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HONG KONG’S FIRST WATCHES & WONDERS LEAVES A LASTING IMPRESSION ON ASIA’S HOROLOGICAL AFICIONADOS, WRITES EVAN RAST The Audemars Piguet Millenary Repeater HKGOLFER.COM
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Fabienne Lupo, chairwoman and managing director of organising body Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie (FHH) emphasises that Watches & Wonders is entirely different from the Salon Internationale de la Haute Horlogerie, which takes place in Geneva every January. “Unlike the SIHH, this is not a commercial event to All of the brands sell watches,” she says. “Rather it is to explain, presented their educate, and show latest collections, the craf tsmanship behind the pieces and most of which the patrimony of the should be arriving brands.” soon in Hong Highlights of the Kong boutiques. show include a historical and interactive exhibit called The Mastery of Time, and special areas set aside to demonstrate the different specialities involved in the making of a fine watch. Piaget’s booth, for instance, had a watchmaker creating their Altiplano skeleton movement on one side, and a gem-setter on the other. All of the brands presented their latest collections, most of which should be arriving soon in Hong Kong boutiques. Some of the maisons certainly wanted to give the show a bit more pizzazz by presenting never-before-seen models. Vacheron Constantin launched its Patrimony Contemporaine Ultra-Thin Calibre 1731 at Watches & Wonders. Named after its founder, Jean Marc Vacheron’s year of birth, this minute repeater follows the brand’s signature of understated elegance matched with impressive finishing. Made of pink gold, the watch features a flying strike governor within its 41mm joint-free case, which together Also on display was the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph LeBron James create the optimal chime. The watch also breaks two records, being the thinnest handwound Limited Edition (top), a 600-piece model co-designed by the legendary basketball star minute repeater movement at 3.9mm, and the thinnest minute repeater watch at 8.9mm. Another chiming model that deserves h irteen Swiss watch brands, all attention is Audemars Piguet’s Millenary Minute with their own fascinating stories of Repeater in rose gold. Also debuting at Watches & heritage, achievement, innovation Wonders, the handwound timepiece has a threeand creativity, brought their latest dimensional architecture with off-centre hours and best pieces to Hong Kong and minutes, plus small seconds in a 47x42mm in September for the inaugural pink gold oval case. The blued hands and gongs Watches & Wonders. The first of its kind in Asia, offer a striking contrast, complemented by a full the annual four-day event is aimed at passionate view of the more efficient, shock-resistant AP watch collectors in the region who want to escapement and double balance-spring. learn more about their favourite maisons and Also on display was the Royal Oak Offshore the people behind the timepieces, try on some Chronograph LeBron James Limited Edition, a special watches and enjoy a luxury boutique experience 600-piece model co-designed by the basketball multiplied tenfold.
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Clockwise from top: the Patrimony Contemporanie Ultra-Thin Calibre 1731 from Vacheron Constantin; “Le Petit Prince”, a special IWC version of its popular Big Pilot’s Watch; the Emperador Coussin Minute Repeater XL Ultra Thin from Piaget; the Clifton 1892 Flying Tourbillon from Baume & Mercier; the Lange 1 Tourbillon Handwerkskunst from A. Lange & Sohne 88
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star himself. The selfwinding chronograph comes blue dial. The piece is the first of IWC’s Big Pilot’s in 18k rose gold, offset with a titanium bezel. The watches to feature the classic moon phase display, and this one in particular comes grey theme is a first for the Royal with the Little Prince gazing into Oak, and is echoed in the meganight sky. This special edition tapisserie dial and counters, the Piaget highlighted the in red gold is limited to 270 outsized, rubber-clad pushers pieces. and the hand-stitched crocodile its jewellery and The Pilot’s Watch Mark XXVII strap (which James insisted on). watchmaking Edition “Le Petit Prince” also The watch comes with James’ comes with a midnight blue signature engraved in blue on expertise with dial, but with a simpler display of the sapphire caseback. the Emperador hours, minutes, central hacking IWC presented two new seconds and date. As part of additions to its Pilot’s line, Coussin Minute the theme, the end of the celebrating the 70th anniversary seconds hand features a star, of Antoine de Saint-Exupery’s Repeater XL. representing the Little Prince’s The Little Prince. The Big Pilot’s home. Engraved at the back of Watch Perpetual Calendar Edition “Le Petit Prince” is equipped with the in-house the 41mm stainless steel case is the Little Prince manufactured 51613 movement with Pellaton on top of his asteroid, plus the series number. automatic winding and 7-day power reserve. Only 1,000 pieces will be produced. Montblanc introduced a new model in the Star A commanding cockpit design and perpetual calendar display is set beautifully into a midnight Special Edition Carpe Diem series, identified by a HKGOLFER.COM
red second hand meant to symbolise the theme of “seizing the day.” A handsome addition to its 15-year-old Montblanc Star collection, the Star Special Edition Carpe Diem Quantieme Complet (or full calendar) comes in 42mm stainless steel. The dial displays the date, day, month and lunar phases legibly, while the centre is decorated with guilloche. Piaget highlighte d it s jeweller y and watchmaking expertise with the Emperador Coussin Minute Repeater XL Ultra Thin Minute Repeater, fully set in baguette diamonds. Powered by the in-house calibre 1290P, which took a team of six engineers three years to produce, the watch holds the record for the thinnest automatic minute repeater movement at 4.8mm, and watch at 9.4mm. The 48mm case comprises 69 parts, hollowed out as much as possible to achieve the best resonance for the transmission of sound. The open-worked dial allows a generous view of the intricate mechanism, with the hour markers crafted from 18k white gold. HKGOLFER.COM
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The gem-set Duometre Spherotourbillon Blue (top left) was the highlight of Jaeger-LeCoultre’s exhibition; Richard Mille celebrated Asia in the form of the RM2601 (top left), featuring a panda eating bamboo
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A. Lange & Söhne, Baume & Mercier, JaegerLeCoultre, Montblanc, Officine Panerai, Richard Mille, Roger Dubuis, and Van Cleef & Arpels also brought unique pieces and a selection from their 2013 collections. In the realm of tourbillons, Baume & Mercier presented the Clifton 1892 Flying Tourbillon, a limited edition of 30 pieces that comes in a 45.5mm 18k red gold case. The piece pays tribute to the year 1892, when Baume & Mercier developed and produced a keyless winding watch equipped with a tourbillon movement that was ahead of its time. Meanwhile, A. Lange & Söhne showcased the Lange 1 Tourbillon Handwerkskunst, which brings together a tourbillon, perpetual calendar and big date in an intricately decorated Lange 1 model. Fitted with the automatic calibre L082.1 with 50hour power reserve, the watch includes subsidiary seconds, day/night indication and a moon-phase display. The white gold dial is hand-engraved with relief and tremblage techniques.
A gem-set Duometre Spherotourbillon Blue was the highlight of Jaeger-LeCoultre’s exhibition, featuring baguette-cut diamonds on the white gold case. The manual-winding watch comes with a 50-hour power reserve, and besides the sparkle, the main attraction is at 9 o’clock, where the Spherotourbillon spins. Created via a ‘Dual Wing’ construction, the Spherotourbilon provides separate power sources to the timekeeping function and the rest of the complications, allowing for more efficient energy distribution, and a precision-adjusted tourbillon. The high-tech world of Richard Mille celebrates Asia in the form of the RM26-01, featuring a panda eating bamboo, set on a tourbillon movement with 48 hours of power reserve. The 18k white gold panda is set with black sapphires and white diamonds, while bamboo is hand painted yellow gold. The tourbillon is set on a baseplate of black onyx. The watch is housed in a white gold case fully set with baguette diamonds.
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