" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Chiming-Watches-Chopard.jpg" alt="Chopard’s L.U.C. Full Strike a great example of chiming minute repeaters" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Chiming-Watches-Chopard.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Chiming-Watches-Chopard-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Chiming-Watches-Chopard-421x280.jpg 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Chiming-Watches-Chopard-120x80.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Chiming-Watches-Chopard-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Chiming-Watches-Chopard-400x266.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Chiming-Watches-Chopard-600x399.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" />
One of the more striking watches to hit the market is Chopard’s L.U.C. Full Strike, which just won the prestigious Aiguille d’Or award from the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève. The Chopard oeuvre – created to celebrate 20 years of the L.U.C. line – has an impressive claim to fame: its gongs are made of sapphire crystal. Housed in a 42.5mm 18-carat fair-mined pink gold case, the timepiece is also stamped with the prestigious Seal of Geneva.
Knowledgeable watch connoisseurs, meanwhile, have long dreamt of owning Greubel Forsey’s Grande Sonnerie. The watch is coveted for its sonorous cathedral chimes housed within an 855-piece movement which includes a patented 25-degree inclined 24-second tourbillon.
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-29769 size-full" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Chiming-Watches-Greubel-Forsey.jpg" alt="A Chiming Example: Greubel Forsey’s Grande Sonnerie" width="466" height="700" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Chiming-Watches-Greubel-Forsey.jpg 466w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Chiming-Watches-Greubel-Forsey-200x300.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Chiming-Watches-Greubel-Forsey-186x280.jpg 186w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Chiming-Watches-Greubel-Forsey-120x180.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Chiming-Watches-Greubel-Forsey-400x601.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 466px) 100vw, 466px" />
The Grande Sonnerie boasts a platinum mini rotor for automatically winding the chiming function; serially operating fast-rotating barrels; and a security system for disengaging the strike mechanism if the crown is pulled out during the chime (something that would immediately break any other chiming watch). It is housed in a 43.5mm white gold asymmetrical case that includes a side window to allow a full view of the tourbillon.
For a watch that will get you noticed, Audemars Piguet’s groundbreaking Supersonnerie is the loudest minute repeater on the market right now. Its makers concentrated on improving existing theories and practices, but added one fundamental difference: a soundboard to allow the gong’s sound vibrations to extend beyond the case. This 44mm manually wound titanium timepiece&nbsp;comes with a chronograph function and one-minute tourbillon, and is available only in limited editions, including a new platinum edition with a blue dial.
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-29766 size-full" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Chiming-Watches-Audemars-Piguet.jpg" alt="Audemars Piguet Supersonnerie is the loudest chiming watch" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Chiming-Watches-Audemars-Piguet.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Chiming-Watches-Audemars-Piguet-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Chiming-Watches-Audemars-Piguet-421x280.jpg 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Chiming-Watches-Audemars-Piguet-120x80.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Chiming-Watches-Audemars-Piguet-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Chiming-Watches-Audemars-Piguet-400x266.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Chiming-Watches-Audemars-Piguet-600x399.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" />
Hopping across the border from Switzerland to Germany, A. Lange &amp; Söhne’s first repeating wristwatch, the Zeitwerk Minute Repeater, was an instant classic. A far more intuitive system than a normal minute repeater, it chimes the time in units of 10 rather than 15, the same way we read it off on a conventional analogue clock. The gong and hammers placed on the front of the watch allow the wearer (and inevitable admirers) to see something truly rare: the repeater at work.
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-29770 size-full" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Chiming-Watches-Panerai.jpg" alt="Panerai's Radiomir 1940 Minute Repeater Carillon is capable of chiming both local and a second time zone" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Chiming-Watches-Panerai.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Chiming-Watches-Panerai-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Chiming-Watches-Panerai-421x280.jpg 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Chiming-Watches-Panerai-120x80.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Chiming-Watches-Panerai-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Chiming-Watches-Panerai-400x266.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Chiming-Watches-Panerai-600x399.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" />
Another worthy investment, Panerai’s 49mm red or white gold oeuvre not only offers sweet-sounding chimes, but also two special features. For starters, the Radiomir 1940 Minute Repeater Carillon GMT PAM00600 is capable of chiming both local and a second time zone. Like the Zeitwerk, it’s also a decimal repeater – the fifth of its kind in history. Its manually wound Caliber P.2005/MR boasts a one-minute tourbillon and a 96-hour power reserve.
The equally ambitious Traditionnelle Minute Repeater Tourbillon from Vacheron Constantin would be a “simple” traditional minute repeater if it weren’t for the one-minute tourbillon performing gravity-defying revolutions within the manually wound Caliber 2755 TMR. Beautifully understated in 44mm pink gold or platinum, the watch’s musical notes can be activated by the slide on the left side of the case.
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-29764 size-full" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Chiming-Watches-Vacheron-Constantin.jpg" alt="Chiming Watches Vacheron Constantin" width="700" height="466" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Chiming-Watches-Vacheron-Constantin.jpg 700w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Chiming-Watches-Vacheron-Constantin-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Chiming-Watches-Vacheron-Constantin-421x280.jpg 421w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Chiming-Watches-Vacheron-Constantin-120x80.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Chiming-Watches-Vacheron-Constantin-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Chiming-Watches-Vacheron-Constantin-400x266.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Chiming-Watches-Vacheron-Constantin-600x399.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px" />
Telling time by ear is an underappreciated art, but certainly not a lost one. For the lover of history or the watch aficionado, a minute repeater would make the perfect gift. After all, there’s no time – or chime – like the present.
Text: Elizabeth Doerr

Chiming watches to help you ring in the new year

Chiming Watches: Ring in the New Year with these chiming timepieces

<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignnone wp-image-28676" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/1-5-420x280.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="400" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/1-5-420x280.jpg 420w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/1-5-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/1-5-800x533.jpg 800w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/1-5-768x512.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/1-5-120x80.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/1-5-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/1-5-400x267.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/1-5-600x400.jpg 600w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/1-5.jpg 900w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" />
<a href="http://quillandpad.com/">Quill &amp; Pad</a> co-founder Ian Skellern explores the growing utilisation of exotic materials in crafting high-end timepieces and selects seven medallists of outstanding merit. 
While we are still waiting for the 21st century to deliver on long-promised flying cars and paperless offices, the world of haute horlogerie is experiencing something of a tech evolution. Innovative and exotic materials are increasingly being used to craft cases, dials and even movements, much to the delight of watch enthusiasts who’ve grown tired of the same old, same old.
Take Italian jewellery powerhouse Bulgari for example. The brand is perhaps best known for ultra-thin watches – and holds world records in this category – but the masculine Octo Retro Maserati models are more casual and suitable for everyday wear. While a more luxurious pink gold Maserati GranLusso model exists, it’s the GranSport version that stands out – not for its steel case but for its black diamond-like carbon (DLC) coating. DLC is a hard-wearing and scratch-resistant treatment that, together with the black dial, contrasts nicely with the highly legible retrograde minutes and jumping hours.
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignnone wp-image-28677" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/2-3-420x280.jpg" alt="" width="601" height="400" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/2-3-420x280.jpg 420w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/2-3-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/2-3-800x533.jpg 800w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/2-3-768x512.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/2-3-120x80.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/2-3-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/2-3-400x267.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/2-3-600x400.jpg 600w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/2-3.jpg 900w" sizes="(max-width: 601px) 100vw, 601px" />
Next to diamonds, the second hardest material is scratch-resistant sapphire crystal, which is why it takes Hublot weeks to sculpt the complex case parts for its Big Bang Unico Sapphire − including the case band, bezel and caseback − from solid blocks of sapphire crystal.
Ricardo Guadalupe, CEO of Hublot, says the transparent case “reveals the soul of the watch – the Unico movement – and an absolute transparency extending to the strap, which has become invisible”.
“Beyond the symbolism and the play on words, the Big Bang is laying itself bare. It has nothing to hide and everything to show,” he says.
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignnone wp-image-28678" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/3-3-187x280.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="449" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/3-3-187x280.jpg 187w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/3-3-200x300.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/3-3-120x180.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/3-3-500x750.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/3-3-400x600.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/3-3.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
While the fine watchmaking category usually encompasses mechanical wristwatches, when it comes to high-precision mechanical movements, quartz-regulated watches cannot be beat. Breitling’s Chronospace Evo B60 features a SuperQuartz oscillator that is more than 10 times as accurate as standard quartz, boasting accuracy within 10 seconds per year (compared to 15 seconds per month).
The Evo B60 is a sporty flyback chronograph that’s capable of measuring from one-tenth of a second to 24 hours. But what qualifies the B60 for this list is its lightweight but strong grade 5 titanium case, which despite its generous 43mm size feels quite comfortable on the wrist.
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignnone wp-image-28679" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/4-2-187x280.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="449" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/4-2-187x280.jpg 187w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/4-2-200x300.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/4-2-120x180.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/4-2-500x750.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/4-2-400x600.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/4-2.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Montblanc’s 1858 Collection, meanwhile, looks to history for inspiration. Taking a page from the famous Minerva chronographs of the 1930s, what makes the Automatic Dual Time model so interesting isn’t just its useful second time zone function, but also its bi-metal steel/bronze case.
Bronze is a traditional alloy made from copper and tin that develops a rich patina (tarnish) in open air, which may also turn skin green. To avoid this, Montblanc offers a caseback in steel, while the bezel and crown are forged from beautiful bronze.
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignnone wp-image-28680" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/5-1-187x280.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="449" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/5-1-187x280.jpg 187w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/5-1-200x300.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/5-1-120x180.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/5-1-500x750.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/5-1-400x600.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/5-1.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
With bronze covered, we work our way up the podium to gold. Some may question what’s so innovative about Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak Extra Thin in yellow gold – one of the most traditional gold alloys.
Yellow gold (3N shade) was once the most popular precious metal alloy for watch cases, but the warmer pink gold (4N) and red gold (5N) came into fashion over a decade ago, causing yellow gold watches to virtually disappear. With its striking blue dial complementing the case, the Royal Oak Extra Thin reminds us why yellow gold was so popular in the first place.
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignnone wp-image-28681" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/6-420x280.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="400" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/6-420x280.jpg 420w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/6-200x133.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/6-800x533.jpg 800w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/6-768x512.jpg 768w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/6-120x80.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/6-500x333.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/6-400x267.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/6-600x400.jpg 600w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/6.jpg 900w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" />
When it comes to exotic materials, few can hold a candle to the C-SMC carbon case of Roger Dubuis’ Excalibur-Aventador S, made in collaboration with Lamborghini Squadra Corse. We reluctantly gloss over the skeleton movement (modelled on the engine of the Lamborghini Aventador) with its deadbeat seconds and twin 90-degree opposed balances linked via differential, each beating at 4Hz for higher precision, to focus on the carbon fibre case.
While carbon fibre is a relatively new material in the luxury watch world, Lamborghini has decades of experience using it in motor racing, and it shows. The watch’s impressively-sized 45mm case is remarkably lightweight.
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="alignnone wp-image-28682" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/7-187x280.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="449" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/7-187x280.jpg 187w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/7-200x300.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/7-120x180.jpg 120w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/7-500x750.jpg 500w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/7-400x600.jpg 400w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/7.jpg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />
Titanium, meanwhile – especially grade 5 titanium – is considered by many to be the best when it comes to high-tech materials and alloys, thanks to its widespread use in aerospace, aviation and medical devices. However, it’s not what you use but how you use it that counts, and titanium has rarely looked better than it does on F.P. Journe’s Octa Sport Titane. Some may baulk at wearing such a beautiful watch for playing sports, but the lightness of the titanium case and aluminium movement make the combination a sheer pleasure.
With the watch industry sharing technology with rockets and super sports cars, the results are bound to break new ground in a discipline often considered traditionalist. And as long as we continue to live in a material world, it’s only fitting that our watches rise to the occasion, serving as sterling examples of man’s mastery of the elements.
Text: <a href="http://quillandpad.com">Ian Skellern</a>

Material World: Watchmakers turn to cutting-edge materials for new creations

<img decoding="async" class="ngg_displayed_gallery mceItem" src="//www.gafencushop.com/nextgen-attach_to_post/preview/id--8195" />
Apparently not a connoisseur of the long commute, Tennessee Williams once remarked: “Time is the longest distance between two places”. It’s an apt conjuring that rings never truer than when you find yourself traversing time zones on a semi-regular basis, forever winding your watch forwards and back.
It’s the curvature of the planet and the rudimentary requirements of maintaining a satisfactory solar orbit that make time zones such an imposition on the 21st century traveller. Essential physical realties, however, are of little comfort when a wrongly-adjusted timepiece results in a missed meeting or a premature presentation.
While – in truth – it is easy enough to manually wind your own watch fore and aft, in the age of Siri and Ayis the very of idea of undertaking so mundane a manoeuvre seems, somehow, lacking in dignity and grace. It is an unwanted admission that nature has outfoxed mechanical ingenuity, requiring an artless intervention to restore a semblance of temporal normality. Thank goodness then for watches gifted with the Temps Universal Coordonné (UTC) facility.
UTC – or Coordinated Universal Time in more vulgar parlance – is a globally accepted standard for the regulation of both clocks and time itself. Watches compatible with this particular standard allow their wearers to correctly tell the time at numerous different points across the world. While this is certainly not a new function, the ever-industrious watchmakers have been refining and improving UTC timepieces ever since their 1953 debut. Their mission? Nothing less than making life a little more bearable for the weary world-traveller without compromising the aesthetic values and elegant style that have long been synonymous with Haute Horlogerie.
Indeed, the merest glance at the classically stylish Rolex Cellini Dual Time watch makes it abundantly clear that its dual-time function has in no way diminished the brand’s defining elegance. If anything, it has only enhanced it, bequeathing an air of rare complexity and sophistication.
The simultaneous display of the second set of hour and minute hands – settable for any time zone independent of the main display – has its own miniature window. This sits just off the six o’clock position, elegantly framed by a brown guilloche dial and comes complete with 12 elongated appliqué hour markers. Completing its classic look is a polished 39 mm, 18 carat, Everose gold case, designed to perfectly complement the brown alligator leather strap and its matching Everose gold buckle.Powered by a self-winding mechanical movement, the Cellini Dual Time watch carries the Superlative Chronometer certification as redefined by Rolex in 2015 and now widely regarded as an apt testament to the notoriously high levels of craftsmanship behind every Rolex time piece. This designation certifies that the watch has successfully undergone a series of tests, each of them ensuring that it exceeds most accepted watchmaking norms, while its precision has to be within the strict parameters of -2/+2 seconds per day (more than twice that officially required of a chronometer).
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-8202 size-full" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/RO_26124ST_eff-e1475056340602.jpg" alt="RO_26124ST_eff" width="600" height="364" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/RO_26124ST_eff-e1475056340602.jpg 600w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/RO_26124ST_eff-e1475056340602-200x121.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/RO_26124ST_eff-e1475056340602-462x280.jpg 462w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/RO_26124ST_eff-e1475056340602-400x243.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" />
Another fine example of an effortlessly stylish dual time watch is Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak Dual Time model. In the case of this remarkable timepiece, the secondary time display again sits at the six o’clock position. Striking a note of difference, however, its three other displays share the blue Grande Tapisserie dial, somewhat resembling a micro-cockpit dashboard, complete with a night-day indicator, a power reserve gauge and a date indicator. All told, this should leave you in no doubt as to when exactly you are at any given moment.
Supplying the life blood of this timepiece are its Audemars Piguet self-winding calibres 2329 and 2846, fetchingly encased in stainless steel and glare-proofed sapphire crystal, which offers a clear view of the coated luminescent Royal Oak hands of its namesake. The dial is framed in an octagonal case, with a series of visible screws giving the watch its distinctive functional aesthetic. A further touch of luxury and class comes courtesy of its hand-stitched blue alligator strap.
Another dual time watch notable for its aesthetic appeal as much as its mastery of precision mechanics is the Jaquet Droz Grande Seconde Dual Time. While classic in almost every sense of the word, the Grande Seconde Dual Time particularly distinguishes itself with its elegantly unconventional design. The Grande Seconde offers a knowing nod to Jaquet Droz, the marque’s inimitable founder and a man known to being partial to always keeping track of the time in La Chaux-de-Fonds, his home town back in France, whether he was in Madrid or even during one of his many visits to Beijing. In fact, the very notion of dual time keeping is at the heart of the brand, with its ultimate expression found in its UTC models. In order to facilitate its unique display, a new movement was developed that allowed for two dials to sit within one watch face. The upper dial displays the local time while the lower second dial – off-centred at six o’clock – displays the reference time, while also ticking off the seconds.
A true one-off, the artisans at Jaquet Droz maintained the timeless elegance that characterises the brand with the use of Roman and Arabic numerals to index the dials, while a red-tipped hand enhances the lower dial, adding much to the overall readability. A true marriage of convenience and technical superiority, the Grande Seconde comes fitted with a silicon escapement, ensuring its exacting chronometric performance remains unaffected by magnetic fields. Some 43 mm in diameter, the Grande Seconde is available in three different versions – an ivory Grande Feu dial with a red gold case option, a silvery opaline dial variant and a model featuring an onyx dial. The latter two options both come with stainless steel cases. A 65-hour power reserve is featured across the range.
<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="aligncenter wp-image-8200 size-full" src="//www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/HPI00680_eff-e1475056279523.jpg" alt="HPI00680_eff" width="600" height="364" srcset="https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/HPI00680_eff-e1475056279523.jpg 600w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/HPI00680_eff-e1475056279523-200x121.jpg 200w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/HPI00680_eff-e1475056279523-462x280.jpg 462w, https://www.gafencushop.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/HPI00680_eff-e1475056279523-400x243.jpg 400w" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px" />
While the ability to tell time in two different locations at any given moment may suffice for many, there are those who need still greater flexibility. Although the UTC watch may not be up to meeting their needs, the multiple time zone watch is clearly up to the challenge.
One such multi-capacity chronometer is the Cartier Tortue. Clearly crafted with the world traveller in mind, the Tortue is distinguished by its comprehensive display of global timekeeping, while maintaining a surprising simplicity of use. Indeed, the facility for managing such an extensive temporal resource while remaining user-friendly is an art in itself and one that Cartier has clearly mastered.
With its distinctive tortoise-shaped case, the watch is both distinctive and elegant. An integral part of its design is a discrete side window that displays the names of the world’s major cities, leaving the watch face refreshingly clean and uncluttered. The face itself comes decorated with a finely cut-out blue lacquered world map. Unmistakably Cartier, it is adorned with Roman numerals and encased in 18 carat white gold, complete with a faceted sapphire on its winding crown. At the heart of the timepiece is the Cartier calibre 9914 MC, a self-winding movement visible through the sapphire crystal case back. Water-resistant to 30 metres, the classical elegance of this understated watch is further enhanced by its black alligator strap and a folding clasp in 18 carat white gold.
Last but far from least in any round up of luxury multi-time watches is Montblanc’s 4810 Orbis Terrarum by Montblanc. Again, even the most cursory of glances is enough to know that this is a timepiece crafted with the world traveller in mind. Intuitively functional, the Orbis Terrarum’s dial features a multiple layer construction, with the main sapphire crystal disc displaying the continents as well as the names of 24 key cities used to distinguish the different time zones. Once properly calibrated, the watch displays the time accurately in all 24 time zones and can be conveniently and easily re-set at the touch of a button to match your current location. Boasting a 43 mm stainless steel case, it is water-resistant to 50 metres and has a 42-hour power reserve. Decorated with 26 rubies and housed in scratch-resistant, anti-reflective crystal, the Orbis Terrarum is perfect for those who are serious about their time keeping, no matter where they are nor where they may be headed.
As technology moves ever onwards and many classic items fall by the wayside, it is good to know that certain things never become obsolete. For the luxury watch aficionado, those who are truly passionate about their timepiece, there is no shortage of meticulously-crafted and elegantly-presented chronometers that are every bit as functional as they are beautiful. World travellers – or those merely with business concerns or loved ones in another time zone – are truly spoilt for choice when it comes to having all the time in the world.

Tag: audemars piguet