CLUB
Away from the Fairways | TEE TIME
STEADY, AS SHE GOES SWISS WATCHMAKERS ARE CENTERING EFFORTS ON EXPANSION AND STREAMLINED DESIGN AS THE INDUSTRY GROWS AT A MODERATE PACE, WRITES EVAN RAST.
The Royal Oak Concept GMT from Audemars Piguet
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continue to reap the benefits, taking up majority of the world’s mechanical watch sales. Richemont has in fact been investing in its facilities, with a proposed US$333m allocated this year to increase production capacity at each of the group’s maisons. According to Co-CEO Richard Lepeu, a large number of projects are either underway or have Hong Kong is still just been completed, including for Panerai, Plan-lesthe top market for Neuchatel Ouates for Vacheron Constantin watches accounting and Piaget, Meyrin for Van Cleef & Arpels, and Couvet and Le Locle for an 18.9% Cartier. In the last five years, the share of all Swiss for group has increased its work force exports, declining in Switzerland by 30%. At LVMH, Chairman and CEO 2% from last year. Bernard Arnault revealed that despite volatility and a slower European market, 2013 was still an excellent year in terms of performance, with profit exceeding the US$8.1bn mark for the first time. Hublot’s he Swiss watch industry continues Jean-Claude Biver has been appointed head of to mature with a focus on hefty the group’s entire watchmaking arm, bringing investments on production capacity his business acumen and marketing savvy and a trend for more austere models. to the fore, not only for Hublot but for Zenith Exports grew by a modest 2% in and Tag Heuer. Louis Vuitton and Bulgari have 2013 matched with a decline in the reported satisfactory results as well, with the entire total number of timepieces, signalling an increase watch and jewellery group recording a revenue in the average price of a watch. According to the growth of 4%. Tag Heuer acquired a movement Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry (FHS), Swiss manufacturing facility last year, a Geneva facility for watch exports were US$813 on average, or 5.9% Louis Vuitton, and a 100% expansion for Hublot. more compared to 2012, which is a value that has Swatch Group grew by a further 8.3% last year, doubled in the last 12 years. generating record sales of US$9.8bn despite what These statistics show a continued change the company refers to in its annual report as an in perception for what was largely considered “extremely adverse currency situation”. Growth a disposable, utilitarian accessory a couple in the watch and jewellery segment was at 8.6%, of decades ago. The big watch companies – signifying a relevant increase in market share by Richemont, Swatch Group, Rolex and LVMH – the group.
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The new edition of the Bathyscaphe from Blancpain (above left); IWC's Aquatimer Chronograph Edition '50 Years Science for Galapagos' (above right) 26
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Production capacities expanded further, as the still has a foothold in the industry with the release group opened a new watch dial plant in Grenchen of very practical concept watches. and acquired component production facilities in Villeret and Boncourt, accounting for more than 900 new jobs created in Switzerland. Hong Kong is still the top market for watches An extensive selection of complicated, stainless accounting for an 18.9% share of all Swiss exports, steel watches at SIHH and Baselworld emphasized declining 2% from last year. The US comes second the dominance of the midrange segment. at 10.3%, and China is still third at 6.6%, though Blancpain presented a new edition of its export value to the country declined by 12.5%. Bathyscaphe, a diver’s watch originally designed With these developments, four trends have in the 1950s that was reinterpreted by the brand to emerged. First, the growth suit daily wear. This year’s version of the midrange segment for features a new self-winding There has been a watches – mainly stainless revival of classicism F385 movement with flyback steel models which now chronograph function, housed in in watch design, account for more than half a 43mm brushed black ceramic of the total number of Swiss or brushed steel case. The domed with simple, watch exports, and 38% of dial comes in either black or well-finished and the value. meteor grey, and like the original elegant designs Second, there has been Bathyscape is free of any numerals, a revival of classicism in gaining popularity with lines and dots serving as watch design, with simple, hour markers and rectangular over busy dials well-finished and elegant hands. A date window appears at and more designs gaining popularity 4 o’clock. All models come with over busy dials and more NATO fabric or sail canvas straps, complex models. complex models. which are great for aquatic use. Third, like fashion, more collaborations are The steel version also comes with a metal bracelet, being presented, whether it’s for sporting events a first for this line. like the World Cup, or annual races like the Grand The Aquatimer family was IWC’s focus this year, Prix Historique de Monaco. And lastly, innovation and one of the new models launched at SIHH
STEELY CONVICTION
The Montblanc Meisterstück Heritage Date Automatic is offered at HK$22,000 (above left); Cartier leads the way in presenting clean dials and highly refined watches with its Ballon Bleu de Cartier 39mm Flying Tourbillon (above right) 28
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was the Aquatimer Chronograph Edition ’50 Years Science for Galapagos.’ This jubilee edition celebrates Charles Darwin Research Station’s Fewer over-complications, more modest sizes five decades of scientific work on the Galapagos and classicism were seen in many of the year’s Islands. Limited to 500 pieces, the watch is offerings as the watch industry serves up a more equipped with the automatic 89365 movement discrete allure. that offers a 68-hour power reserve, SafeDive Cartier leads the way in presenting clean dials system and flyback function. The and highly refined watches with chronograph is water-resistant its Ballon Bleu de Cartier 39mm Like fashion, more Flying Tourbilllon, which features to 30 bar and comes in a 44mm rubber-coated stainless steel case. collaborations are an enamel dial in a rich shade T h i s y e a r, M o n t b l a n c of blue. The dial has a radiating being presented, showcased an entirely new motif that is created via guilloche whether it’s for collection called Montblanc on a disc of 18k white gold, which Meiserstück Heritage Collection, is then covered in several layers sporting events a series inspired by its iconic translucent enamel. A watch like the World Cup, of writing instrument of the same carrying the Hallmark of Geneva, or annual races name. The entry-level model, the model is equipped with the Montblanc Meisterstück 9452 MC in-house calibre. like the Grand Heritage Date Automatic, is Another ultra-elegant watch Prix Historique offered at HK$22,000 (Euro 2,090) is Vach e ro n Co ns t antin’s de Monaco. and comes in a stainless steel case Patrimony Contemporaine with a narrow, polished bezel, Ultra-Thin Calibre 1731, the finely arcing lugs and cambered crystal treated on thinnest manual-winding minute repeater on the both sides of the surface to prevent reflections. market today, measuring at a mere 8.09mm thick. The dial features black indices for the minutes, The classic, cambered dial shows a beaded minute sharply faceted applied indices, an applied Roman circle, baton-shaped hands and alternating triangle numeral XII and a date window with a polished and baton-shaped hour markers, with a small frame. The watch is fitted with the self-winding seconds offset at 8 o’clock, the first in the line. The MB 24.17 calibre. curve of the case middle has been accentuated so
UNDERSTATED ELEGANCE
Vacheron Constnatin's Patrimony Contemporaine Ultra-Thin Calibre 1731 (above left); the world's thinnest mechanical watch, the Altiplano 38mm 900P (above right) 30
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which is limited to 100 numbered pieces or Ceramic Carbon, limited to 200 pieces. The iHUB1260 Unico automatic movement with 72hour power reserve he dial is black with yellow and green retrograde displays for the minute and second hand respectively. Chopard being the official timekeeper of the Grand Prix de Monaco Historique since 2002, has created a special collection this year following a yellow and grey theme, inspired by the classic single-seaters from the 1970s. The GPMH Power Control features a snailed grey dial and the yellow racing ring bordered by a stainless steel bezel. The power reserve indicator, also in grey, is fashioned after a speedometer and appears on the dial at 6 o’clock. The caseback, stamped with the logo of the Monaco Automobile Club, contrasts the titanium case housing the COSC-certified automatic movement.
COOL CONCEPTS
as to trim down the silhouette, while the caseback has been opened as broadly as possible to reveal the minute repeater’s hammers and gongs. Piaget presented a contender in the ultra-thin race with the Altiplano 38mm 900P, the world’s thinnest mechanical watch at 3.65mm. The secret of the watch is in the structure of the caseback, which also serves as the mainplate. The merge of movement and case has allowed the highly complex architecture to be as slender as possible, while even offering a generous power reserve of 48 hours. The watch is available in 18k white gold.
PARTNERS IN TIME
The official watch of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, the Big Bang Unico Bi-Retrograde Chrono from Hublot (above), which represents the first time the brand has unveiled such a display 32
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As for collaborations, there were many interesting ones, like Hublot’s official watch of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, the Big Bang Unico Bi-Retrograde Chrono. It’s the first time Hublot has unveiled a watch with this kind of display, which is tailor-made for football. When the chronograph is started, the second and minute hands move from left to right in an arc of 45 minutes, or one half of a football match. Two push buttons, on either side of the crown, function as the Start, Stop and Reset buttons, and one at 2 o’clock activates a display window at 12 o’clock, to indicate if the game is at first or second half, half time or the end of the match. The watch features a 45mm 18k King gold,
What is great about this industry is even in times of conservatism, creativity abounds. There is something about the idea of achieving the mechanically impossible that keep watchmakers challenged, and this year was no different. First unveiled in 2002, Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak Concept, with its ultra-hard Alacrite 602 case and open-worked dial was revolutionary in its design. The company built on this first piece and added the Royal Oak Carbon Concept Tourbillon in 2008, and the Concept GMT Tourbillon in 2011. This year, Audemars Piguet presents its most forward-looking design yet: a Royal Oak Concept GMT Tourbillon with a sculpted titanium case combined with a white ceramic bezel. Sounds normal, but the highlight of this piece is an intricately machined upper bridge in white ceramic, the first of its kind in watchmaking. The timepiece features a handwound twin-barrel movement with 10-day power reserve, a tourbillon and second time zone display. TAG Heuer first introduced the Monaco V4 as a concept watch a decade ago, a watch that was driven by belts mounted on ball bearings instead of gears, and a linear mass instead of a rotating one. It was a timepiece that would win the Best Design award at the Grand Prix Horlogerie de Geneve. This year, the brand takes this technology up a notch and creates the first tourbillon watch driven by belts. The watch uses four ultra-thin, durable belts the thickness of 0.07mm to drive the tourbillon, and together with impressive engineering, creates a very efficient shockabsorbing system that improves precision. The watch comes in a 41mm black titanium case with the tourbillon at 9 o’clock. HKGOLFER.COM