Watch Your Time 2019 - USA Edition by ETI

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the first watch magazine with augmented reality

The elegance of time The year’s new watches

S P ECI A L A DV ER T IS I N G S U P P L EM EN T TO

THE NEW YORK TIMES USA EDITION SUNDAY OCTOB ER 27, 2019

As seen by Audemars Piguet, Blancpain, Breguet, Bvlgari, Cartier, Grand Seiko, Hublot, Longines, Panerai, Rado, Richard Mille, Rolex, TAG Heuer, Tissot, Ulysse Nardin… www.watchyourtime.com

COLLECTION

Â©Photograph: Laurent Ballesta/Gombessa Project

Fifty Fathoms

RAISE AWARENESS, TRANSMIT OUR PASSION, HELP PROTECT THE OCEAN www.blancpain-ocean-commitment.com

BEIJING · CANNES · DUBAI · GENEVA · HONG KONG · KUALA LUMPUR · LAS VEGAS · LONDON · MACAU · MADRID MANAMA · MOSCOW · MUNICH · NEW YORK · PARIS · SEOUL · SHANGHAI · SINGAPORE · TAIPEI · TOKYO · ZURICH

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watchyourtime.com — PUBLISHER-FOUNDER CHRISTIAN LLAVALL-UBACH MANAG ING D IREC TOR ISABELLE BOUDR INGH IN WATCH COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST ERIC DUMATIN EDITORIAL DIRECTOR CHRISTOPHE ROULE T WRITERS CAIT BA ZEMORE, CAROL BESLER ,

WATCH YOUR TIME S P E C I A L WAT C H M A G A Z I N E

JASON HE ATON, L AURIE K AHLE, PIERRE MAILL ARD, ROBERTA NA AS, CHRISTOPHE ROULE T TR ANSL ATION SANDR A PE TCH, AMAÏA TR ADUCTION ART DIRECTION VINCENT FESSELE T, L A CASAGR ANDE (GENE VA), YAN RUBIN PHOTOENGR AVING BOMBIE (GENE VA) PRINTED IN EU

USA EDITION SUNDAY OCTOBER 27, 2019 This advertising supplement is produced by Editions Temps International and did not involve the reporting or editorial staff of The New York Times.

Our cover

Tim Bret-Day

• REPRODUCTION, EVEN PARTIAL , OF MATERIAL PUBLISHED IN WATCH YOUR TIME IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED I N TH E U SA . A LL I M AG E S , PH OTOS A N D ILLUSTRATIONS REPRODUCED IN THIS ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT ARE

TISSOT

THE RE SPONSIBILIT Y OF

Play ball

THE WATCH BRANDS.

A new window on information

EDITORIAL

Ephemeral and enduring

BREGUET BVLGARI

King of watchmakers A new take on time

BLANCPAIN

A fish to water

18 20

Respect for designers DESIGN 26

CARTIER ROLEX

Heritage in its DNA Reshaping history

LONGINES

The Perpetual Planet Campaign

Women love mechanics L ADIES 40 TAG HEUER SEIKO

Ready for adventure Ode to nature

SANTOS DE CARTIER. CONQUER THE SKIES, LIF T ONES SPIRITS AND FIGHT THE FORCE OF GR AVIT Y: THE DARING LEGACY OF AVIATOR ALBERTO SANTOS-DUMONT

Material world ENGINEERS 46

Photographer Tim Bret-Day has worked on numerous worldwide campaigns, including for Virgin Atlantic, Harvey Nichols and Agent Provocateur. He demonstrates his unconventional style and love of fashion in this shoot for Watch Your Time.

SOARS OVER THE NEW SANTOS DE CARTIER COLLECTIONS. THEY PERPE TUATE THE SPIRIT, ST YLE AND THIRST FOR ALTITUDE HELD BY MEN WHO CHANGE THE WORLD, JUST LIKE ALBERTO SANTOS-DUMONT. SIMPLICIT Y. PR ACTICALIT Y. INNOVATION. THESE WERE THE THREE MA JOR

MONTBLANC

“Reconnect”

RICHARD MILLE

Sweet treats

AVIATION PIONEER WHO ORDERED THE FIRST 1904. ITS WRIST-MOUNTED POSITION ME ANT IT

USING ARMANI AND AVEDA

Adventure set EXPLORER 52

VISIBLE SCREWS, AND ERGONOMIC STR AP THAT ENCOUR AGED FREE MOVEMENT IMMEDIATELY RE VE ALED ITS FORWARD-THINKING NATURE .

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PRINCIPLES OF ALBERTO SANTOS-DUMONT, THE MODERN WRIST WATCH FROM LOUIS CARTIER IN

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The Italian job

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9 — WATCH YOUR TIME USA — FOCUS

Play ball Tissot is Official Timekeeper and partner of many global sports events. Since 2015, the Swiss watch Brand has been the Official Timekeeper and Official Watch of the NBA. The biggest partnership deal in the brand’s 166-year history is also a fantastic asset for the watchmaker in the U.S. market.

Sport is second nature to Tissot, as well as a driving force for a brand that has never been content to simply display its logo on a jersey. What matters is to be part of the game by doing what it does best: timekeeping. “As well as a vector for communication, reaching a large audience through an exciting medium, timekeeping is a way to stay on top in terms of technology,” promises the brand. “As sports evolve, so do we.” This was the mindset behind the deal signed in 2015 between Tissot and the National Basketball Association (NBA). At the time, the brand described the new partnership as the biggest in its entire 166 years of history, and for good reason. NBA games are programmed in 215 countries in 50 languages. Its merchandise is sold in more than 100,000 stores in 100 countries worldwide. Naturally, such a major player on the international sports scene needed a timekeeper (its first) that was up to the job, and Tissot left no-one in any doubt that it was. With the ink barely dry on the agreement that made the brand Official Timekeeper and Official Watch of the NBA, Tissot was already rolling out an all-new timing system across the 29 NBA arenas, including a state-of-the-art shot clock.

A concept store in NYC Tissot has ties with some of the sport’s biggest names. Tony Parker, who recently announced his retirement from the game, is a Tissot ambassador for many years. The brand was one of the first to salute the point guard’s exceptional career, which includes four NBA championships with the San Antonio Spurs and six selections for the NBA All-Star Games. Last year, two new members joined Tissot’s family of athletes. They are Klay Thomson, already a three-time NBA champion and Olympic gold-medal winner, and 2018-19 NBA All-Rookie First Team member Trae Young. This level of commitment had to include a range of dedicated products, namely the Chrono XL NBA collection of watches in the colors of the nine NBA teams that have partnerships with the brand. A collector’s edition was recently added to the lineup. It features a strap made from the same leather as the official NBA Spalding basketballs.

THE PLUS SIGN IN THE SWISS FLAG WITHIN THE TISSOT LOGO SYMBOLISES THE SWISS QUALIT Y AND RELIABILIT Y TISSOT HAS SHOWN SINCE

TISSOT CHRONO XL NBA COLLECTOR. TO CELEBR ATE THE HISTORIC

1853. THE WATCHES, SOLD ALL OVER THE WORLD, ENABLE TISSOT TO

PARTNERSHIP BE T WEEN THE NBA AND TISSOT, THE BR AND INTRO-

BE THE LEADER IN THE TR ADITIONAL SWISS WATCH INDUSTRY, EXPORT-

DUCES A NE W SPECIAL EDITION CHRONO XL FE ATURING A STR AP

ING MORE THAN 4 MILLION WATCHES EVERY YE AR. TISSOT STANDS BY

MADE WITH THE SAME LE ATHER USED FOR OFFICIAL NBA SPALDING

ITS SIGNATURE, INNOVATORS BY TR ADITION. THE HIGH QUALIT Y OF

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THE BR AND WITH EVERY COMPONENT IS RECOGNISED WORLDWIDE .

DRE AM AS IT COMES IN A SPECIAL WATCH BOX.

Tissot has also designed 30 interchangeable case backs for this special watch, one for each team in the league. All that remained was for the brand to open a basketball-themed store. which it now has, at a prime location in New York’s Midtown neighborhood, at 112 W. 34th Street. Everything about this concept store has been designed with basketball fans in mind, from the giant screens showing matches to video games and the augmented reality Tissot Buzzer Beater. Action-styled mannequins wearing team uniforms, larger-than-life photos of the brand’s ambassadors, plus a wall of multicolored basketballs add to the mood. Not forgetting, of course, the Chrono XL NBA watches. Fans visiting the store can also enjoy Tissot’s other sport and classic watch collections. New this year is the Tissot Gentleman. Both ergonomic and elegant, this multi-purpose watch is equally suitable for wearing in a business environment as at the weekend, when it adapts easily to leisure activities. As part of a modern, active man’s lifestyle, the Tissot Gentleman is the perfect companion for every day, every occasion and every style. Tissot’s new watch comes in both Quartz and Automatic versions. C.R.

Elegance is an attitude Mikaela Shiffrin

Conquest Classic

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FOCUS — WATCH YOUR TIME USA — 12

Watch Your Time opens a new window on information

The best of both worlds. Print and digital are no longer mutually exclusive sources of information. Now you can browse a magazine using your mobile phone or tablet to complete the reading experience and get to the heart of the subjects that interest you.

Watch Your Time is offering an augmented reality experience that makes your magazine the gateway to the digital world. Thanks to the easy-to-use technology of the Print Alive app, the magazine’s pages come to life, enhancing the information on the printed page with videos, animated graphics, even content from our partners’ sites. Print Alive takes the Watch Your Time editorial message further by inviting you to enter the fabulous world of luxury timepieces. Step inside the manufacturing facilities of the most prestigious brands, contemplate mechanical complications in action,

be a VIP guest at the major sporting and cultural events sponsored by the great names in time measurement. It’s all possible, from the pages of your magazine. Augmented reality is exactly that: digital technologies connecting media to deliver a wealth of richly illustrated content. For a very long time, one of the pleasures of reading was that we could picture our own image of the subject in question. Our imagination could run free, but were we getting an accurate, truthful view? Seeing “for real” what an article has to say, what a photo is illustrating, is now possible. Using a digital device,

G ET THE APP — DOWN LOAD THE L ATEST VERSION OF PR INT ALIVE FOR ANDROID OR IPHONE . THE AUGMENTED RE ALIT Y (AR) FUNCTION IS BUILT INTO THE APP. L AUNCH THE AR FUNCTION — AUGMENTED RE ALIT Y LOCATE THE AR SCAN BUT TON IN THE MENU. YOU CAN COME BACK TO THE MENU AT ANY TIME . TAP THE BUT TON AND YOUR PHONE’S CAMER A (FOR SCANNING) WI LL DISPL AY. MAKE SURE YOU ALLOW THE APP TO ACCESS YOUR CAMER A . LOOK FOR THE ICON — WATCH OUT FOR THE PRINT ALIVE ICON WHILE RE ADING YOUR MAGA ZINE . VIEW CONTE NT — USE YOUR PHONE TO SCAN THE MAGA ZINE AND DISPL AY AUGMENTED REALIT Y CONTENT (VIDEOS, GR APHICS, IMAGES) REL ATING TO THE ARTICLE . YOU CAN MOVE THE CAMER A , SELECT THE SECTION YOU WANT AND WATCH VIDEOS IN FULL-SCREEN MODE ON YOUR PHONE .

this experience does more than tell you about what’s being discussed on the page: it generates emotions, pride, and a true sense of belonging to a world with which we feel such a strong connection. We want you to become a knowledgeable member of our community. Download our Print Alive app, scan our interactive pages, and you’ll look at your magazine with new eyes! All our print editions now feature augmented reality content. (See the cover, these two pages and the Ulysse Nardin advertising)

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13 — WATCH YOUR TIME USA — EDITORIAL

Ephemeral and enduring What would be a comparison for JonOne’s painting? Music? The soaring notes of John Coltrane’s sax. A Love Supreme in glorious color? Boxing? What other artist hangs a paint-splattered punching bag in his studio, in front of a vast work in progress? Movement? Speed? A graffiti-covered subway car flashing through a station, leaving a kaleidoscope of shapes and colors in its wake? Or something else entirely? An endless night spent walking under a silver moon? Is his painting rapid, fleeting, gone in the blink of an eye, or is it slow, persistent, there to remain? Short time or long time? Time will tell The first homo sapiens artists taught us that time is its own master. Which of them imagined, 18,000 years ago, that the graffiti they carefully traced on a cave wall in Lascaux (or closer to home, on the wall of a housing project) would still be there almost two thousand centuries later? A priceless and protected human treasure. And who’s to say they didn’t secretly dream that’s how it would be? So what did a young JonOne dream of when he was tagging the streets and walls of Harlem in the hope of catching a certain girl’s attention? Not Lascaux or homo sapiens. He was thinking about his life, his future, and the chance to break out of what he now calls “zero opportunity”. To free himself from the constraints of growing up in a certain neighborhood or social group. For JonOne, freedom came through painting, progressing slowly but steadily, teaching himself new techniques and building on the successive encounters, enthusiasm and discoveries that were part and parcel of the vibrant, poetic, artistic, political 70s, when it seemed there were no limits to what you could achieve. From underground tagger, JonOne is now passionate about painting. “My brush is a part of my body,” he says. “It takes me into the painting.” Living and working in Paris since 1987, from those early days on the streets of Harlem, he is now a worldrenowned artist.

Give The joy, ecstasy almost, he puts into his painting transfers itself like an electric current to whoever views or simply discovers his work. It transports us. Thrills us. Fills us with life and lifts our spirits. It awakens our senses, appealing to both our eyes and our ears as it sweeps us into an exhilarating explosion of colors and shapes, dazzling us with its energy, vivacity and constant renewal. Tempos JonOne is now 55 years old and has lost none of his energy. He does push-ups on the floor of his Parisian studio, constellated with a myriad multi-colored drips and spots that demonstrate his vision of painting as movement. But as he ages, he reflects more on this whirlwind of painting and countries visited in an endless stream of shows. And takes time out in his other studio, in Roubaix, a town in northern France whose hour of glory came with the industrial revolution. Here, he puts aside his acrylics and his quickfire technique, and works instead in oil, in more muted tones, at the much slower tempo the drying time of the medium imposes. These are his “white canvases”, as he calls them. The moonlit walk after the solar notes of saxophones. A different music. Calmer, more contemplative, more meditative works but still teeming with uncontainable life. “I’d like to die with a brush in my hand,” he says, by way of a goodbye. Interview by Pierre Maillard

B O R N J O H N A N D R E W P E R E L L O I N 19 6 3 I N H A R L E M , NEW YORK , TO PARENTS FROM THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, AT 17 JONONE WAS TAGGING JON LOVES ROSANNA AROUND HIS NEIGHBORHOOD. AF TER THEY BROKE UP, HE STARTED TAGG I NG JON156 (H IS STREE T NUM BER) ON WALLS AND SUBWAY TR AINS ACROSS NE W YORK . MEE TING GR AFFITI AR TI ST A- ONE (ANTHONY C L AR K ) ENC OUR AGED H I M TO LE AR N MORE ABOUT THE H ISTORY OF STREE T AR T AND, AS HE SAYS, “NOT TO CONSIDER MY WORK AS VANDALISM BUT SIMPLY AS ART.” IN 1987 HE MOVED TO PARIS WHERE HE STARTED PAINTING ON CANVAS AT THE NOW DEFUNCT HÔPITAL EPHÉMÈRE ART SQUAT. HIS FIRST SHOW, IN BERLIN IN 1990, WOULD SPARK GROWING INTEREST IN HIS WORK . JONONE IS NOW GLOBALLY RENOWNED AND HAS HUNDREDS OF SOLO SHOWS TO HIS CREDIT. © PHOTO BY GWEN LE BR AS (INSTAGR AM ALE X ANDREHARTMAN) AUGMENTED RE ALIT Y PAGE: W W W. ZOOSTUDIOPRODUCTION.COM VIDEO: MÉLODIE L AMOT TE D’INCAMPS (INSTAGR AM MELODIEDINCAMPS)

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FOCUS — WATCH YOUR TIME USA — 16

King of watchmakers

King Louis XVIII appointed Breguet as chronometer-maker to the Royal Navy, a key role during the great age of ocean exploration that has left an indelible mark on the watchmaking firm.

MARC A . HAYEK , PRESIDENT OF BREGUE T

“We’re going to tell the story of Breguet, and there is a lot to say.” These few words uttered by Marc A. Hayek, President of Breguet, reveal the new direction being taken by this company, which is owned by the Swatch Group and occupies a unique position in the world of luxury watches. With a management team led by CEO Thierry Esslinger, who has 24 years of experience within the group, Marc A. Hayek has a tiger team to conduct Breguet, a House that clearly has the wind in its sails on buoyant markets such as China, Hong Kong and Japan, with great potential in the United States. As a result, it is “experiencing strong growth this year and is particularly proud of the feedback on the new Marine collection,” says Hayek modestly. Breguet has particularly strong links to the sea, and the company’s decision to talk about its past can only strengthen its future. “In the past, we brought out many new patents in a very short space of time,” explains Hayek. “We now owe it to

ourselves to shine a light on them and explore their full potential — for example our magnetic governor, or our musical watches. What’s more, at Breguet, this potential for research into movements is practically boundless.” Indeed, Abraham-Louis Breguet’s vast knowledge has benefited the fields of navigation and astronomy as well as watchmaking, and has led to the creation of timepieces that have undoubtedly laid the foundations for modern watchmaking.

BREGUET CLASSIQUE TOURBILLON E X TR A-PLAT SQUELET TE 5395.

BREGUET MARINE EQUATION MARCHANTE 5887. ONLY A R ARE FEW

BREGUE T HAS CHOSEN TO SKELE TONIZE THE CALIBRE 581 MOVE-

WATCHMAKERS HAVE TURNED THEIR AT TENTION TO THE EQUATION OF

MENT IN THIS ULTR A-THIN TOURBILLON WATCH. IT TOOK A WE ALTH OF

TIME, A COMPLICATION THAT SHOWS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MEAN

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UTES). BREGUE T’S MAR INE EQUATION MARCHANTE TAKES UP THE

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CHALLENGE TO DISPLAY SOLAR TIME AND CIVIL TIME SIMULTANEOUSLY,

MATERIAL OF THIS E XCEP TIONALLY THIN MOVEMENT IN WHITE GOLD.

ON THE SAME DIAL , BY ME ANS OF T WO SEPAR ATE MINUTE HANDS.

Outstanding results The many talents of this genius “mechanician” earned him the title of chronometer-maker to the Royal Navy. Far from being honorary, the role was vital in that era of ocean exploration. In the early nineteenth century, marine chronometers were essential to allow fleets to calculate the position of ships. Entrusted with this respon-

sibility, Breguet designed a number of marine chronometers that were truly exceptional for their time. The Marine collection pays homage to this chapter in the company’s history, and what a tribute it is. When the watchmaker decided to relaunch the collection in 2017, the first timepiece it unveiled was the Marine Équation Marchante 5887, which displays civil time and real time (equation of time), combined with a perpetual calendar and 60-second tourbillon. This impressive feat of watchmaking was repeated the following year in the form of a timepiece with three hands, chronograph and musical alarm, and again this year with some beautifully made watches for women. Another example of Breguet’s expertise is the new Classique Tourbillon Extra-Plat Squelette 5395 — easily the standout timepiece of the year. At three millimeters thick, the extra-thin Calibre 581 is one of the slimmest self-winding tourbillon movements in the world. With these dimensions, designing the tourbillon was a challenge. By skeletonizing the entire movement to do away with amost half of the material, the watchmaker has achieved something incredible. The skeleton caliber in 18 k gold pushes the boundaries of physics and in doing so reminds us that at Breguet, the watchmaker is a true artist. In addition, the engraving, guilloché work and beveled edges help make this a unique timepiece. Eric Dumatin

CALIBER RM 16-01

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FOCUS — WATCH YOUR TIME USA — 18

A new take on time Easily one of the most iconic watches of all time, the Bvlgari Serpenti has been captivating women around the world for decades.

First introduced in the 1940s as a high-jeweled watch collection, the drop-shaped watch beautifully emulates the snake’s head. Over the years, Bvlgari has reinterpreted the legendary timepiece multiple times and this year, it elevates it to new heights with the Serpenti Seduttori collection. Seduttori is the Italian word for “seductive” — and that is exactly what the new timepiece is. Created in-house and crafted in three colors of gold (rose, white and yellow) and in steel, the Seduttori is the thinnest Serpenti watch case ever created. More importantly, though, is the fact that it boasts an all-new bracelet that is inspired by the original Serpenti watches. Instead of being a wraparound made of rigid links or Tubogas, this bracelet is highly flexible and incredibly supple, with individual links that emulate a snake’s scales. “In Serpenti we have the high jewelry watches and the Tubogas expression of the snake, but still we were far away from the classical everyday watch because the bracelet with two or three wraps is not exactly the functional bracelet

you would expect from a daily watch,” says Jean-Christophe Babin, CEO of Bvlgari worldwide. “Now, with the Seduttori, we have a more conventional bracelet that makes it more of a daily watch, yet is still unique. This is the final step of Serpenti, to have an iconic daily watch that you can dress up or down for daytime or weekend.” The Seduttori bracelet — designed in-house by Bvlgari’s Director of Watch Design, Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani — integrates masterfully with the Serpenti snake-head case and bezel for an overall design that is immediately identifiable from across a crowded room.

made to look like a second skin. It not only looks beautiful, but also feels beautiful. Our watches are jewelry that provide pleasure not only in the craftsmanship and the rarity of the material, but also in the way the skin contact feels. It should feel like a masterpiece.” Designed to be a daily timepiece, the new Seduttori boasts a 33 mm case, and features a cabochon-cut gemstone on the crown. Versions are available without diamonds, with round brilliant diamonds on the bezel, or a fully-set version featuring 166 round brilliant diamonds in a snow setting on the case, bracelet, bezel and dial.

A daily timepiece “One of the challenges in making this watch was to keep the DNA of Serpenti,” says Babin. “Serpenti enjoys great success because it is a unique design in wristwatches. So getting to a more universally wearable watch that is still definitively Serpenti meant we had to pay a lot of attention to the snake and design a bracelet

The Seduttori isn’t the entry level for the Serpenti line (there are steel and steel/gold versions of the Serpenti Tubogas) but is designed for the woman who may want to indulge in her first gold or luxury watch purchase. The new Seduttori complements the high-jewelry Serpenti watches, the Serpenti Tubogas that was unveiled in 1972, the Scaglie that celebrated the 125th anniversary of Bvlgari in 2009, the round Serpenti Incantati with snake head and tail on the bezel, the Serpenti, Misteriosi secret watches from 2016, and the 2017 Serpenti Twist Your Time with interchangeable straps. Roberta Naas

BV LG A R I S ER P ENT I S EDU T TO R I. F E A R L E S S LY D E S I G N E D TO B E

S ER P EN T I I S K N OW N F O R I TS R EC OG N I Z A B LE CAS E S H A P E A N D

BVLGARI SERPENTI SEDUT TORI ROSE GOLD FULL PAVE. 18K ROSE

M O R E B E AU T I F U L , M O R E S U B L I M E: T H AT ’ S T H E N E W S E R P E N T I

T H E N E W S ED U T TO R I I S T H I N N ER T H A N E V ER B EF O R E; I T H AS A

GOLD BR ACELET, WITH A ST YLIZED HEX AGONAL PAT TERN AND FOLD-

SEDUT TORI , THE CURRENT REIMAGINATION OF THE CULT SERPENTI

F LE X I B LE N E W B R AC ELE T I NS P I R ED BY TH E O R I G I N A L S ER P EN T I

ING BUCKLE, IS FULLY SE T WITH ROUND BRILLIANT-CUT DIAMONDS.

WATC H . TH I S N E W C O L LECT I ON FE ATUR ES AN UN PR EC EDENTED

WATCHES AND IS CROWNED IN CABOCHON- CUT GEMSTONES IN A

THE 18K T ROSE GOLD 33 MM CASE IS SET WITH 50 ROUND BRILLIANT-

DESIGN THAT REPRESENTS A BOLD NE W CHAP TER FOR THE WORLD

NOD TO BVLGARI’S DNA AS THE ROMAN JE WELER . THE COLLECTION

CUT DIAMONDS ON THE BE ZEL AND 166 ROUND BRILLIANT-CUT DIA-

OF SERPENTI TIMEPIECES WITH ITS ICONIC DROP-SHAPED WATCH

INCLUDES WATCHES IN STEEL , ROSE GOLD, YELLOW GOLD, WHITE

MONDS ON THE FL ANKS. THE DIAL IS SNOW-SET WITH DIAMONDS. THE

HE AD, A MOTIF THAT COMES FROM THE SERPENTI TUBOGAS WATCH.

GOLD, AND DIAMOND PAVÉ .

MODEL IS EQUIPPED WITH A HIGH-PRECISION QUARTZ MOVEMENT.

#ThisIsYourTime

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FOCUS — WATCH YOUR TIME USA — 20

A fish to water When Blancpain unveiled the Fifty Fathoms in 1953, it paved the way for the modern dive watch. Relaunched in 2007, it is the symbol of the brand’s commitment to ocean conservation.

“Full fathom five thy father lies; Of his bones are coral made.” Who would have thought these verses from Ariel’s song in The Tempest would go down for posterity not just in theatre but also in the marine world? Not because young navigators learn these words by heart, but because divers immediately associate “Fathoms” and “Fifty” with an essential piece of kit; one on which their survival can depend. The year is 1953 and Blancpain has introduced the world to the Fifty Fathoms: the first dive watch of the modern era. Reliable, legible and robust, protected by three patents, it fulfilled virtually every criteria of the ISO 6425 dive watch standard forty years before it was even introduced! Shakespeare’s “fathom five” became Fifty Fathoms in reference to one of the watch’s standout features, namely its water-resistance to 50 fathoms or 300 feet: considered the safe limit for the pioneering divers of the early 1950s. The fabulous thing about any iconic watch is that it has a story to tell, and the Fifty Fathoms is no exception. Its story is one of daring and determination. A story of man and ocean that begins with JeanJacques Fiechter. A writer and historian, Fiechter was also, and more importantly for this story, Chief Executive of Blancpain from 1950 as well as a regu-

lar amateur diver, a sport he practiced with a club in the south of France. One day, despite years of experience, he mistimed his ascent and found himself at fifty meters depth with almost no air in his tanks. The incident prompted him to think about the importance of a watch while underwater, and how such an instrument could survive in what is a hostile environment for any mechanism. There were no precedents, nothing that might serve as a blueprint. In those days, amateur divers didn’t even bother with watches. And so he sat down with a blank piece of paper and set about designing a dive watch. Great minds think alike The first issue Fiechter had to address was waterresistance. He came up with a double O-ring system whose two gaskets would prevent water from entering through the crown, which wasn’t screwed into the case, even if it were pulled out.

Another O-ring sealed the caseback that was designed in two parts so that the pressure underwater pushed the back tighter against the seal. The bezel rotated so the zero marker could be aligned with the minute hand to calculate dive times. Fiechter also devised a locking mechanism to prevent an accidental knock to the bezel from erroneously extending dive time with potentially fatal results. Having resolved these three fundamental requirements with patented solutions, the next question was how to ensure information was easily read off the watch when underwater. Fiechter’s answer was to increase diameter to 41mm, and to coat hands and markers with lume for legibility in low visibility. For the movement, the choice of an automatic calibre did away with winding, thus keeping handling of the crown to a minimum and reducing wear on the gaskets. Sealing the movement inside a soft-iron inner cage protected it against magnetic fields. The Fifty

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GOMBESSA E XPEDITIONS, ALL UNDERWRIT TEN BY BL ANCPAIN. THE

ONE OF I TS D I V I NG WATCHES FRO M THE END OF THE 1960S, THE

FIRST TOOK PL ACE IN THE INDIAN OCE AN IN 2013 IN SE ARCH OF THE

BAR AKUDA . THE 500-PIECE 2019 EDITION RE TAINS THE FE ATURES OF

COEL ACANTH, A PREHISTORIC FISH. THE SECOND OCCURRED IN 2014

THE ORIGINAL VERSION WHILE MAKING THE MOST OF THE TECHNI-

IN FAK AR AVA , FRENCH POLYNESIA . THE AIM WAS TO SHED LIGHT ON

CAL INNOVATIONS RESULTING FROM BL ANCPAIN’S LONGSTANDING

THE ENIGMATIC AGGREGATION OF THE MARBLED GROUPERS.

E XPERIENCE IN THE FIELD OF SCUBA DIVING.

21 — WATCH YOUR TIME USA — FOCUS

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Fathoms was born. All Jean-Jacques Fiechter had to do was let Shakespeare whisper its name! Blancpain’s CEO wasn’t the only one working on the ideal dive watch. Captain Robert “Bob” Maloubier and Lieutenant Claude Riffaud, the two men behind a recently formed corps of French Navy combat swimmers, were also searching for a watch capable of accompanying these elite commando frogmen on their missions. They knew exactly what they wanted and had tested a number of existing models, but so far none had made the grade. Undeterred, Maloubier and Riffaud drew up a list of specifications and did the rounds of manufacturers, hoping to spark interest. Most firms, however, declined the request, saying they could see little future for a watch built to these specs. Then the company supplying the French Navy with its diving equipment suggested the two men get in touch with Blancpain; word had it the head of the firm was experimenting with a similar style of watch. Fiechter’s ideas and the French team’s specifications overlapped, and

Blancpain agreed to supply a sample for evaluation in real-life conditions. It performed brilliantly. Blancpain’s watch quickly became a key piece of equipment for this specialist military unit and, later, for naval forces around the world.

B L ANCPAI N FIF T Y FATHOMS. B L ANCPA I N I S R EI NTER PR E TI NG ITS

BL ANCPAIN TRIBUTE TO FIF T Y FATHOMS MIL-SPEC. THIS MODEL IS

FIF T Y FATHOMS, THE ICONIC DIVER’S WATCH THAT HAS INSPIRED THE

HOUSED I NS I DE A 40. 30 - M M STEEL CASE , TOPPED W I TH A UN I D I -

ENTIRE GENRE SINCE 1953. THE 2019 EDITION RE TAINS THE SPORT Y

RECTIONAL ROTATING BE ZEL COVERED WITH SCR ATCH-RESISTANT

AND DISTINGUISHED CHAR ACTER OF ITS PEERS, TO WHICH IT ADDS

SAPPHIRE. THE SUPERLUMINOVA ® -COATED HOUR MARKERS ARE THE

A TOUCH OF CHIC AND HIGH-TECH WITH A RED GOLD CASE AND A

SAME SHAPE AS THOSE ON THE 1950S MIL-SPEC 1 MODEL. THE WATER-

CER AMIC DIAL .

TIGHTNESS INDICATOR AT 6 O’CLOCK ALSO MAKES A COMEBACK .

An Oscar-winning watch Naturally, such a groundbreaking design appealed to a wider audience than these naval forces. Soon recreational divers were adding a Fifty Fathoms to their checklist, too. The oceanographer and explorer Jacques-Yves Cousteau and his team famously wore one during the dives that became the narrative for The Silent World, winner of the 1956 Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival and further distinguished with an Academy Award the following year. During Jean-Jacques Fiechter’s thirty-year tenure, Blancpain released multiple iterations of the Fifty Fathoms and introduced a number of unique features, including a moisture indicator. This was important as in military use watches were returned

with the rest of the equipment at the end of each mission, to then be reissued. A diver had no way of knowing if the watch he had been given had been mishandled during a previous dive, allowing water seepage. The addition of a small disc on the dial that changed color if moisture entered the case was a vital safety feature. Blancpain added it to the dial of the Fifty Fathoms MIL-SPEC 1, developed in 1957-58, with an improved design to meet military specifications, and specifically those of the U.S. Navy which made the Fifty Fathoms standard issue for its combat swimmers. A limited-edition Tribute to MIL-SPEC was launched in 2017, driven by the 1151 movement with four days of power reserve. Despite the aura that has always surrounded this iconic dive watch, come the early 2000s the Fifty Fathoms took something of a back seat, notwithstanding a special edition commemorating its fiftieth anniversary. It returned center-stage under the stewardship of Marc A. Hayek, appointed President and CEO of Blancpain in 2002 and himself an accomplished diver. In 2007 the Fifty Fathoms was relaunched with three new models: an automatic with date, a flyback chronograph and a flying tourbillon. Since then, it has established itself as one of the brand’s flagship mod-

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els, taking onboard complications and technical advances such as the mechanical depth gauge in the X Fathoms, silicon balance springs or a flyback chrono with complete calendar and moonphase display. Women have had their Fifty Fathoms since 2008, followed in 2013 by a “dressier” interpretation in the form of the Bathyscaphe range, which borrows its name and design from a 1956 model that was inspired by Swiss oceanographer Jacques Piccard’s submersible. This year too, the now legendary Fifty Fathoms is one of the most revisited models among the brand’s new releases. Two new models have joined the regular collection: one with a titanium case and a second in red gold paired with a ceramic dial. Two limited editions complete the picture. They are the Nageurs de Combat (300 pieces) in honor of the original Fifty Fathoms, and the Barakuda (500 pieces), a tribute to a late 1960s model.

Blancpain Ocean Commitment This proximity with the marine world couldn’t limit itself to the manufacture of watches, however advanced and reliable they may be. Alongside this production, which positions Blancpain as a leading dive watch specialist, the brand was quick to support initiatives to conserve marine ecosystems, ultimately regrouping all its actions and partnerships under the name Blancpain Ocean Commitment, with its own website. Proof that the brand is serious in its support, it has released three (to date) limitededition Ocean Commitment Fifty Fathoms. For each sale, Blancpain makes a donation that adds to its much larger contribution to ocean conservation. Among the expeditions to have benefited, the brand was an early supporter of the Pristine Seas Expeditions, led by National Geographic from 2011 to 2016 to secure protection of some of the globe’s unspoiled ocean areas. Since 2013

JEAN-JACQUES FIECHTER , BLANCPAIN CEO 1950-1980. WHEN JE AN-

BL ANCPAIN FIF T Y FATHOMS , THE ORIGINAL 1953 MODEL. IN 1953,

JACQUES FIECHTER , HIMSELF AN OUTSTANDING DIVER , TOOK THE

BLANCPAIN WAS ABLE TO DELIVER TO THE FRENCH TEAM A WATCH FOR

HELM OF BL ANCPAIN IN 1950, HE BEGAN WORKING ON A RELIABLE

TESTING THAT FULLY ME T THEIR CRITERIA . THE WATCH PERFORMED

AND ROBUST TIMING INSTRUMENT CAPABLE OF ACCOMPANYING HIM

BRILLIANTLY IN ALL OF THE TESTS AND IT BECAME ONE OF THE ESSEN-

IN HIS UNDERWATER ADVENTURES. THIS WAS A MA JOR CHALLENGE

TIAL PIECES OF EQUIPMENT FOR THE FRENCH COMBAT SWIMMERS

GIVEN THAT THERE WERE NO WATCH INDUSTRY PRECEDENTS THAT

CORPS. L ATER , THE SAME OCCURRED FOR NAVAL FORCES AROUND

MIGHT BE USED AS A BLUEPRINT.

THE WORLD. THIS UNIQUE TIMEPIECE WAS NAMED FIF T Y FATHOMS.

FOCUS — WATCH YOUR TIME USA — 22

it has underwritten Laurent Ballesta’s Gombessa Project, which studies some of the rarest and most elusive marine creatures and underwater phenomena. Blancpain has also been active in supporting the World Ocean Summit, organized by The Economist, World Oceans Day, held annually at the United Nations’ headquarters in New York, and the Hans Hass Fifty Fathoms Award for research that expands our understanding of the oceans. In a similar vein, the brand is partner to champion freediver Gianluca Genoni. To date, Blancpain has cofinanced 19 major scientific expeditions, and helped double the amount of marine protected area around the world, with over an additional 4,000 square kilometers. It is also behind a number of award-winning documentary films, underwater photography exhibitions and other publications. Without doubt, the Fifty Fathoms remains a powerful link between the brand that created it and the professionals who have worn it. These pioneering divers, explorers, oceanographers and underwater photographers share the same fascination for life beneath the surface of the sea, and the same determination to preserve it for future generations. Like the Fifty Fathoms, they are prepared to go to any length — or depth — to achieve this goal. Christophe Roulet

23 — WATCH YOUR TIME USA — FOCUS

Fifty Fathoms “Nageurs de Combat” Edition

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27 — WATCH YOUR TIME USA — DESIGN

–o–––- cait bazemore

Respect for designers Once hidden, the creative forces behind the marvels of today’s watchmaking now enjoy the recognition they deserve.

We live in a culture that has long celebrated the finished product. We enjoy the carefully composed song, the thoughtfully edited film, the fashions on the runway, and the watches unveiled at SIHH or Baselworld. We like to see the best version, the one that has been buffed and polished of any imperfections. And when it comes time to honor the work put in, we place the so-called stars at the forefront. At the Grammys or Oscars, the celebrity categories get center-stage while the likes of sound-mixing or costume design go untelevised. In fashion and watchmaking, it is the brand name that holds the clout with consumers, not the creative director. What is behind the curtain — the moving parts, late nights, and countless revisions it takes to create such a fine-tuned finished product — have not been of interest — but now, that seems to be changing. Evolution of the designer In the pre-industrial days of trades like jewelry-making and watchmaking, every element was painstakingly crafted by hand. The designer and the brand were virtually synonymous. In most cases, there was no brand at all — simply an artisan in a workshop. With industrialization, mechanization, and mass production came the rise of the big brand. Many of the people who once had a hand in the work were replaced with machines. As a result, the role of various artisans became increasingly insignificant.

“ The b e s t ideas ar e common pr op e r t y ” — Seneca (4 B C –A D 6 5)

Those contributors who still played a necessary part in the system were marginalized. One such example is the designer. A machine could not replicate the creative force of the designer. At the same time, brands could not afford to lose the spotlight to the creative genius behind their offerings. The pendulum is swinging once again in the post-industrial age. Today, the demand for bespoke and handmade items is back on the rise. Consumers, particularly those socially conscious ones, want to know more about who made their items. They want to see behind the curtain — in fact, they want full transparency about what goes on behind a company’s closed doors. And when all is unveiled, the customer wants to see a face — a real person — behind their wares, not a highly advanced piece of technology. As a result, those brands who want to remain competitive have been compelled to talk more candidly about their processes and the people who are involved. Slowly but surely, this trend has reached the watch industry. We can see a few early signs dating back to the mid-twentieth century, such as industrial designer Nathan

George Horwitt’s museum watch for Movado in 1947, Richard Arbib’s Ventura for Hamilton in 1957, or Max Bill’s namesake collection for Junghans in the 1960s. The fact that we know these designers’ names and something about their stories is more than can be said for decades past. Only in the 1970s did the landscape truly begin to change for watch designers.

TISSOT GENTLEMAN. AS INNOVATOR BY TR ADITION, TISSOT IS DEDICATING ITS NEW GENTLEMAN TO THE ELEGANT MAN OF TODAY. SOPHISTICATED YE T UNDERSTATED, MADE OF STEEL AND SOLID 18 CT PINK GOLD, THIS 40 MM -DIAME TER MODEL SHOWS TISSOT’S DE VOTION TO FINE WORKMANSHIP IN ITS WATCHMAKING, WITH CAREFULLY-WROUGHT DE TAILS. TISSOT USES THE E TA C07.811

Into the spotlight The most widely recognized watch designer in the industry, Gerald Genta became a recognized name among watch enthusiasts with the launch of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, the watch that is arguably his most historically significant design. Yet he had been working with Audemars since 1953. In fact, Genta had been designing watches for brands like Hamilton, Patek Philippe, Omega, and Universal Genève for two decades prior to the debut of the Royal Oak. And after the Royal Oak, he went on to design more watches. You may know of other notable models that have garnered attention, for example the Patek Philippe Nautilus, IWC Ingenieur, or Pasha de Cartier. Over the span of his career, Genta designed thousands of different watches, a majority of which are uncredited to his name. It was only in the past decade that a mere fraction of these designs has been revealed as his work. Genta, like most designers of

AUTOMATIC CALIBER , BE T TER KNOWN UNDER THE NAME OF POWERMATIC 80 FOR ITS 80 HOURS POWER RESERVE, IN THE VERSION WITH A SILICON BAL ANCE-SPRING. THIS SPRING PROVIDES GRE ATER LONGE VIT Y, MORE PRECISE RUNNING AND GRE ATER RESISTANCE TO MAGNE TIC FIELDS.

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DESIGN — WATCH YOUR TIME USA — 28

his time, knew the delicate relationship he was entering into with big brands. He worked in the background as the inconspicuous creative force, understanding that he would likely never be recognized for his talent: that he had to let the brand name shine. Even with the Royal Oak, he had to wait patiently before the public could finally know his name. The story of the now iconic Royal Oak has become a beloved tale in the watch community. There is something about the legend of this model, and the man who designed it, that resonates with people. It has opened the public’s eyes to the role and importance of the designer in watchmaking, and marked the onset of a new era for designers.

Recognition at last Jorg Hysek is another renowned designer whose work surfaced in the late 1970s. Like Genta, Hysek spent years working for brands like Rolex, Cartier, and Omega. However, the watch that brought recognition to his name was the Vacheron Constantin 222, a model that laid the groundwork for the popular Overseas collection. He is also noted for designing models such as the Breguet Marine, and later the TAG Heuer Kirium. Another of the foremost designers of the modern era is Eric Giroud. Giroud’s journey, like many contemporary watch designers including Genta, did not begin

with watches. For Genta, it was jewelry. For Hysek, it was sculpture. And for Giroud, it was architecture. It was not until 1997 that Giroud designed his first watch and uncovered his untapped passion for timepieces. Since then, he has worked with brands such as Tissot and Vacheron Constantin. However, he is likely best known for his work with the futuristic and avant-garde independent watchmaker MB&F. Today, Giroud’s work has garnered more than a cult following among consumers. It has earned industry recognition, including several Grand Prix d‘Horlogerie de Genève awards, including Best Watch Design for the Harry Winston Opus 9 in 2009.

III

VII

VIII

I · ROLE X DAY-DATE 36. ROLE X IS INTRODUCING THE NEW

I I I · U LYS S E N A R D I N M A R I N E T O R P I L L EU R M I L I TA RY

V · PIAGET POLO. INTRODUCED IN 1979, THE ICONIC PIAGET

GENER ATION OF I TS OYSTER PER PE TUA L DAY- DATE 36,

BRONZE. A NEW RECRUIT HAS JOINED THE MARINE TOR-

POLO ADOPTED A MORE CURVACEOUS SHAPE IN 2016, WITH

N OTA B LY AVA I L A B LE I N 18 CT Y E L LOW GO LD. A L L T H E

PILLEUR MILITARY SQUADRON IN BRONZE . THIS MODERN

A LARGER CASE AND A ROUND-OVAL BEZEL. AFTER MODELS

NE W VERSIONS ARE EQUIPPED WITH CALIBRE 3255, AT

WAR MACHINE SEEMS TO HAVE COME STR AIGHT OUT OF

IN STEEL THEN GOLD, ONE OF THE VERSIONS L AUNCHED

THE FOREFRONT OF WATCHMAKING TECHNOLOGY, AND

THE BARR ACKS: CASUAL, COMFORTABLE AND AS MINIMAL-

THIS YE AR LIVENS IT UP WITH A GREEN DIAL .

CARRY THE SUPERL ATIVE CHRONOMETER CERTIFICATION.

IST AS THE TORPEDO SHIPS THAT LENT THEM THEIR NAME.

VI · AUDEMARS PIGUET ROYAL OAK SELF WINDING. SUBTLE

II · GÉR ALD GENTA 50TH ANNIVERSARY WATCH — ARENA

I I I I · SANTO S D E C A R T I E R S K ELE TO N. T H E SA N TO S I S

NE W DE TAI LS HAVE BEEN ADDED TO THE BLUE DIAL OF

BI-RETRO. THE GÉR ALD GENTA 50TH ANNIVERSARY WATCH

ONE OF CAR TI ER ’S I C ONS . I M AG I NED I N 1904 FOR THE

THIS 41 MM AUTOMATIC ROYAL OAK IN STAINLESS STEEL, IN

IS HOUSED IN THE FAMOUS CHUNK Y, ROUND ARENA CASE.

TR A I LB L A ZI NG AV I ATOR A LBER TO SANTOS- DU M ONT, I T

THE FORM OF WIDER INDE XES, A PRINTED MINUTE TR ACK

THE JUM PING HOURS ARE DISPL AYED IN A WINDOW AT

WAS T H E F I R S T WATC H M A D E S P EC I F I CA L LY F O R T H E

AROUND THE EDGE, AND A DATE WINDOW THAT’S FURTHER

12 O’CLOCK, WHILE THE MINUTES ARE TRACKED ON AN ARC

WRIST. AF TER A 2018 MAKEOVER , IT RE TURNS THIS YE AR

FROM THE CENTRE. WHAT HASN’T CHANGED IS THE CL AS-

THAT SPANS THE TOP HALF OF THE BLUE LACQUER DIAL, BY

IN A SKELE TON VERSION, WITH THE ADDED INTEREST OF

SIC “GR ANDE TAPISSERIE” PAT TERN.

A HAND WHICH SNAPS BACK TO ZERO EVERY 60 MINUTES.

SUPER-LUMINOVA™.

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29 — WATCH YOUR TIME USA — DESIGN

Momentum in the new millennium In the past two decades, growing numbers of designers are being acknowledged for their contributions to the watch industry. One example is Jacques Helleu, who served as Chanel’s artistic director for over 40 years. Helleu helped establish Chanel’s brand identity in the modern market with designs like the J12, considered the first iconic watch of the twenty-first century. Chanel initially added watches to their catalog back in 1987. However, it was not until the launch of the J12 in 2000 that the brand was truly legitimized in the industry, and all thanks to Helleu. The J12 broke down barriers not only for the brand but also for the industry at large. For instance, it elevated the use of

ceramic, a material that has since become increasingly prominent in watchmaking. In 2019, the J12 approaches its twentieth anniversary. In celebration, designer Arnaud Chastaingt has updated the iconic model with subtle changes. The result is a watch that maintains the charm of the original while showcasing an exciting new COSC-certified proprietary movement, Calibre 12.1. Another standout designer of the new millennium is Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani. He began his career at Bvlgari in 2001, around the same time Giroud broke into watch design. In the span of nearly twenty years, he has had his hand in the modern variations of Bvlgari’s most iconic models. A

IIII

Freak, c’est chic As a brand that can trace its existence back to 1846, Ulysse Nardin is rooted in tradition, yet since the 1980s it has also been instrumental in revolutionising modern watchmaking. It was the first manufacturer to grasp the potential of silicon; a material that paved the way for advances in technology. It also broke the mould in product architecture and design. One of its watches in particular has been labelled a gamechanger. That watch is the Freak, introduced in 2001. The brand’s flagship, the Freak is a lesson in concision: no hands, no dial, and no crown. The time is shown by the movement which is enclosed in a sapphire crystal shell. As replacements for the hands, two arrow-shaped bridges make one rotation in one and twelve hours respectively. As they do, they point to numerals on an inner track to show hours and minutes. The case and the movement interact to do the job of the crown. There have been several developments on the Freak over the years that mirror the brand’s capacity for innovation. This year has been no exception with the launch of the Freak X… at a very competitive price, making it the entry point for the collection. While reprising many of the Freak’s visual and functional features, this new iteration takes one liberty with the original: the time is no longer set by the bezel but by a crown. Other than that, the baguetteshaped carousel movement still rotates on itself once an hour to indicate the time. Dial and hands remain conspicuous by their absence; a central bridge shows the minutes and one of the wheels indicates the hours. Visible for all to see, the extra-large balance is made from silicon, a material now synonymous with Ulysse Nardin. C.R.

VII · BREGUET CLASSIQUE 5177 GRAND FEU BLUE ENAMEL.

IX · TAG HEUER CARRER A FR AGMENT FUJIWAR A. HIROSHI

ULYSSE NARDIN FREAK X. THE FRE AK X REPRESENTS THE ENTRY POINT INTO THE FRE AK

BREGUET ESCHEWED THE BAROQUE EXUBERANCE OF THE

FUJIWAR A , DESIGNER AND FOUNDER OF THE FR AGMENT

COLLECTION, AND REPRISES MANY OF ITS AESTHE TIC AND FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS. THE

EIGHTEENTH CENTURY IN FAVOUR OF REFINED AESTHET-

BR AND, SET ABOUT HIS COLL ABOR ATION WITH TAG HEUER

SIZING IS TIGHTER — 43 MM DOWN FROM 45 MM — AND, BRE AKING WITH ONE OF THE MOST

ICS. THIS YEAR’S BREGUET CL ASSIQUE 5177 GR AND FEU

AS HE DOES ALL HIS PROJECTS: WITH THE AIM OF CRE AT-

ICONIC ASPECTS OF THE COLLECTION, IT HAS A CROWN FOR TIME-SET TING. THE “BAGUET TE”

BLUE ENAMEL IS INSPIRED BY THESE NEOCLASSICAL LINES.

ING AN E XCEP TIONAL OBJECT THAT HE WOULD WANT TO

MOVEMENT IS STILL A CAROUSEL THAT ROTATES ONCE ON ITSELF E VERY HOUR TO INDICATE

HOWEVER, BREGUET ADDS A FRESH TOUCH BY RECREATING

OWN. THE STARTING POINT FOR THIS FR AGMENT WATCH

THE TIME . THE MOVEMENT IS SIMPLER , WITH FEWER WHEELS. DIAL AND HANDS ARE STILL

THE COLOUR OBTAINED WHEN BLUING BREGUET HANDS.

WAS THE ORIGINAL 1963 CARRER A .

ABSENT: INSTE AD, THE CENTR AL BRIDGE ACTS AS A MINUTE HAND AND ONE OF THE WHEELS

VIII · PATEK PHILIPPE CALATRAVA WEEKLY CALENDAR REF.

X · LOUIS VUITTON DAMIER COBALT CHRONOGRAPH. LOUIS

INDICATES THE HOURS. CLE ARLY VISIBLE IS THE E XTR A-WIDE SILICON BAL ANCE WHEEL ,

5212A. PATEK PHILIPPE IS PRESENTING A NEW COMPLICA-

VUIT TON PRESENTS A NEW VERSION OF ITS EMBLEMATIC

COMPLE TED BY NICKEL FLY WEIGHTS AND STABILIZING MICRO-BL ADES.

T I ON I N I TS CA LEN DAR WATCH SEG M ENT. THE WEEK LY

TAMBOUR WATCH. LIKE A HALLMARK OR SIGNATURE, THE

CA LENDAR I S A M ECHAN I S M THAT I N ADD ITION TO THE

“V“ FOR VUIT TON SYMBOLIZES THE WEARER’S BELONGING

DAY OF THE WEEK AND THE DATE ALSO INDICATES THE

TO A GROUP OF INSIDERS WITH A PRECISE SET OF VALUES:

CURRENT WEEK NUMBER .

SPORT Y, CHIC AND CONNECTED.

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DESIGN — WATCH YOUR TIME USA — 32

A He has worked on various iterations of the Serpenti, Octo, and Lucea, just to name a few. Most recently, he is credited to the latest take on the Octo: the Octo Finissimo Chronograph GMT Automatic, Reference 103068. The model stole the show at Baselworld 2019, setting the record for the world’s thinnest automatic chronograph and thinnest automatic chronograph caliber. In addition, designer Alexandre Peraldi has been making waves in the watch industry. After graduating with a degree in art, he started his career at Cartier in their accessories department. Soon, he discovered his own personal fascination with watches and went on to head up design for Baume & Mercier for nearly two decades. Before setting out as an independent in April 2018, one of his last notable contributions to Baume &

Mercier was another incarnation of the brand’s popular Clifton line. Today, Peraldi has refocused his attention on the education of the next generation of designers at the Geneva School of Art and Design. It is also reported that he and a number of other former Richemont Group employees are heading up their own independent watch brand called Riskers. Designers reign supreme Today’s designer is no longer at the mercy of big brands. In fact there are a number of brands in the contemporary market founded by a powerful pair: the watchmaker and the designer. Watchmaker Felix Baumgartner and designer Martin Frei of Urwerk, watchmaker Denis Flageollet and designer David Zanetta of De Bethune, and, as mentioned,

watchmaker Maximillian Busser and designer Eric Giroud of MB&F are all notable examples. Each of these brands demonstrates the expanding role and importance of the designer; one that goes beyond creative prowess. The twenty-first century has truly marked an age of newfound respect for the designer, their contribution to the watchmaking process, and the design principles integrated into timepieces. In many instances, a watch’s functionality has become secondary to its design. We no longer need watches to tell the time when we are constantly tied to our computer screens and smartphones. Instead, we want a watch for the way it looks and makes us feel. Some might say the designer’s role in watchmaking is more important now than ever before.

IIII

III

I · C H A N E L J12. AT TH E DAWN O F I TS 20TH A N N I VERSA RY, TH E J12

III · PANERAI LUMINOR DUE 3 DAYS AUTOMATIC ACCIAO. PRESENTED AS

V · GRAND SEIKO MECHANICAL. GR AND SEIKO PRESENTS A NEW R ANGE

WATCH HAS TR ANSFORMED AND ME TAMORPHOSED WITHOUT LOS-

A CL ASSIC ALTERNATIVE WITHIN THE R ANGE, THE LUMINOR DUE 3 DAYS

IN ITS AP TLY NAMED ELEGANCE COLLECTION. A NE W CASE , A NE W

I N G I TS V ERY ES S EN C E . T H I S I S N OT A N E W J12 WATC H , I T ’ S T H E

AUTOMATIC COMES IN 42 MM AND 38 MM DIAME TERS. IT ALSO INTRO-

MANUAL-WINDING CALIBRE WITH SMALL SECONDS AND AN URUSHI

J12. OF TODAY AND TOMORROW, AND YE T OF YESTERDAY TOO. AN

DUCES A DATE WINDOW. LIKE ALL LUMINOR WATCHES, IT FE ATURES

L ACQUER DIAL COME TOGE THER IN A REFINED WATCH, CHAR ACTER-

I C O N D O E S N OT C H A N G E , I T A DA P T S TO T H E PA S S I N G O F T I M E .

THE BRIDGE LE VER DE VICE THAT PROTECTS THE WINDING CROWN

ISTIC OF GR AND SEIKO.

I I · M O N T B L A N C H ER ITAGE MANU FACT U R E P U LSO GR AP H. H A R K-

FROM ACCIDENTAL SHOCKS.

VI · HE R M È S CARRÉ H BARENIA . HER M ÈS HAS G IVEN ITS CARRÉ H

I N G B A C K T O T H E “ P H Y S I C I A N ’ S WAT C H E S ” T H AT D O C T O R S

IIII · LA GR ANDE CLASSIQUE DE LONGINES. L A GR ANDE CL ASSIQUE

“A RC H I T EC T ’ S WATC H ” A S P O R T I ER F EE L W I T H A N E W B L AC K O R

O N C E U S E D TO C H EC K A PAT I E N T ’ S P U L S E , T H I S 4 0 M M M O D E L

DE LONGINES EMBODIES THE CL ASSICAL ELEGANCE FOR WHICH THE

N ATU R A L BAR EN I A CA LF STR A P. TH E PER F OR AT I ONS M I R ROR TH E

I N S T E E L I S D R I V E N BY T H E I N - H O U S E M B M13 . 21 M O N O P U S H E R

BR AND WITH THE WINGED HOURG L ASS LOGO IS RENOWNED. THE

CIRCUL AR GEOME TRY OF THE DISPL AY. RED BURNISHING MATCHES

C H R O N O G R A P H M O V E M E N T. T H E E L E G A N T, D O M E D D I A L I N

C O L LECT I O N H AS WELC O M ED N U M EROUS VA R I AT I O N S S I N C E I TS

THE SECONDS HAND THAT SWEEPS THE BL ACK OR GREY GUILLOCHÉ

SALMON PIN K IS LOADED WITH 1940S AND 1950S VINTAGE DE TAI L .

L AUNCH IN 1992, INCLUDING VERSIONS WITH BLUE DIALS AND STR APS.

AND GR AINED DIAL .

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33 — WATCH YOUR TIME USA — FOCUS

Heritage in its DNA With archives that catalog every watch produced by the brand since 1867, Longines is unique in the world of watchmaking. As is its Heritage collection, which celebrates this magnificent tradition.

Any visitor to the Longines factory, located in Saint-Imier in the Swiss Jura region, will hear people refer to of LEA. They will discover through playful insinuation that LEA is probably the most cherished thing at Longines — the apple of the watchmaker’s eye. However, LEA is not a guardian spirit or a real person, as the visitor will eventually learn. More prosaically, it is an acronym, which stands for Longines Electronic Archives. LEA may be made up of electronic chips and circuit boards, but it is no minor player in terms of the company’s facilities. In the world of watchmaking, there is nothing else like LEA. The LEA is the result of a long process driven by the same purpose throughout the history of Longines: to record the existence of all of the company’s products and maintain proper records of its heritage. The project began at the same time as the factory was founded as a “comptoir horloger”, trading in watch components in 1832. Over the successive generations of directors who have led the firm, the brand has continued to nurture this desire to create and pass on a worthy legacy. This quasi-obsession

means that Longines now has a library that is unique in the world of watchmaking, as well as one of the best-stocked museums in the industry, served by a private collection made up of no fewer than 10,000 timepieces that cover every stage in the company’s history.

CHARLES LINDBERGH (1902-1974). IN 1929, THE US NAVAL INSTRUC-

THE LONG I N E S LINDBERGH HOUR ANGLE WATCH. FOR THE 90TH

TOR PHILIP VAN HORN WEEMS FILED A PATENT FOR A WRIST WATCH

ANNIVERSARY OF THE FIRST E VER NON-STOP SOLO TR ANSATL ANTIC

HE HAD DE VISED, IN CONSULTATION WITH LONGINES, THAT WOULD

FLIGHT, WHICH WAS FLOWN BY CHAR LES LINDBERGH, LONGINES

C OM P LEM ENT THE BU LK Y CHRONOM E TERS ON THE I NSTRU M ENT

PRESENTED A LIMITED EDITION OF ITS FAMOUS HOUR ANGLE WATCH.

PANEL . HIS INVENTION ALLOWED PI LOTS TO SYNCHRONISE THEIR

THE BRUSHED SILVER DIAL FE ATURES A 180° SCALE FOR CALCUL AT-

WATCH TO THE SECOND, USING A R ADIO-TR ANSMIT TED SIGNAL AND

ING THE LONGITUDE. THE SYNCHRONIZ ATION OF THE SECOND HAND

A GR ADUATED ROTATING INNER DIAL. WEEMS’ DESIGN WAS REPRISED

WITH A R ADIO TIME SIGNAL IS ACCOMPLISHED USING THE BL ACK

BY CHARLES A . LINDBERGH, THE FIRST TO MAKE A NON-STOP SOLO

ROTATING CENTR AL DIAL , WHILE THE ROTATING BE ZEL ALLOWS FOR

FLIGHT ACROSS THE ATL ANTIC, IN 1927.

DAILY VARIATIONS IN THE TIME EQUATION TO BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT.

A knowledge bank LEA is part of the same visionary spirit that made Longines one of the first Swiss watch brands. Since 1867, it has recorded every single one of its watches by its serial number, firstly in its record books, then on microfiche, and now in the form of computer files. Since 2012, LEA has given Longines a unique database that brings together all the archives relating to each watch. With every year that passes, those archives grow in size. “The tool means that the brand can give people very specific information on Longines

watches, very quickly, no matter when they were made,” explains the company. Dozens of requests for information are received every day, and the answers can be found in LEA, this unrivalled watch database. Longines’ Heritage collection celebrates this extraordinary cataloging project. “Today, Longines combines the original aesthetics of its most outstanding early models with the very latest watch technology,” explains the company. As the brand has worked with many pioneers on land, in the air and on water, the watches in its Heritage range are a brilliant representation of its watchmaking expertise that has supported so much human exploration. Among these exceptional timepieces are the famous Lindbergh Hour Angle Watch and the Weems Second-Setting Watch, developed in the 1920s and 1930s for pilots. The collection also includes the inimitable Diver Watch of the 1960s, and the Conquest from 1954, dedicated to sporting excellence cataloging the early exercises in elegance with the Flagship of 1957. At Longines, history is taken seriously. Christophe Roulet

E X T R A O R D I N A R Y WA T C H E S A N D J E W E L R Y

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Reshaping history Beauty is hardwired into a history that Cartier has been revisiting these past three years, resulting in collections which emphasise elegant forms that capture the jeweller’s perpetual genius for design.

ARNAUD CARRE Z, CARTIER MARKE TING AND COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR

We’ve all heard of Generation Y. The ones who grew up with the millennium. They are the new face of consumption. For them, ownership is no longer a goal. Being is more important than having. Experiences and sustainable values matter more than possessions. They are also the digital natives, hence this shift in paradigm brings with it an almost visceral need to know what’s being said online… regardless of the question! Like any other segment, watch brands are affected by these disruptive consumption habits. “Now that social media take up so much of our lives, it’s become second nature for customers to compare before they buy,” says Cartier’s Chief Executive, Cyrille Vigneron. “And by that I mean everything: products, prices, perceived quality, other people’s opinion… Our role is to propose collections that make sense historically, technically and, something that is very important to Cartier, aesthetically. At the right price. If we are true to what we know how to do, then we will also be true to what the customer expects from us.”

This new strategy, introduced by Vigneron on taking up the CEO position in 2016, has seen the brand refocus on the values that have forged its strength and reputation for more than a century. For the brand’s watches, this has meant a return to non-round forms, a tradition at the firm, with slender, elegant shapes and an emphasis on women’s timepieces. Its incursion into the highest realms of mechanical watchmaking — still in evidence in 2017 with the extraordinarily complex Rotonde de Cartier Minute Repeater Mysterious Double Tourbillon — has gradually taken a back seat to models that are part of the brand’s history, as splendid today as ever. “We are coming back to Cartier’s foundations,” explains Arnaud Carrez, Marketing and Communications Director. “We’re not just tapping into this legacy, we’re enriching it too with all the creativity of Cartier, in particular through our Cartier Privé collection of limited-edition interpretations of signature watches that use Cartier’s expertise to bring a design to life.”

C A R TI E R BAIGNOIRE ALLONGÉE. THE BAIGNO I R E IS A WATCH OF

SANTOS-DUMONT DE CARTIER. WHEN A TIMEPIECE IS THIS MODERN

MANY FACES. BORN IN PARIS IN THE L ATE 1950S, ITS PERFECT OVAL

I N TEM P ER A M EN T A N D D ES I G N , I T ’S H A R D TO I M AG I N E TH AT I T ’S

U N D ERWEN T A TR A N S F O R M AT I O N I N 1960S SW I N G I N G LO N DO N ,

ACTUALLY CELEBR ATING ITS 115TH ANNIVERSARY THIS YE AR! THE

STRETCHING ITS FORMS TO ADORN WOMEN’S WRISTS WITH A MIX OF

NEW SANTOS-DUMONT WATCH HONOURS THE ONE WHICH CARTIER

ELEGANCE AND E XTR AVAGANCE . RENAMED BAIGNOIRE ALLONGÉE,

FIRST IMAGINED IN 1904 FOR THE PIONEERING AVIATOR , ALBERTO

IT CONTINUES TO PROVE THAT NOTHING SUCCEEDS LIKE E XCESS,

SANTOS-DUMONT. A CASE IN GOLD OR STEEL , ROMAN NUMER ALS,

WHEN IN E XPERT HANDS. ITS L ATEST ASSE T? A PINK GOLD BE ZEL

VISIBLE SCREWS, BE ADED CROWN AND A BLUE CABOCHON CARRY

WHOSE SCULP TED SPIKES BORROW FROM CARTIER’S JE WELLERY

ON THE LEGACY OF THIS TRULY CL ASSIC TIMEPIECE .

IDIOM AND THE CLOUS DE PARIS HOBNAIL DESIGN.

A winning strategy So what brings a customer to Cartier? Arnaud Carrez answers in a flash: “Beautiful, timeless objects. The fact that Cartier began as a jeweller gives it a unique personality in watchmaking.” For the past three years, the Parisian firm has revisited, with great success, the icons of a rich past; watches so essentially Cartier they are already classics in their own right. It all began in 2017 with the return of the Panthère, a star of the 1980s. Next came the Santos de Cartier, designed in 1904 by Louis Cartier for his friend, the dashing aviation pioneer Alberto Santos-Dumont, and the first watch to be made specifically for the wrist. Cartier is also introducing a new line within the Santos collection, by the name of Santos-Dumont. These new models feature a more slimline case and a pareddown dial, with a high-autonomy quartz movement. Another model making its return to the spotlight is the Baignoire. Imagined circa 1910, it fits perfectly into Cartier’s design language in both its original form and the elongated Allongée version that came out of Cartier’s London studio at the height of the Swinging Sixties. So, is Cartier back to being Cartier? “It’s a totally winning strategy because it’s coherent,” enthuses Arnaud Carrez. Eric Dumatin

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FOCUS — WATCH YOUR TIME USA — 36

What goes around: The Rolex Perpetual Planet Campaign

MOUNT EVEREST © ALE X TAIT / NATIONAL GEOGR APHIC

Rolex has long been a part of exploration, both as an essential piece of equipment, and as a stalwart supporter of ambitious endeavors. The company’s role in exploration has evolved as well, into what Rolex now calls its “Perpetual Planet” campaign.

The twentieth century is often considered the golden age of exploration. The North and South Poles were reached, Everest climbed, the bottom of the ocean plumbed, and most of the world visited, mapped, and photographed. It was a time of conquest against the elements and the unknown, pitting explorers against nature in epic battles for glory, triumph, and discovery. Times have changed. In the twenty-first century, explorers are no longer battling nature, but embracing it. Expeditions to the mountains, the polar regions, and the deep ocean are now more about discovering how the Earth is changing, what impact humans are having, and how we can preserve it. Rolex has long been a part of exploration, both as an essential piece of equipment, and as a stalwart supporter of ambitious endeavors. The company’s role in exploration has evolved as well, into what Rolex now calls its “Perpetual Planet” campaign.

Numerous partnerships Early on in Rolex company history, founder Hans Wilsdorf saw the potential in equipping adventurous individuals and explorers with watches. Sure, it was good publicity, but more importantly, it was product testing of the best kind. After all, if a watch can survive the highest, deepest, coldest places on Earth, there’s a good chance it’ll do well everywhere else too. And so Wilsdorf was more than happy to send Rolex watches into harm’s way, and also to champion the achievements of remarkable explorers. Most of the great achievements in exploration in the twentieth century were done with a Rolex keeping the time. In 1926, Mercedes Gleitze swam the English Channel with a Rolex watch around her neck. In the 1930s, Sir Malcolm ROLE X AND NATIONAL GEOGR APHIC. UNDER THE NAME PERPE TUAL PL ANET EXTREME EXPEDITIONS, ROLEX AND NATIONAL GEOGR APHIC ARE PL ANNING A FIVE-YE AR E XPLOR ATION OF THE PL ANE T’S MOST EXTREME ENVIRONMENTS. THE PARTNERSHIP WILL HARNESS WORLDRENOWNED SCIENTIFIC EXPERTISE AND CUTTING-EDGE TECHNOLOGY TO REVE AL NEW INSIGHTS ABOUT THE IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON THE SYSTEMS THAT ARE VITAL TO LIFE ON E ARTH: MOUNTAINS AS THE WORLD’S WATER TOWERS, R AINFORESTS AS THE PL ANE T’S

37 — WATCH YOUR TIME USA — FOCUS

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Campbell set numerous land speed records wearing a Rolex. In 1953, Sir Edmund Hillary of the British Mount Everest Expedition stood atop the roof of the world, equipped with an Oyster Perpetual. And in 1960, Captain Don Walsh and Jacques Piccard descended to the deepest point on Earth with a Rolex watch strapped to the outside of their bathyscaphe. But beyond timing dives, speed, and climbs, Rolex has also long supported organizations and causes that champion the spirit of exploration. In 1954, the company formed a partnership with the National Geographic Society, an alliance that has proven historic and long-lasting, even to the present day. In the early 1970s, Rolex committed to funding scholarships for promising young students keen on careers in the underwater world,

through the Our World-Underwater Scholarship Society. And in 1976, Rolex inaugurated Awards for Enterprise, which reward those individuals who demonstrate a commitment to improving lives or enhancing the understanding and preservation of the planet. With all of these, and numerous other partnerships, it made sense for Rolex to form an overarching campaign: Perpetual Planet. Ambitious projects There is true synergy in the partnership with the National Geographic Society. The organization, along with Rolex, has supported the most significant voyages and expeditions of discovery in the twentieth century, and its eponymous magazine has been there to docu-

ment them with its award-winning writing and legendary photography. This year, in the spirit of Perpetual Planet, National Geographic and Rolex are embarking on a series of ambitious projects that will utilize technology to document the effects of climate change in extreme locations on Earth. The first of these was an expedition to place a weather station near the top of Mount Everest in April of 2019, the first of its kind and one that will collect important data in the harsh but fragile ecosystem atop the watershed for much of the Indian Subcontinent. Future plans include similar projects in the rainforests and deep oceans. The Awards for Enterprise have been given to a diverse lineage of explorers and entrepreneurs. Past winners have included Lonnie Dupre, a

LUNGS, AND THE OCE AN AS ITS COOLING SYSTEM. THE FIRST E XPE-

ROLE X AWARDS FOR ENTERPRISE. IN GREENL AND, JOSEPH COOK ,

DEEPSEA UNDER THE POLE BY ROLEX. ROLEX SPONSORS THE UNDER

DITION SUPPORTED BY THIS PARTNERSHIP IS TO MOUNT E VEREST

2016 ROLEX AWARDS L AUREATE, RESEARCHED HOW MICROORGAN-

THE POLE EXPEDITIONS THAT PUSH THE BOUNDARIES OF UNDERWATER

AND R AN FROM APRIL TO JUNE 2019. THE E VEREST E XPEDITION TE AM

ISMS AFFECT CLIMATE. THE ROLEX AWARDS ARE UNIQUE IN SEVER AL

EXPLORATION. THE INAUGURAL EXPEDITION IN 2010 CREATED A PHOTO-

AIMS TO UNDERSTAND BET TER THE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON

WAYS. THEY ARE GIVEN FOR NEW OR ONGOING PROJECTS. THERE ARE

GR APHIC AND FILM REPORT ON THE UNDERSEA WORLD OF THE ARCTIC

THE GL ACIERS OF THE HINDU KUSH-HIMAL AYA THAT PROVIDE CRITI-

NO ACADEMIC OR PROFESSIONAL REQUIREMENTS, AND NO RESTRIC-

ICE CAPS NEAR THE GEOGR APHIC NORTH POLE. THE TEAM ALSO MEA-

CAL WATER RESOURCES TO 1 BILLION PEOPLE DOWNSTRE AM. THIS

TIONS ON GENDER OR NATIONALITY. THIS HAS ALLOWED MANY PEO-

SURED THE THICKNESS OF SNOW ON THE ICE, CRUCIAL TO ESTIMATING

INFORMATION WILL FORM THE BASIS OF A NEW INDE X TO TR ACK THE

PLE WORKING OUTSIDE ESTABLISHED SCIENTIFIC CIRCLES, AND THUS

THE TOTAL VOLUME OF ICE. THE RESULTING IMAGES OF THE TOP AND

HE ALTH OF THE HIMAL AYAN WATER SYSTEM AND INFORM DECISIONS

WITHOUT ACCESS TO TR ADITIONAL FUNDING SOURCES, TO GAIN REC-

BOTTOM OF THE ICE CAPS PROVIDED A PORTR AIT OF A DREAM WORLD

TO HELP PROTECT IT.

OGNITION AND FUNDS TO IMPLEMENT THEIR VISIONARY PROJECTS.

BEING LOST THROUGH GLOBAL WARMING.

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FOCUS — WATCH YOUR TIME USA — 38

polar explorer and mountaineer, whose Arctic expeditions have brought back evidence of the urgency and perils of climate change, Francesco Sauro, whose cave expeditions have mapped and studied the caves of South America, and Cristian Donoso, who documents Patagonia’s wild western coastline from a kayak. These modern-day explorers are certainly testing themselves in the wild: not to discover a new land, or plant a flag, but to heighten awareness, document the changing planet, and bring back evidence in the forms of stories and photography. Further partnerships that fall under the broad Perpetual Planet umbrella include Deepsea Under the Pole, a series of expeditions that began with scuba diving under the polar ice sheets, and has now expanded to include a sailing journey from the North Pole to the South, with the goal of exploring the ecosystems of the Twilight Zone at all latitudes.

A supporting role Dr. Sylvia Earle is a longtime Rolex testimonee, dating back to her days as a subaquatic pioneer in the early 1970s. During her long career underwater, Earle has seen the oceans change, due to rising water temperatures, overfishing, and pollution, which inspired her to found Mission Blue. This organization is dedicated to identifying what it calls, “Hope Spots” in the world’s oceans, regions that are holding their own or reversing course to return to environmental health. In an age of pessimism, Mission Blue is a beacon of optimism, led by Earle’s positive voice. She is realistic, but also hopeful that things can change and she tirelessly travels the world, visiting existing and potential Hope Spots, meeting with government

leaders and environmental groups. Rolex has been a supporter of Mission Blue since 2014. Perpetual Planet is aptly named. Of course, it takes inspiration from the self-winding movements inside Rolex watches, but it also emphasizes the circular, connected, and infinite nature of our global environment. In a symbiotic way that would no doubt please Hans Wilsdorf were he alive today, Perpetual Planet keeps Rolex in a supporting role for adventurers and explorers, people on the cutting edge of discovery and knowledge. And of course, as long as there are those who will still put themselves in harm’s way for the service of exploration and knowledge, there will also be Rolex watches there.

ROLEX AWARDS FOR ENTERPRISE. 2006 ROLEX AWARDS LAUREATE BRAD

JAPANESE MOUNTAINEER JUNKO TABEI. BECAME THE FIRST WOMEN

NORMAN HAS DEVISED AN IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM TO HELP PROTECT

TO SUMMIT EVEREST IN 1975. BUT TABEI’S RECORD BREAKING DID NOT

WHALE SHARKS. UNTIL RECENTLY NOT MUCH WAS KNOWN ABOUT THIS

STOP THERE. SHE BECAME THE FIRST WOMAN TO CLIMB THE HIGHEST

ELUSIVE FISH, WHICH CAN REACH 18 METRES IN LENGTH. FROM 1828 TO

PEAKS ON SEVEN CONTINENTS, COMPLETING THE FEAT IN 1992. IN LATER

THE MID-1980S THERE WERE ONLY 350 CONFIRMED SIGHTINGS OF THIS

YEARS SHE BECAME A POWERFUL ADVOCATE FOR PROTECTING MOUN-

ENIGMATIC ANIMAL RECORDED WORLDWIDE. CONSIDERED A SPECIES

TAIN ENVIRONMENTS. IN 2001, SHE APPEARED IN A ROLEX ADVERTISE-

THAT IS ENDANGERED, NORMAN SET UP THE MONITORING PROGRAMME.

MENT WITH SIR EDMUND HILLARY, AS THE FIRST MAN AND WOMAN TO

AS EACH WHALE SHARK HAS DISTINCTIVE MARKINGS, NORMAN USES

CLIMB THE WORLD’S HIGHEST PEAK.

A PATTERN-RECOGNITION METHOD INVENTED TO STUDY CONSTELLATIONS IN THE NIGHT SKY TO IDENTIFY THEM.

Jason Heaton

39 — WATCH YOUR TIME USA — FOCUS

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ROLEX OYSTER PERPETUAL EXPLORER. THIS WATCH AND AS WELL AS THE OYSTER PERPETUAL EXPLORER II EVOLVED FROM ROLEX’S DEEP INVOLVEMENT WITH EXPLOR ATION. THEY GO WHERE FEW PEOPLE VENTURE. THE BR AND WAS ABLE TO TEST THESE WATCHES IN REAL LIFE BY EQUIPPING POL AR, MOUNTAINEERING AND CAVING EXPEDITIONS OVER MANY YEARS. SOME OF THE WORLD’S MOST INTREPID EXPLORERS, MOUNTAINEERS AND SCIENTISTS TOOK EXPLORER AND EXPLORER II WATCHES TO PLACES THAT TESTED THEIR RELIABILITY IN THE TOUGHEST CONDITIONS.

BVLGARI LUCEA SKELETON. THE LVCE A SKELE TON BRINGS TOGE THER BVLGARI’S WATCH AND JEWELRY E XPERTISE — AND IS THE FIRST TIME SKELE TONIZ ATION HAS BEEN INTRODUCED TO THE COLLECTION TO RE VE AL ITS INNER WORKINGS. AS WELL AS BEING A MA JOR TECHNICAL E VOLUTION FOR THE LVCE A , L AUNCHED IN 2014, IT’S ALSO THE FIRST TO TAKE THE LE T TERS IN THE BVLGARI LOGO AND MAKE THEM AN INTEGR AL PART OF ITS DESIGN. THE OPEN WORK BVLGARI LOGO DIAL SE T WITH DIAMONDS SITS ABOVE THE OPENWORKED BRIDGES OF THE BVL 191SK IN-HOUSE MOVEMENT. BLUE L ACQUERED HANDS BRING A SPL ASH OF COLOR TO THE E THERE AL DIAL , AS DOES THE CABOCHON-CUT BLUE SAPPHIRE AND BRILLIANT-CUT DIAMOND THAT ARE SE T IN THE CROWN. THE 33 MM 18CT WHITE GOLD CASE IS SE T WITH ROUND BRILLIANT-CUT SAPPHIRES ON THE BE ZEL .

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41 — WATCH YOUR TIME USA — LADIES

–o–––- roberta naas

Women love mechanics At a time when the watch industry may be experiencing a slowdown, top watch brands are (finally) catering to women who love mechanics as well as diamonds.

After decades of offering quartz watches that sparkle with diamonds to attract the female customer, luxury watch brands are finally smartening up — recognizing that discerning women want brains in addition to beauty. Now that the worldwide web has put a wealth of information at our fingertips, people can educate themselves on any topic, including watches. Women, as well as men, are studying up and finding that they like what they see. “There is so much research being done online now that most women come in very knowledgeable about the big brands and even the small, exclusive independents. Sometimes they are more knowledgeable than the men,” says David Hurley, Executive Vice President of Watches of Switzerland Group, a multi-brand retailer with stores in the USA and UK. “We are seeing a significant uptake in women buying mechanical watches. Quartz watches are becoming a smaller and smaller section of the overall business in our stores.” While in the past, the concept of collecting watches was predominantly a masculine arena, today more women are opting in than ever before, and they’re reaching for timepieces that, instead of quartz, house fine mechanical movements and maybe offer a few high-watchmaking functions. What’s more, they are not just buying a single watch for versatility; they are buying a watch for work, weekend wear, evening wear and more.

“ There is no exquisite b eaut y… wit hout s ome s t rangene s s in t he pr op or t ion .” — Edgar Allan Poe (1 8 0 9 -1 8 4 9 ) Double dip Even so, watches for women comprise a small percentage of the near $50 billion global business in annual sales — most likely because brands have been slow to cater to women who want substance in addition to good looks. “Watches for women started as jewelry pieces, then brooches and pendants by the late nineteenth century,” says Rebecca Ross, Specialist in the Watch Department at Christie’s auction house. “Now more women than ever want watches that are not just pretty; they want watches that are functional, that hold an impressive history and can handle a lot of multi-tasking. They’re not just looking at ‘women’s’ watches either. They want the larger, more complicated and more visually interesting pieces. Women also seem to like the unisex aesthetic.” It’s a fact that women are in the unique position of being able to double dip when it comes to watches, donning a man’s watch as easily as a ladies’ piece. In fact many pundits believe watches should not be labeled as men’s or women’s at all. Additionally, brands are beginning to pay more attention to the fact that women are looking for sophistication and fine mechanics. Over the past decade, we are witnessing top brands

unveil entirely new mechanical watches, and even complete collections, that they hope will appeal to the female consumer. Today’s mechanical watches for women run the gamut from simple three-hand (hours, minutes, seconds) time-only watches to those with added functions and small complications, as well as a healthy dose of powerful complications. The new spate of timepieces making their debut this year range from dualtime zones (that indicate time at home and in the local zone for travelers), to calendars (that depict the day, date and moon phases), chronographs (for tracking short intervals of time, such as running a mile), tourbillons (that compensate for errors in timekeeping due to the effects of gravity) and minute repeaters that melodiously chime the time. A bit of everything While in many instances, brands continue to adorn these complications for women with diamonds and gemstones, for many female watch collectors diamonds don’t add anything to the timepiece, and can even take away some of the allure of a complication. However, there is still the other side of the fence: many women love diamonds. Additionally, thanks to the use of unusual cuts of stones and creative setting methods, some brands are proving that mechanics and shimmer are not mutually exclusive. “Honestly, each person is so individual; some love the diamonds, others don’t,” says Hurley. “It is truly a matter of personal taste.” Recognizing the diversity in personal style,

PANTHÈRE DE CARTIER CUFF WATCH. MINIATURE SIZE BUT MA XIMUM IMPACT FOR THIS STUNNING ITER ATION OF THE ICONIC PANTHÈRE DE CARTIER . THE FLUID CUFF BR ACELE T IS COMPOSED OF SENSUAL YELLOW GOLD LINKS, SOME L ACQUERED. THEIR SHIMMER IS ECHOED ON THE OFFSE T DIAL , WHOSE BL ACK L ACQUER SPOTS IMITATE THOSE OF A CERTAIN PANTHER .

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brands are offering a little bit of everything for women now, from sporty chic to full-on bling. This year, Patek Philippe unveiled mechanical women’s watches without the dazzle — offering new versions of its Ladies’ Nautilus sport timepieces that retail for $47,630 in rose gold. Similarly, Carl F. Bucherer unveiled new ScubaTec Lady watches that are water-resistant to 200 meters and don’t flaunt diamonds. Other brands are focusing on artistic appeal by adding creative dials to their mechanical watches. They include marquetry dials with animals on them or decorative hand-painted dials with birds and flowers taking center-stage. Artistic watches have long been a coveted staple in the men’s collector world because of the many hours it takes a master artisan to hand-paint or enamel a dial, firing coat after coat to achieve the finished colors and depth of hues. Similarly, marquetry

LADIES — WATCH YOUR TIME USA — 42

and mosaic dials — also often depicting animals and flowers for women — are incredibly time-consuming to create. Hundreds, sometimes thousands, of tiny pieces of wood, mosaic, glass, feathers, mother-ofpearl and other materials are meticulously placed on the dial to form the finished piece. Additionally, because of the artistry on the dial, most of the brands that create these exceptional pieces equip them with equally artistic technical movements. Rarity as well On the more technical side, some brands focus on offering skeletonization in their newest women’s watches — wherein the movement is visible not only via a sapphire case back, but also on the dial side. The art of skeletonizing a movement is no easy feat. It requires scaling down every part to its thinnest and

smallest, while still retaining its strength and rigidity. Audemars Piguet’s newest Royal Oak Frosted Double Balance Wheel Openworked watch — powered by the brand’s Manufacture Calibre 3132 whose 245 components are mostly visible — is a fine example. Also in an effort to satiate women’s desire for high complications, big-name companies and independents alike are turning out incredibly limited and coveted complexities. Bvlgari, for instance, this year unveiled its $187,000 Diva Finissima Minute Repeater watch. It houses the BVL362 caliber — the world’s thinnest minute repeater movement for a women’s watch. Independent brand MB&F created an all-new movement for its first ever women’s watch. The $315,000 Legacy Machine (LM) FlyingT is a three-dimensional timepiece that underscores the brand’s technical prowess. The 280-part movement

III

IIII

I · BREGUET REINE DE NAPLES 8908. LIKE THE TIMEPIECE COM M IS-

III · CHOPARD HAPPY SPORT OVAL. FOR THE TIMELESS AND PL AYFUL

V · HERMÈ S CAPE COD CHAÎNE D’ANCRE. THE NEW CAPE COD IS A

S I O N E D F R O M A B R A H A M - LO U I S B R EG U E T BY C A R O L I N E M U R AT,

HAPPY SPORT WATCH, PERPETUAL SELF-REINVENTION IS AN E XPRES-

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T H E N E W R E I N E D E N A P LES 89 0 8 I S A WATC H O F G R E AT B E AU T Y,

SION OF SUPREME ELEGANCE . THE PERFECTLY ADJUSTED PROPOR-

IT Y ON BOARD IN A SUBTLY MISCHIE VOUS MANNER . ON THIS L ARGE

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TIONS OF ITS DISTINCTIVE OVAL SHAPE ARE NOW RENDERED EVEN MORE

STEEL MODEL , THE “ANCHOR CHAI N” MOTI F I M AG I NED BY ROBERT

CIALLY DE VELOPED WITH BREGUE T’S WOMEN CUSTOMERS IN MIND.

FEMININE BY PAIRING THEM WITH THE ORIGINAL “GALE T” BR ACELE T.

DUMAS IN 1938 DIVERTS WATCHMAKING TR ADITIONS BY CHARTING A

I I · PIAG ET ALTIPL ANO METEORITE. PIAGET NEEDS NO INTRODUCTION

IIII · JAEGER-LECOULTRE RENDEZ-VOUS MOON SERENITY. THE RENDEZ-

COURSE WITH CRE ATIVIT Y AS ITS COMPASS.

AS A MASTER OF E XTR A-THIN MOVEMENTS, OR FOR THE ORIGINALIT Y

VOUS MOON SERENITY IS ALL IN BLUE, WITH A MOTHER-OF-PEARL MOON

VI · CHANE L BOY.FRIEND NÉO T WEED. THE OCTAGONAL SHAPE OF

OF ITS HARDSTONE DIALS. THIS YE AR IT CARRIES ON BOTH TR ADI -

PHASE SE T OFF AGAINST ITS SATIN-BRUSHED STAR CHART. DAINT Y

THE BOY.FRIEND IS ANCHORED IN CHANEL WATCHMAKING, WITH ITS

T I O N S W I T H T H E I N T R O D U C T I O N O F T H R E E M O D E L S F E AT U R I N G

GOLDEN HALF-SPHERES SCINTILL ATE UNDER THE LIGHT ABOVE THE

SOBER , REFINED DESIGN AND POWERFUL LINES. THIS STEEL VERSION

ME TEORITE DIALS.

ENCHANTING BLUE OF ITS INNER DIAL , RECRE ATING THE CONSTELL A-

WITH DATE DISPL AY, A LIMITED EDITION OF 1,000 PIECES, FE ATURES A

TIONS OF THE NIGHT SK Y ON A STARRY E VENING.

GREY T WEED PAT TERN ON ITS DIAL . .

43 — WATCH YOUR TIME USA — FOCUS

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO THE NEW YORK TIMES

Ready for adventure True to form, TAG Heuer puts its avant-garde technology into the new Autavia, a vintage-inspired piece that kicks off a brand-new collection.

It’s no longer rare for a watch to have a “face” — a personality whose temperament exactly fits the characteristics of the piece in question. By choosing Patrick Dempsey, a longstanding friend of the brand, to present the new Autavia, TAG Heuer has found the perfect match. A champion skier in high school, an internationally renowned actor and a professional racing driver, he’s a man with a cool head and a sense of adventure. Who better to represent a watch that could have been made for him, including the charm of a retro design that echoes the actor’s own charisma. The new collection is TAG Heuer’s first real venture into the still red-hot vintage market — apart from the square-cased Monaco whose distinctive, not to say disruptive design when launched in 1969, has less broad appeal. As a tool watch, the Autavia builds on nostalgia for an age of adventure, of “man versus the elements”. The new piece specifically looks to the original Autavias, those manufactured between 1933 and 1957 that were mounted on the instrument panels of racing cars and planes. It wasn’t until 1962 that the Autavia moved to the wrist. This was the first time a Heuer chronograph had

featured a rotating bezel and this, plus a reputation for reliability and legibility, made the Autavia a strong competitor to other racing chronos. It soon became a fixture of Formula 1 racing circuits in the 1960s and 1970s, worn by all the great drivers of the day. Despite this success, production ceased in 1985. But this wasn’t the end of the story. A good watch always has a way of coming back. Three years ago, TAG Heuer launched an online vote for fans to choose their favorite among 16 Autavia models from various eras. The winner, the Rindt Autavia from 1966, was subsequently reissued as a limited edition that launched during Baselworld 2017.

PATRICK DEMPSEY THREE MONTHS AF TER LAUNCHING ITS NEW NANO-

TAG HEUER AUTAVIA. TAG HEUER REINTRODUCES THE AUTAVIA AS

GR APH CARBON-COMPOSITE TECHNOLOGY, TAG HEUER UNVEILED AN

A S TA N D -A LO N E C O L L EC T I O N W I T H A R A N G E O F M O D E L S T H AT

ENTIRE LINE FE ATURING THE CUT TING-EDGE TECHNOLOGY. NAMED

BOAST TH E VERSAT I L I T Y, RUGG EDN ES S AN D R EL I AB I L I T Y OF TH E

FOR THE ICONIC AUTOMOTIVE CHRONOGR APH THE AUTAVIA , IT FE A-

O R I G I N A L AU TAV I A WATC H ES P RO D U C ED I N T H E 1960 S . M A K I N G

TURES FIVE ITER ATIONS AND A FURTHER T WO IN BRONZE . WHAT’S

USE OF THE CARBON-COMPOSITE HAIRSPRING TECHNOLOGY THAT

MORE, PATRICK DEMPSEY, TAG HEUER AMBASSADOR, IS BACK BEHIND

DISTINGUISHES E ACH PIECE AS AN ISOGR APH, THE AVANT-GARDE

THE WHEEL TO PROMOTE THE WATCH.

WATCHMAKER BUI LDS ON ITS HERITAGE TO CONTINUE THE SAGA .

Groundbreaking technology Fans clamored for more and, only too happy to oblige, TAG Heuer has decided to give greater prominence to the Autavia which this year becomes a standalone collection that

makes its debut with a three hands/date model in steel or bronze — a symbolic metal associated with traditional measuring instruments. “The cockpitinspired Autavia features design elements inspired by the models introduced over half a century ago,” says the brand. From the extra-large crown to the round case and beveled lugs of the vintage Autavia, as well as the bidirectional rotating ceramic bezel, everything about this new watch says rugged functionality, backed by the all-weather legibility one expects from a tool watch. The state-ofthe-art technology inside is also designed to go the distance, starting with TAG Heuer’s own carbon-composite balance spring — a worldfirst — combined with an aluminum alloy balance. This revolutionary regulating system, which qualifies the brand’s new Isograph movements, improves isochronism hence precision, which is tested and certified by the Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres (COSC). Whether exposed to shocks, variations in temperature or magnetic fields, this innovative balance and spring assembly won’t flinch. Like we said, ready for adventure! Christophe Roulet

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO THE NEW YORK TIMES

In phase with the Moon

LADIES — WATCH YOUR TIME USA — 44

is vertically stacked — topped with a tourbillon — and totally visible on the dial side thanks to a high-domed sapphire crystal. The addition of diamonds proves, as mentioned, that technical mechanics and dazzling gemstones are not mutually exclusive. The same is true with Jacob & Co., which this year released its Astronomia Fleurs de Jardin watch. Housed in a sapphireboxed case, diamonds and gemstones are used as part of the highly technical movement, with stones that rotate with the tourbillon via arms that extend out thanks to a patented differential system. Like their counterparts for men, women’s mechanical watches can be costly — sometimes more so because of the diamond adornments. Prices range from $15,000 for

In the case of the Arceau L’Heure de la Lune, Hermès is offering what it calls an “original interpretation” of the moon-phase complication using two moving discs: one showing hours and minutes, the other for the date. They appear to float above the dial, in aventurine or in meteorite, to make one complete sweep in 59 days. As they do, they reveal the different faces of two mother-of-pearl moons, one each for the northern and southern hemispheres. Both discs remain upright throughout their rotation, so that the time and the date are always easily read. Typically for Hermès, this poetic vision masks a degree of mechanical complexity such that the Parisian firm works only with the very best watchmakers. In this instance, Jean-François Mojon and his teams at Chronode were given the delicate task of developing a module that would seamlessly combine with the in-house Hermès H1837 calibre — an extra-thin movement at 3.7 mm high. This implied an additional constraint for Mojon, whose mechanism had to fit within the elegant curves of the 43 mm Arceau case in white gold. Mission accomplished, as the 117 components of the module assemble into a height of 4.2mm. As an added twist, Hermès has turned the cardinal points upside-down so that the southern hemisphere moon is at the top of the dial — where it reveals the Pegasus winged horse, a nod to Hermès’ equestrian connections — and its northern hemisphere counterpart, complete with craters, at the bottom. For Hermès, the objective is “to set foot on the Moon and lose one’s sense of time and space.” Not easy, with a beauty like this on the wrist! C.R.

a three-hand automatic to a million or so for the most complicated pieces. Still, women — just like men — don’t shy away because of the price tag; they’re willing to shell out the money to get exactly what they want out of a timepiece. “Everyone — men and women — is hesitant about plunking down $100,000 on a watch. It is a major purchase,” admits Hurley, “But we are seeing women coming in who have the money and want to spend it on a mechanical watch.” Ross concurs, adding that, “Regardless of gender, collectors want value for their money, whether they are buying a time-only or a tourbillon. If they love it, they want it, and that’s it. The biggest concern is how to get their hands on it, so rarity is coming into the picture now as well.”

III

IIII

HERMÈ S ARCEAU L’HEURE DE LA LUNE. HOW TO PUT A NEW SPIN ON THE CL ASSIC MOON-

I · RICHARD MILLE RM 71-01 TALISMAN. AS ULTR A-FEMI-

I I I · GR AND SE IKO L ADIES AUTOMATIC. TH IS YE AR , THE

PHASE COMPLICATION? HERMÈS’S ELEGANT SOLUTION, ENCLOSED WITHIN THE ARCE AU

NINE AS THEY ARE, THE RM 71-01 TALISMAN WATCHES L ACK

JAPANESE FIRM IS L AUNCHING ANOTHER NEW CALIBRE,

CASE, IS TO SIMULTANEOUSLY SHOW THE PHASES OF THE MOON IN THE NORTHERN AND

NONE OF THE FORCE AND ROBUSTNESS OF ANY OTHER

THE 9S27, AND A SERIES OF FIVE E XQUISITE L ADIES’ TIME-

SOUTHERN HEMISPHERES AS T WO MOBILE COUNTERS GR AVITATE AROUND A ME TEORITE

RICHARD MILLE WATCH. PROOF OF THE BR AND’S COMMIT-

PIECES, THE BEGINNING OF A NEW ER A FOR GR AND SEIKO

DIAL . BRE ATHING LIFE INTO THIS CONTEMPOR ARY CHOREOGR APHY IS THE HERMÈS H1837

MENT TO HIGH MECHANICS, THE AUTOMATIC MOVEMENT IS

IN THE WOMEN’S SEGMENT.

M ANUFACTURE MOVEM ENT, COM PLE TED BY AN E XC LUS IVE AND PATENTED MODULE BY

ITS EIGHTH IN-HOUSE CALIBRE AND ITS FIRST TOURBILLON.

IIII · VAN CLEEF & ARPEL S LADY ARPELS PLANETARIUM.

CHRONODE .

II · LOUIS VUIT TON VOYAGER FLYING TOURBILLON. LOUIS

ONE OF ITS POETIC ASTRONOMY CRE ATIONS, VAN CLEEF &

VUIT TON HAS CHOSEN A TOURBILLON ESCAPEMENT FOR

ARPELS RETURNS TO ITS MIDNIGHT PL ANÉTARIUM IN A VER-

TH I S HAUTE HOR LOGER I E WATCH THAT CAN B E WOR N

SION FOR WOMEN. DISTINGUISHED BY ITS REFINED AES-

JUST AS E ASILY BY MEN AS BY WOMEN. MORE THAN T WO

THETIC AS MUCH AS ITS EXCLUSIVE AUTOMATIC MOVEMENT,

CENTURIES AF TER ITS INVENTION, THIS ICONIC COMPLICA-

THE L ADY ARPELS PL ANÉTARIUM WATCH DEPICTS THE SUN

TION IS STILL RIGHTLY CONSIDERED A DEMONSTR ATION

AND THE NEAREST PL ANETS: MERCURY, VENUS AND EARTH

OF A WATCHMAKER’S SKILL .

TOGE THER W I TH I TS NATUR A L SATELLI TE , THE M OON .

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO THE NEW YORK TIMES

45 — WATCH YOUR TIME USA — FOCUS

Ode to nature Grand Seiko has added to its iconic Heritage collection with a line of four watches, designed in tribute to the traditional Japanese calendar of 24 seasons.

For philosophers, nature has always been a subject for reflection on the immutability of time and contemplation of its intrinsic beauty, and that is exactly what is on offer at the Mifuneyama Rakuen park in Kyushu, located in Saga prefecture in southern Japan. The exquisite garden, created in 1845 during the Edo period, leads visitors to sacred temples and ancient trees. This year, the walk is accompanied by an exhibition staged by the teamLab collective, called “A Forest Where Gods Live, Ruins and Heritage — The Nature of Time”. In the light of this theme, it is no surprise to see Grand Seiko working with teamLab, whose artists are known for questioning our relationship with nature in a world where art meets science, and where technology collides with design. It is not the first time that Grand Seiko has supported the arts to bring a philosophical dimension to its historical activity and quest for perfection. It has held its exhibition “The Nature of Time” during Milan Design Week for the past two years, examining the passing of time and the Japanese

approach to time, notably through a mise-en-abyme of the Spring Drive, Seiko’s proprietary movement that revolutionized the industry when it was unveiled in 2004 after more than 20 years of research and development. By uniting in a single caliber the best in watch mechanisms with the ultimate precision of electronics, Seiko propelled the measurement of time straight into the twenty-first century. Fascination with the universe True to its nature-centered approach, this year Grand Seiko offers a more poetic stance to the measurement of time by celebrating the cycle of seasons as perceived by the Japanese in the past. Before the Gregorian calendar was introduced to the archipelago in 1872, Japan used a calendar made up of 24 Sekki, which were defined by 15° sections of the solar ecliptic. Although the calendar is no longer in use, it is still part of Japanese traditions relating to the cycles of nature, a topic close to the heart of Grand Seiko. Now, the watchmaker has dedicated four

timepieces to this ancient system, which have been added to its iconic Heritage collection. To create continuity, Grand Seiko has chosen to reinterpret the symbolic design of the 62GS, the company’s first self-winding watch, launched in 1967. Faithful to the original, these four seasonal watches feature a faceted case finished in the brand’s characteristic “Zaratsu” polish, and an open dial design achieved by the bezel-free architecture. For the movement, Grand Seiko has chosen the self-winding high-frequency caliber 9S85 (36,000 vibrations per hour) for the models in steel: Summer, with a vibrant green dial, and Fall, in a more contemplative blue. The titanium watches, Winter and Spring, in gleaming white to represent snow and shimmering pink for the blossoming of the new season, are powered by caliber 9R65, a Spring Drive movement with a 72-hour power reserve and an accuracy of +/- 10 seconds per month. “The new Grand Seiko timepieces pay homage to Japan’s ever-changing nature,” concludes the watchmaker. It is a source of inspiration that has resulted in instruments as reliable as the universe itself. Christophe Roulet

GRAND SEIKO SBGA415 “WINTER” SPECIAL EDITION. THIS MODEL IS

G R AN D SE IKO SBGH273 “FALL” SPECIAL EDITION. TH IS MODEL IS

EXHIBITION “THE NATURE OF TIME” IN K YUSHU, JAPAN. THROUGH THE

EQUIPPED WITH THE 9R65 CALIBER. IT USES SOPHISTICATED MODERN

EQUIPPED WITH THE 9S85 CALIBER. IT USES MODERN TECHNOLOGY

CONCEP T OF “THE NAURE OF TIME”, GR AND SEIKO COMMUNICATES

TECHNOLOGY COUPLED WITH THE SKILLED HAND OF A MASTER CRAFTS-

APPLYING INNOVATIONS TO THE PRECISION CONTROLLING MAINSPRING,

THE UNIQUE WAY JAPAN HAS PERCEIVED TIME. IN LINE WITH THIS CON-

MAN FOR THE FINEST ADJUSTMENTS AND HIGHEST PRECISION POSSIBLE,

THE HAIRSPRING, AND THE ESCAPEMENT. TOGETHER THE MOVEMENT

CEP T, GR AND SEIKO SUPPORTED THE PROJECT IN WHICH TE AML AB,

HIGHLIGHTING THE SEAMLESS PASSAGE OF TIME WITH A SPRING DRIVE

SHOWCASES THE PURE POWER AND DYNAMISM OF THE MECHANICAL HI-

A LE ADER IN THE WORLD ART SCENE, E XPLORES THE CONCEP T OF

MOVEMENT. THE SILVER WHITE DIAL OF THE WINTER MODEL ILLUSTRATES

BEAT 36,000. THE RICH BLUE DIAL OF THE AUTUMN MODEL EXEMPLIFIES

AN “ENDLESS CONTINUIT Y OF TIME” THROUGH ART.

THE PURE AND CLEAR LANDSCAPE OF “MIYUKI” DEEP SNOW.

THE MELANCHOLIC EXPRESSIONS OF “TSUKIYO — THE MOONLIT NIGHT”.

TAG HEUER CARRER A CALIBRE HEUER 02T TOURBILLON NANOGR APH. TAG HEUER PRESENTS THE FIRST E VER CARBON-COMPOSITE BAL ANCE SPRING INSIDE THE IN-HOUSE HEUER 02T CHRONOME TERCERTIFIED TOURBILLON MOVEMENT, AND USHERS IN THE NE XT GENER ATION OF TOURBILLON WATCHES.

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO THE NEW YORK TIMES

47 — WATCH YOUR TIME USA — ENGINEERS

–o–––- carol besler

Material world Luxury watches are hyped as future heirlooms. Do they have the staying power?

One of the most famous slogans in the business tells us: “You never actually own a Patek Philippe; you merely look after it for the next generation.” This is the new promise of luxury, and watch companies have been working hard to make sure it is more than just a tagline. Over the past decade, they have been heading down the path of indestructibility when it comes to making timepieces. It is now possible to make a watch that will be around long enough to serve the next generation without having to be sequestered in a safety deposit box — some without even having to be serviced. Thanks to carbon, silicon, titanium and ceramics, alone or in combination with other elements or each other, watches can easily last well beyond our lifetime. Like warriors in a perpetual fight against the elements, these new super materials can withstand shocks, temperature fluctuations, magnetic fields and even the force of gravity, without ever being more than a few seconds off. Silicon, a game-changer Gravity, magnetic fields and fluctuations in temperature are the enemies of accurate timekeeping. They cause expansions and contractions in movement components, making them speed up or slow down, and affecting their regularity. The balance spring is particularly vulnerable, hence one of the main goals of R&D departments has been to find an alternative to the various metals traditionally used. Rolex was one of the first

“ W hat is now pr ove d was once only imagine d .” — William Blake (17 5 7-1 8 2 7 )

to find an alternative. In 2000, it patented a balance spring made of Parachrom, an alloy of niobium, zirconium and oxygen that is impervious to the elements, particularly magnetic fields which are a growing problem in the age of electronic devices. It is still used today in the company’s elite movements. The following year silicon came along, and it is a game-changer. Silicon is a hard and lightweight alternative to metal that is amagnetic, impervious to temperature change and, because it has very low friction, needs little to no lubricant. It can be formed with remarkable precision — the shape is accurate to the micron — without losing strength, which makes it perfect for small components, including watch escapements. Ulysse Nardin was the first to introduce silicon components in a movement in 2001 with its Freak (the Freak X is the most recent model, fitted with the latest generation of its silicon-based movement). Around the same time, Patek Philippe, Rolex and Swatch Group formed a consortium and teamed with Centre Suisse d’Electronique et de Microtechnique to develop silicon technology, resulting in new products for all those brands. In 2005, Patek Philippe

introduced its Spiromax balance spring, made of monocrystalline silicon. A year later Breguet introduced a silicon escapement, and by 2014, Rolex had introduced a Syloxi silicon balance spring. Other Swatch Group brands have since followed suit, including Blancpain, Omega, Tissot, Mido and Jaquet Droz. Last year Zenith took the technology one step further, introducing the ZO 342 caliber whose single-piece oscillator made of monocrystalline silicon replaces the entire 30-component standard regulating organ of a watch. It eliminates the need for assembly, adjustment, testing and lubrication. The ZO 342 vibrates at an unprecedented frequency of 15 Hz or 108,000 vph (vibrations per hour): that’s five times faster than the standard 28,800 vph or 3 Hz. This super high frequency means unprecedented accuracy without sacrificing amplitude or power reserve. Emerging America Since silicon technology gives watch companies an obvious competitive edge, it is not surprising that entrepreneurial Americans are getting in on the action. A team of U.S. researchers has developed a silicon balance spring that could kickstart a revival of the American watchmaking industry. The technology was developed by Firehouse Horology, co-founded by Nicholas Manousos and Kiran Shekar, who are co-CEOs of the company. They are producing the balance

LONGINES CONQUEST VHP CHRONOGR APH. LONGINES’ HISTORY WITH QUARTZ HAS BEEN ONE FULL OF TECHNICAL INNOVATIONS. AS AN E XTENSION, THE BAND PRESENTS ITS NEW CONQUEST V.H.P. CHRONOGR APH. THE MOVEMENT DE VELOPED E XCLUSIVELY FOR LONGINES STANDS OUT FOR ITS HIGH DEGREE OF PRECISION FOR AN ANALOG WATCH (±5 S/ YR) AND ITS ABILIT Y TO RESE T ITS HANDS AF TER AN IMPACT OR E XPOSURE TO A MAGNE TIC FIELD, USING THE GPD (GE AR POSITION DE TECTION) SYSTEM. THESE AT TR ACTIVE FE ATURES ARE LIKELY RESPONSIBLE FOR ITS STATUS AS AN E XCEP TIONAL MOVEMENT, TO WHICH A VERY LONG BAT TERY LIFE AND A PERPE TUAL CALENDAR MUST BE ADDED.

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO THE NEW YORK TIMES

springs at Columbia University’s Columbia Nano Initiative Clean Room, a micro- and nano-fabrication lab in New York City. The partners started Firehouse Horology in 2015 with a goal to “explore the future of horological nanofabrication,” says Manousos. Firehouse Horology holds patents for the new balance spring, which has been tested and validated by Swiss watchmaker F.P. Journe. Journe installed a series of the balance springs in his movements and put them through a battery of tests. Results confirmed that they perform to ISO 3159, the industry standard. “The biggest challenge we faced was convincing people that we were actually making balance springs ourselves in New York City,” says Manousos. “We view this as an opportunity. The United States used to be a world leader in horological manufacturing, and there is no reason why we cannot get back to that with some deter-

ENGINEERS — WATCH YOUR TIME USA — 48

mination and hard work.” On its side, the Swatch Group recently led another charge in the race to improve watch escapements with the introduction of nivachron, a titanium-based alloy that is resistant to variations in temperature, shocks and aging. Case material is another crucial factor in durability and value retention. When a watch sells at auction or elsewhere on the secondary market, condition is an important value factor. A scratched case is a drawback, but a repolished case is even worse, and can shave up to a third of the value off a vintage watch. Today’s collectors prize original condition above all. A watch designated as a future heirloom or an investment should be strong enough to be worn and enjoyed by its present owner, which means it should resist scratches, shocks, water and other elements that can give it an unattractive patina or wreck the

insides. Gold and steel have good properties, but they scratch, so the goal has been to find alternatives. Several companies, including Hublot, Rolex, Omega and Chopard, have simply improved their gold alloys by adding elements such as ceramic, titanium, palladium, platinum or extra copper to make them harder and more scratch-resistant. IWC has just introduced what it calls “hard gold,” a red gold alloy with a modified microstructure to obtain a hardness of 320 Vickers; that’s almost twice that of ordinary gold. Ceramic, which was made popular in the 1990s by Chanel, and by Rado before that, is evolving as a strong alternative to gold and steel, either alone or in combination with other alloys. Rolex uses a proprietary ceramic — cerachrom — on the bezels of its sports watches. Titanium is another strong contender: it is 50% lighter than steel but 30%

IIII

III

I · ULYSSE NARDIN FREAK NEXT. THIS PROTOTYPE WATCH, A SHOWCASE

III · TONNEAU DE CARTIER DUAL TIME SKELETON. RECENT YE ARS HAVE

V · GIRARD -PERREGAUX BRIDGE COSMOS. LUMINESCENCE AND DEPTH

FOR ULYSSE NARDIN’S TECHNOLOGICAL EXPERTISE AND THE FLEXIBLE

SEEN CARTIER RETURN TO SOME OF ITS MOST ICONIC ST YLES. INTRO-

ARE INHERENT TO THIS NEW TIMEPIECE FROM GIR ARD-PERREGAUX.

SILICIUM BL ADE TECHNOLOGY IN PARTICUL AR , SE TS THE TONE FOR A

DUCED IN 1906, T WO YE ARS AF TER THE SANTOS, THE TONNE AU ALSO

THE TERRESTRIAL GLOBE AT 3 O’CLOCK SHOWS A SECOND TIME ZONE

NEXT GENER ATION OF FREAK MODELS. THIS NEW CHAPTER IS COMBIN-

BROKE THE MOULD IN AN ER A OF POCKE T WATCHES. THE SKELE TON

WITH A DAY/NIGHT INDICATION. AT 9 O’CLOCK , THE CELESTIAL GLOBE

ING ALL THE MOST ICONIC INNOVATIONS OF THE FRE AK VISION MODEL

DUAL TIME MODEL SHOWN HERE IS PURE CARTIER ST YLE .

COMPLETES ONE ROTATION IN 23 HOURS, 58 MINUTES AND 4 SECONDS

WITH AN E XTR AORDINARY NEW 3D FLYING OSCILL ATOR .

IIII · HUBLOT BIG BANG MP-11 CARBON. RENOWNED FOR ITS EXPERTISE

— THE PRECISE LENGTH OF A SIDERE AL DAY.

II · PIAGET ALTIPLANO ULTIMATE AUTOMATIC 910P. THIS ALTIPL ANO

IN MACHINING HIGH-TECH MATERIALS, HUBLOT HAS MADE THE CASE

V I · AU D E M A R S P I G U E T CODE 11. 59 TOUR BILLON OPENWOR K ED.

ULTIMATE 910P IS A LESSON IN ULTR A-THIN AT A MERE 4.3 MM HIGH. THE

OF THIS BIG BANG MP-11 IN 3D CARBON. THE MOVEMENT IS ON A PAR ,

THIS MODEL HOUSES THE UNIQUE HAND-WOUND CALIBRE 2948. THE

SECRET LIES IN ITS CONSTRUCTION: THE CASEBACK DOUBLES AS THE

WITH SE VEN SERIES-COUPLED BARRELS AND AN IN-LINE INDICATOR

CONTR AST CRE ATED BE T WEEN THE 18-CAR AT PINK GOLD CASE AND

MAINPL ATE FOR THE 219 PARTS IN THE AUTOMATIC MOVEMENT. VITAL

COUNTING THE 14 DAYS OF POWER RESERVE .

THE DARK OPENWORKED RHODIUM GERMAN SILVER MAINPL ATE AND

MILLIME TRES HAVE BEEN SHAVED FROM THESE PARTS.

PVD BRIDGES ACCENTUATES THE MOVEMENT’S ARTISTRY.

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO THE NEW YORK TIMES

49 — WATCH YOUR TIME USA — FOCUS

“Reconnect”

Montblanc’s 1858 watches are built for adventure, inviting us to go out and experience the world’s many wonders. The star product in the range, the Geosphere, reconnects us with nature.

When the pressure of work builds up; when being constantly connected puts impossible demands on our time, nature can be the best place to go and clear our head. Or so Montblanc’s latest “Reconnect” campaign wants us to believe. “It’s easy to get caught up in the intense pace of life and forget that the best way to recalibrate and find focus is to experience the beauty of nature,” says Nicolas Baretzki, Montblanc CEO. “Any kind of outdoor exploration is an extraordinary source of inspiration, contributing to greater creativity, happiness, and inner strength.” To illustrate his point, the campaign shows a fashion photographer and a singer-songwriter transported from their busy working environments into nature’s soothing surroundings, where they are able to “reconnect” with themselves and the world. At Montblanc, this (re)connection between man and nature takes the form of a watch whose attributes capture the force, harmony and majesty of the great outdoors. A watch that invites us to explore our surroundings as much as our inner selves. For the brand, this watch is the Montblanc

1858 Geosphere, already a tribute to the mountaineering world. As every geography student knows, Mont Blanc is the highest summit in the Alps. When celebrating the 160th anniversary of its Minerva Haute Horlogerie Manufacture in 2018, Montblanc thus decided to dedicate the Geosphere to the Seven Summits climb, the ultimate mountaineering challenge. These seven peaks are symbolised by as many red dots on the two domed hemisphere globes on the dial. Making one full rotation in 24 hours, the northern hemisphere globe turning anti-clockwise and the southern hemisphere clockwise, they track world times. Complementing this indication is a second time zone display, together with a date window. Endless potential While the Geosphere is clearly the highlight of the 1858 collection, the entire range is a catalyst for the brand, with its “sport watch meets tool watch” style and proudly vintage accents. “Precise, legible and robust for use in extreme conditions, the legendary professional Minerva watches from

MONTBL ANC’S “RECONNECT” CAMPAIGN. IN TODAY’S FAST-PACED

MONTBLANC’S 1858 GEOSPHERE LIMITED EDITION. THIS GEOSPHERE

AND INTERCONNECTED WORLD, FINDING THE INNER CL ARIT Y AND

IS DEDICATED TO THE WORLD’S SE VEN SUM M IT CHALLENGE , THE

INSPIR ATION TO FOCUS ON THE THINGS THAT RE ALLY MAT TER CAN BE

HOLY GR AIL OF MOUNTAINEERS. IT FE ATURES A WORLD TIME COM-

CHALLENGING, BUT STEPPING OUTSIDE TO EXPERIENCE NATURE CAN

PLICATION WITH T WO DOMED HEMISPHERE GLOBES, A SECOND TIME

HELP US RECONNECT WITH WHO WE ARE AND THE WORLD AROUND US.

ZONE DISPL AY, AND A DATE .

the 1920s and 1930s were conceived for military use and exploration,” notes the brand. “Inspired by these historic timepieces, the Montblanc 1858 pays tribute to the Minerva Manufacture’s extraordinary heritage.” Having made its debut in 2017 as a series of limited editions, the collection has since grown in stature. Signature features include cases in bronze, appreciated for the unique patina it develops with wear, and a clear vintage inspiration accentuated by khaki green dials and domed cathedral-shaped hands. Solidly built, the 1858 is the watch every adventurer should have in his backpack. Montblanc has good reason to reference Minerva in its collections. Established in 1858, it rose to prominence as a manufacturer of professional measuring instruments and timers for just about every trade and sport. A fact that hasn’t escaped collectors, as Nicolas Baretzki confirmed at January’s Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie, in Geneva: “The completely revived Minerva offer is exciting for watch collectors who now stop by to check out the booth. There is so much more at Minerva to inspire us, whether from a technical perspective or in terms of its history. The potential is enormous.” Something to mediate in the quiet of nature, a Geosphere on your wrist. Christophe Roulet

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO THE NEW YORK TIMES

stronger, and resistant to corrosion. However, it is also prone to scratching, hence some manufacturers are now using it in conjunction with scratchresistant ceramic. Omega uses both materials in its new Seamaster Diver 300M Ceramic. The case is made of ceramic and the caseback is in grade 5 titanium. The bezel is both: titanium topped by a black ceramic ring. Companies are also starting to alloy the two materials together for the perfect combination of strength, lightness and scratch-resistance. IWC combines them to create what it calls ceratanium in cases that are machined from a high-purity titanium alloy, then surface-finished before being baked in a furnace. The surface layer transforms into ceramic while the inside is still titanium. Ceratanium has a hardness of 1,300 Vickers and is 33% lighter than steel. It debuted in the brand’s iconic Top Gun

ENGINEERS — WATCH YOUR TIME USA — 50

pilot’s watch collection earlier this year. At least two other brands, Chopard and F.P.Journe, are working with titalyt, which is titanium reinforced by an electro-plasma treatment that enhances its hardness and abrasion-resistance. The second golden age of watchmaking Panerai introduced a new material this year in its Submersible series called BMG-TECH, an alloy of zirconium, copper, aluminum, titanium and nickel which is injected into a mould at high pressure and high temperature then rapidly cooled. It is 70% more scratch-resistant than titanium, lighter than steel, and particularly resistant to corrosion and shocks. Ulysse Nardin’s most recent foray into new materials has yielded carbonium, a carbonbased material used by the aeronautics industry to make airplane fuselages and wings that is both

super-lightweight and strong. It is also noted for its sustainability. According to Ulysse Nardin, the production process has 40% less environmental impact than that of other carbon composite materials. Carbonium is being used in the brand’s Freak X collection. Not to be outdone, TAG Heuer recently used a carbon composite to make a balance spring. Produced using natural gas, it resists gravity, shocks, magnetic fields and variations in temperature, resulting in optimal precision. It was launched in the Carrera Calibre Heuer 02T Tourbillon Nanograph earlier this year. We are currently in the midst of the second golden age of watchmaking — the first being two centuries ago when the basic principles of watchmaking were invented. Now watchmaking is being reinvented, as luxury brands continue to, literally, make a better wheel. It’s an ideal time to invest in a good watch.

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III

I · TISSOT PR100 CHRONO. TISSOT DECIDED TO ADD A SPORTY CHRONO-

III · SLIM D’ HERMES TITANIUM. THE NEW SLIM D’HERMÈS ASSERTS ITS

V · BLANCPAIN FIFTY FATHOMS. UPON ITS RELEASE IN 1953, FIF T Y FATH-

GR APH TO THE PR100 SPORT-CHIC COLLECTION. ITS GENEROUS 38 MM

SINGUL AR CHAR ACTER THROUGH COLORFUL TOUCHES. ITS ULTR A-

OMS, THE FIRST MODERN DIVER’S WATCH, IMMEDIATELY APPE ALED TO

CASE MAKES A STR I KING STATEMENT. FE ATURES OF THE WATCHES

LIGHT TITAN I UM CASE , ITS ANTHR AC ITE D IAL LIT UP WITH HER M ÈS

PROFESSIONAL DIVERS. ITS MAIN ORIGINAL TECHNICAL AND AESTHETIC

ARE BOTH ROBUST AND BE AUTIFULLY STRE AMLINED, AS SHOWN BY

OR ANGE AND I TS U LTR A-TH I N M ANUFACTUR E HER M ÈS M OVEM ENT

CHAR ACTERISTICS, REVISITED AND COMPLEMENTED BY A DATE IN THE

THE STRONGER BE ZEL , AND SIMPLIFIED BR ACELE T, MAKING THIS AN

FORM A LIVELY YE T UNDERSTATED COMPOSITION.

2000S, ARE NOW TE AMED WITH A TITANIUM CASE .

E ASY PIECE TO WE AR .

IIII · Z E NITH DEF Y INVENTOR. PRESENTED IN THE DEF Y L AB IN 2017,

VI · CHOPARD LUC CHRONO ONE FLYBACK. THIS VERSION OF THE MODEL

I I · R A D O HYPER CHR OM SK ELE TON. C R A F T ED F RO M M AT T B L AC K

ZENITH’S RE VOLUTIONARY OSCILL ATOR IS NOW GREENLIGHTED FOR

PL ACES THE EMPHASIS ON SPORT AND MASCULINE PURSUITS WITH

HIGH-TECH CER AMIC, THE MODEL SPORTS A STARK YET SUBTLE LOOK.

SERIAL PRODUCTION IN THE DEF Y INVENTOR . THIS STR ATEGIC COM-

A PL AY ON COLOURS THAT IS ENTIRELY NEW TO THE L .U.C. COLLEC-

CRE ATED BY FIRING CER AMIC COMPONENTS WITH BL ACK PIGMENT

PONENT IS MANUFACTURED AS A SINGLE, ULTR A-THIN PART OPER ATING

TION. THE CASE IS DARK AND MAT T, THANKS TO THE USE OF TITALY T®

AT 1450°C IN A HIGH-TECH OVEN, SUPER HARD HIGH-TECH CER AMIC

AT A VERY HIGH FREQUENCY OF 18 HZ (129,600 VIB/H) AND REPL ACES

A MATERIAL WIDELY USED IN THE AEROSPACE , AERONAUTICAL AND

DE VELOPS ITS MAT T BL ACK FINISH THROUGH SAND BL ASTING.

THE THIRT Y-SOME PARTS OF A STANDARD REGUL ATOR .

MEDICAL FIELDS.

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO THE NEW YORK TIMES

51 — WATCH YOUR TIME USA — FOCUS

Sweet treats Richard Mille’s Bonbon watches are, quite literally, wrist candy. The collection, a huge surprise from this high-mech brand, was designed by Cécile Guenat who already made an impression with the RM 71-01 Talisman.

Back in 1961, “Sweets For My Sweet” put The Drifters into the R&B top ten. Richard Mille has taken this message to heart with its latest Bonbon watches in ten limited editions. It’s a collection no-one was expecting from a brand more readily associated with world-class athletes, advanced mechanisms and high-tech materials — and the subject of gentle mockery in certain quarters when it was unveiled at the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie in Geneva last January. How wrong they were. The Bonbon collection is now being hailed for its huge originality, uncompromising mechanical solutions and use of innovative materials to inject some much-needed fun into an often right-thinking industry. Richard Mille’s candy-themed collection is typical of a brand that has never ceased to impress with products at the cutting edge of technology and innovation, thanks to which it maintains a growth rate of 15% per year. The world’s lightest mechani-

cal watch at 18.83 grams, strap included? That was Richard Mille. The first tourbillon to be put through its paces by a world-class athlete? Richard Mille again. The first watch with a cable-suspended movement for ultimate shock protection? Still Richard Mille. So when a brand with these credentials decides to dip into the candy jar, best take it seriously. High-tech meets design The Bonbon collection breaks down into ten limited editions of 30 pieces each. “Just saying ’bonbon’ is enough to make you smile,” laughs Cécile Guenat, who imagined the collection. “Sweets are for pleasure, sweets are for sharing. The collection was an opportunity to have fun, to become a child again. It’s disruptive, stylish, humorous and creative. The brand is serious about watchmaking but also dares to go its own way and this collection, which took eighteen months to bring to fruition, is typical of that.” This isn’t the first time Guenat has made her mark as a designer.

She is behind last year’s RM 71-01 Talisman, a fantastic blend of Art Deco and African art that positioned Richard Mille firmly in the women’s watch segment. Without going into detail, the RM 07-03 Myrtille (Blueberry) gives an idea of the various technologies and decorative techniques used. Four swirly lollipops, two gummy ribbons and two sugar canes share the dial. Each sweet is painted in acrylic and lacquered by hand. The bezel is made from Carbon TPT®, a superposition of hundreds of carbon filaments which are compiled on a machine to modify the orientation of the fibres between layers. After firing, this Carbon TPT® is sliced open to reveal random patterns. The caseback is in Quartz TPT® whose turquoise shade is a new colour that took a full year to develop. As for the caseband, it uses a gradient of both materials, allowing a gradual colour transition between the bezel and the caseback. Inside is the CRMA2 skeleton movement. A sweet treat, indeed. Christophe Roulet

RICHARD MILLE RM 07-03 BLUEBERRY. LISTENING TO CÉCILE GUENAT,

RICHARD MILLE RM 16-01 LIQUORICE. THE SMOOTH APPEARANCE OF THE

RICHARD MILLE RM 16-01 STRAWBERRY. THE LOLLIPOPS, SUGAR CANES

CRE ATIVE DIRECTOR , THE IDE A FOR THE BONBON COLLECTION CAME

GIANT ROLL OF LIQUORICE, ACHIEVED BY APPLYING A BLACK CHROME

AND OTHER CANDIES ON THE BONBON WATCHES ARE MACHINED FROM

ALMOST BY ITSELF. “IT OCCURRED TO ME THAT THE CROWN ON THE

COATING AFTER STAMPING FROM A BLOCK OF TITANIUM, SUGGESTS THE

SHEETS OF TITANIUM THEN HAND-PAINTED IN ACRYLIC TO RECREATE THE

RM 07- 01 LOOKED LIKE A PIECE OF CANDY. AND THE CASE OF THE

CARNAUBA WAX THAT TRADITIONALLY COVERS THIS DISTINCTIVELY FLA-

BRIGHTNESS AND TEXTURE OF A SUGAR COATING IN MOUTHWATERING

RM 016 REMINDED ME OF LIQUORICE . WE ALSO WANTED TO REVISIT

VOURED SWEET. BLACK, IN WATCHMAKING, USUALLY SERVES TO HIGH-

COLOUR. EACH MINIATURE IS SET INTO THE OPENWORKED DIAL, FIRMLY

THE EXISTING COLLECTIONS, IN A FUN WAY. E ACH OF THE 16 BONBON

LIGHT A TECHNICAL COMPLEXITY; HERE, IT MAKES OUR TASTEBUDS TINGLE.

SECURED ON SANDBL ASTED, HAND-CHAMFERED TITANIUM PL ATES.

WATCHES HAS ITS OWN THEME AND DECOR ATION.”

BLANCPAIN AIR COMMAND. WHILE NO-ONE KNOWS THE EXACT CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING THE CREATION OF THE AIR COMMAND CHRONOGR APH, DEVELOPED BY BL ANCPAIN IN THE 1950S FOR U.S. AIR FORCE PILOTS, ONE THING IS FOR SURE: VERY FEW WERE PRODUCED. THIS YEAR, BL ANCPAIN PRESENTS A 500-PIECE LIMITED EDITION THAT LOOKS EVERY INCH THE PART: 42.5 MM STEEL CASE, R ATCHETED “COUNTDOWN” ROTATING BEZEL, BOX-TYPE SAPPHIRE CRYSTAL, NUMER ALS AND MARKERS COATED WITH OR ANGE “OLD R ADIUM”-TYPE SUPER-LUMINOVA® AND 30-MINUTE AND 12-HOUR CHRONOGR APH COUNTERS ON THE BL ACK DIAL. BRINGING THIS AIR COMMAND BANG UP TO DATE, BL ANCPAIN HAS FIT TED IT WITH THE HIGHFREQUENCY (5 HZ) CALIBRE F388B WITH FLYBACK MECHANISM, THAT MEASURES EL APSED TIMES WITH 1/10TH OF A SECOND PRECISION.

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO THE NEW YORK TIMES

53 — WATCH YOUR TIME USA — EXPLORER

–o–––- laurie kahle

Adventure set

Early tool watches took explorers to the ends of the earth and beyond, paving the way for today’s robust sport models.

“Because it is there.” The English mountain climber George Leigh Mallory uttered those now immortalized words as he embarked on the third British expedition to scale Everest in 1924. His pithy reply came when asked why climbers risked their lives to reach the planet’s highest and most elusive peak. He and his companion Andrew Irvine were last seen forging upward into the clouds about 1,000 feet from the summit. What happened next will remain an eternal mystery. Did they encounter disaster before or after they reached the top of the world? In 1999, Mallory’s mummified remains were finally discovered. In his pocket were a box of wooden matches, a tin of “savoury beef lozenges” and a silver Borgel wristwatch. The timepiece was missing its crystal, and its hands had decayed away, but the enamel dial was relatively unscathed and the movement was, remarkably, in working order. A rugged and reliable watch was essential gear for such extreme exploits, allowing adventurers to keep track of time under dangerous conditions. As technology advanced, such tool watches could boast increased water- and shock-resistance, plus the ability to repel magnetic fields and still perform with high precision. Proprietary steel alloys were developed to resist corrosion from sweat and humidity. By the 1970s, lightweight titanium from the aerospace industry made its way onto our wrists. Today, as in those mid-century glory days, the ideal tool watch “takes a licking and keeps on ticking,” as Timex’s old motto put it.

“ I will go any where, provided it be for ward.” — David Livingstone (1 8 13 -1 8 7 3 )

A golden era of watch design Almost three decades after Mallory’s disappearance, Sir Edmund Hillary and his sherpa Tenzing Norgay became the first to stand atop Everest on May 29, 1953. Hillary reportedly had two watches: one by Smiths, a now-defunct expedition sponsor, and a Rolex Oyster Perpetual. Capitalizing on the mountaineering milestone, the brand sought feedback from those on the Everest expedition and other climbers to develop the Explorer, establishing a legacy model that continues to thrive nearly 70 years later. “After World War II, people were able to breathe a little and they had more time to think about leisure and activities,” says Paul Boutros, Senior Vice President and Head of Watches for the Americas at Phillips in New York. “Things like mountain climbing and diving became more popular, and brands like Rolex, Blancpain and Omega started to make watches to fit the lifestyles of the changing post-war culture. You really have a golden era of watch design after World War II, and it’s amazing to study the early 1950s in terms of what watch brands were doing.”

For example, Breitling launched its technical Navitimer to serve as the ultimate pilot’s wrist tool in 1952, while Blancpain focused on underwater exploration, introducing the Fifty Fathoms dive watch the following year. In 1954, Rolex followed suit with the Submariner. By the time Omega introduced the Seamaster, Railmaster and Speedmaster in 1957, the burgeoning sport watch market was in high gear. Even weekend warriors and vicarious adventurers could buy into the image. After all, you needn’t scale the Seven Summits or plunge to murky ocean depths to appreciate a rugged and reliable watch on your wrist. As these watches filtered into the twentieth-century mainstream, some brands followed Rolex’s lead in sponsoring and outfitting expeditions that provided real-world testimonials to their strength and durability. Some even enlisted expert help for R&D. SCUBA pioneer and oceanographer Jacques-Yves Cousteau worked with watch companies to develop cuttingedge dive watches during the 1950s and ’60s. Cousteau and his crew were often spotted wearing Submariners and Fifty Fathoms models. His missions also used other brands including Omega and Doxa, whose 1967 Sub model was imported into the United States by Cousteau’s US Divers company. Doxa maintained a relationship with the Cousteau family and provided watches for his grandson Fabien Cousteau’s Mission 31 expedition in 2014. In the late 1960s, Omega

SEIKO PROSPE X L X. SEIKO’S SPORTING SIDE HAS PRODUCED THREE VERSIONS OF THE PROSPE X, DEDICATED TO L AND, SE A AND SK Y. ALL HAVE THE ROBUSTNESS, LEGIBILIT Y AND RELIABILIT Y E XPECTED, WITH ADDITIONAL FUNCTIONS CORRESPONDING TO E ACH FAMILY. FOR E X AMPLE, THE “L AND” WATCHES FE ATURE A GMT HAND AND A COMPASS BE ZEL .

EXPLORER — WATCH YOUR TIME USA — 54

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO THE NEW YORK TIMES

consulted with Cousteau and COMEX, a French deep-sea diving company, to develop the Seamaster 1000m and the Ploprof 600, both purpose-built to survive extreme depths.

Up in the Air A decade ago, Louis Vuitton caught the watchmaking world offguard with a completely new means of displaying the time. For the ten-year anniversary of this exclusive calibre, patented in 2009, the Parisian firm has come up with the Tambour Spin Time Air, a totally transparent interpretation of the original concept. The mechanics are the same as on previous versions. Rather than a conventional central hand, the hours are displayed by twelve rotating cubes. Every 60 minutes, two of these cubes spin: one to reveal a “neutral” side and one to display the next hour. It’s fun, it’s new and it’s also highly complex. This new interpretation is again the work of La Fabrique du Temps, Louis Vuitton’s watchmaking arm. Its teams are behind the LV88 calibre with automatic winding and 35 hours of power reserve. The most intriguing aspect, however, is that the signature cubes jut out into empty space, where the dial and movement have been completely cut away. For this anniversary edition, Louis Vuitton is presenting a seven-strong collection of three men’s watches and, for women, four models with cylinders instead of cubes. The mechanism sits in the middle of the case, between two sapphire crystals, under the LV monogram (on the men’s versions) or two Monogram flowers, one rounded and one pointed, for the women’s. Turning the watch over reveals the hidden side of the cubes or cylinders, as well as the oscillating weight. Louis Vuitton proves once again that it is always possible to put a new spin on the measuring of time. E.D.

To the moon During the Sixties, the quest to go where no man had gone before extended to space and eventually to the moon. Though it was designed for automotive racing, Omega’s Speedmaster received NASA’s blessing for use on piloted missions in 1965. When Buzz Aldrin wore his on the lunar surface in July 1969, Speedmaster became the first watch on the moon, giving the brand an everlasting claim to fame. To mark this year’s golden anniversary of the event, Omega has introduced spe-

cial editions, including the Speedmaster Apollo 11 50th Anniversary Limited Edition featuring a laser-engraved image of Aldrin descending to the surface in the sub-dial at 9 o’clock. The case back is embellished with the imprint of an astronaut’s boot and Neil Armstrong’s signature quote: “That’s one small step for a man — one giant leap for mankind.” Speedmasters also played a crucial role in the Apollo 13 mission the following year, when astronauts were forced to rely on the watches to plot trajectories to pilot their crippled ship back to earth. Explorer extraordinaire and Rolex enthusiast Sir Ranulph Fiennes and his partner Charles Burton launched the Trans-Globe expedition in 1979 with the goal of completing the first surface circumnavigation

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LOUIS VUITTON SPIN TIME AIR. THE TAMBOUR SPIN TIME, THE MOST MODERN JUMPING HOURS

I · ROLE X GMT MASTER II. ROLE X IS PRESENTING A NEW

III · RICHARD MILLE RM 25-01 TOURBILLON ADVENTURE

WATCH, TOOK THE WATCHMAKING WORLD BY SURPRISE A DECADE AGO WHEN IT INTRODUCED

VERSION OF THE OYSTER PERPETUAL GMT- MASTER II WITH

SYLVESTER STALLONE. DES I G N ED I N C O LL ABOR AT I ON

A COMPLETELY NEW WAY TO TELL THE TIME. THIS LATEST ITER ATION, THE TAMBOUR SPIN TIME

A BIDIRECTIONAL ROTATABLE BE ZEL AND A T WO-COLOR

WITH SYLVESTER STALLONE , THE RM 25-01 ADVENTURE

AIR, HAS A NEW LOOK BUT STAYS TRUE TO ITS UNIQUE CONCEPT. INSTEAD OF A CONVENTIONAL

24-HOUR GR ADUATED CER ACHROM INSERT IN BLUE AND

TOURBILLON CHRONOGR APH IS MADE TO SURVIVE IN THE

CENTRAL HAND, THE HOURS ARE SHOWN BY TWELVE ROTATING CUBES. EVERY 60 MINUTES, TWO

BL ACK CER AM IC. THIS WATCH IS IN OYSTERSTEEL AND

MOST HOSTILE NATURAL ENVIRONMENTS. RESEMBLING NO

CUBES INSTANTANEOUSLY SPIN TO SHOW THE NEW HOUR. THE EXCLUSIVE MOVEMENT INSIDE

FIT TED WITH A JUBILEE BR ACELE T.

OTHER WATCH, IT IS, SAYS THE ACTOR, “READY FOR ACTION”.

IS THE LV88 WITH AUTOMATIC WINDING AND A 35-HOUR POWER RESERVE.

II · BVLGARI OCTO FINISSIMO CHRONOGR APH GMT AUTO-

IIII · PANERAI SUBMERSIBLE CHRONO EDITION GUILLAUME

MATIC. PR ESENTI NG YE T ANOTHER E XP LO IT FRO M THE

N É R Y. T H I S D I V E C H R O N O G R A P H I S D E D I C AT E D T O

OCTO FINISSIMO WHICH CL AIMS A FIF TH WORLD RECORD,

PANER AI’S AMBASSADOR FOR THE SE A , GUILL AUME NÉRY:

THIS TI ME FOR THE THINNEST E VER AUTOMATIC CHRO -

THE SILHOUET TE OF THE T WO-TIMES WORLD FREEDIVING

NOGR APH WITH A DUAL TIME ZONE . THE OCTO LINE IS A

CHAMPION IS ENGR AVED ON THE CASEBACK. POWERED BY

PERFECT FUSION OF DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY. REFINE-

THE P.9100 FLYBACK CHRONO MOVEMENT WITH PUSHERS

MENT AND DARING TO BE DIFFERENT.

ON THE LEF T SIDE OF THE CASE .

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO THE NEW YORK TIMES

55 — WATCH YOUR TIME USA — EXPLORER

of the globe vertically from the North Pole to the South Pole. Their mission was accomplished in 1982. Though Fiennes appeared in Rolex advertisements touting the GMT Master II and Explorer II models, decades later he switched his allegiances to Kobold Watch Company, which he worked with to design the Polar Surveyor, an automatic mechanical chronograph outfitted with a 24-hour hand and day/night indicator. Given today’s enhanced media visibility and the marketing potential of these inspiring modern-day quests, some watch brands are eager to get on board and lend support. In 2012, Zenith’s El Primero Stratos Flyback Striking 10th was strapped to skydiver Felix Baumgartner’s wrist when he dove into the stratosphere from a space capsule emblazoned with Zenith’s logo. Upon leaving

his perch suspended from a giant helium balloon 120,000 feet above the earth, Baumgartner become the first man to break the speed of sound in a free fall. Millions of awestruck viewers watched the surreal sight live on televisions around the world. Potential lifesavers The independent British brand Bremont has signed a full roster of adventurers to act as brand ambassadors. Among them is the British polar explorer Ben Saunders who, in 2013 with partner Tarka l’Herpeniere, retraced the steps of Robert Falcon Scott’s ill-fated Terra Nova Expedition, which launched from Wales in 1910 on a quest to be the first to reach the South Pole. When they arrived in 1912, the Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen had beaten them. The return journey for the

III

surviving Terra Nova explorers, including Scott, proved fatal. Thankfully, Saunders and l’Herpeniere had far better fortunes. The pair went into the record books for achieving the longest polar journey on foot. In early 2014, they completed the 1,795-mile trek from the coast of Antarctica to the South Pole and back in 105 days. Bremont provided the duo with a pair of souped-up titanium Supermarine GMTs with a specially lubricated mechanical movement built to withstand temperatures of -40°C — conditions that render electronic equipment useless. By using the chronometer to measure longitude, the watch could also help guide the way with the GMT hand and the sun. Adventurer Mike Horn became a Panerai brand ambassador more than 15 years ago. Panerai has supported his last four

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V · TAG HEUER CARRER A HEUER 02 GMT. TAG HEUER CEL-

V I I · J A E G E R - L E C O U LT R E P O L A R I S G EO G R A P H I C W T.

IX · SANTOS DE CARTIER CHRONOGR APH WATCH. MADE TO

EBR ATED THE CARRER A’S 55TH ANNIVERSARY IN 2018 WITH

THIS WATCH IS AN INVITATION TO EXPLORE THE WORLD AND

ME ASURE RECORDS, THE NE W CARTIER CHRONOGR APH

THIS GMT CHRONOGR APH. THE SECOND TIME ZONE, WHICH

ITS 24 TIME ZONES, REPRESENTED BY THE CITIES INSCRIBED

TAKES THIS HER ITAGE INTO THE 21ST CENTURY. ALWAYS

I S S E T BY T H E C ROW N , I S R E A D BY A R ED L AC Q U ER ED

AROUND THE FL ANGE WHICH IS ADJUSTED BY THE CROWN

AT T E N T I V E TO E L EG A N C E A N D E R G O N O M I C S , CA R T I E R

HAND FROM THE 24-HOUR SCALE ON THE BL ACK AND BLUE

AT 10 O’CLOCK .

GAVE IT A SINGLE START/STOP PUSH BUT TON, VISIBLE AT

CER AMIC BE ZEL .

VIII · LONGINES LEGEND DIVER WATCH. LONGINES IS ALWAYS

9 O’CLOCK , WITH THE RESE T FUNCTION BEING DIRECTLY

VI · ULYSSE NARD IN DIVER DEEP DIVE. WITH THIS DIVER

HAPPY TO REVISIT THE WATCHES THAT HAVE HELPED FORGE

INTEGR ATED INTO THE CROWN.

DEEP D I VE , U LYSSE NAR D I N G I VES US A PROFESS I ONA L

ITS RENOWN. THIS LONGINES LEGEND DIVER WATCH REI-

X · HUBLOT CLASSIC FUSION BERLUTI CHRONOGRAPH. THE

DIVING INSTRUMENT COMPLE TE WITH TITANIUM CROWN-

M AG I NES A 1960S MODEL . ALL THE WH I LE CONSERVI NG

POSSIBILITIES OPEN TO BERLUTI’S BESPOKE E XPERTISE IN

GUARD, HELIUM ESCAPE VALVE AND WATER-RESISTANCE

THE ER A’S T YPICAL ST YLE CODES AND DESIGN ELEMENTS,

LEATHER AND HUBLOT’S MASTERY OF METALS ARE ENDLESS.

TO 1,000 ME TRES. ANOTHER NE W FE ATURE , THE RUBBER

THIS CONTEMPOR ARY EDITION BENEFITS FROM LONGINE’S

THESE TWO BOLD BR ANDS, BOTH OF WHICH DEFINE TRENDS

STR AP HAS AN E XPANDABLE ELEMENT THAT ADJUSTS TO A

EXPERTISE TO GUAR ANTEE LEGIBILIT Y, WATER-RESISTANCE

WITHOUT BE TR AYING THE RULES OF ELEGANCE , ASSERT

NEOPRENE DIVING SUIT.

AND PR ACTICALIT Y.

THEIR INFLUENCE ON MEN’S FASHION.

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO THE NEW YORK TIMES

In pursuit of the dragon China is an endless source of inspiration for the country’s watchmakers. Thus Chopard has devoted its considerable talent and expertise to the L.U.C Perpetual T Spirit of the Dragon and the Pearl, a reference to the emperor’s five-clawed dragon as it chases the sacred pearl that leads to wisdom and knowledge. So as to symbolise this quest, Chopard has entrusted its master engravers with depicting this fantastical creature on the 18k pink gold case. This refined figurative work has been crafted using the fine line engraving technique to portray two dragons on the case middle and in the space between the lugs. They chase after the sacred pearl depicted on the crown. This allegory in fact represents two Tian Long dragons, creatures of the sky and symbols of the soul’s elevation to a state of pure consciousness. This stunning exterior is matched by the superlative mechanism inside, namely the L.U.C 02.15-L calibre, whose precision is certified by the Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute (COSC). Assembled from 353 parts, this movement has a tourbillon regulator whose carriage carries the small seconds. Furthermore, a perpetual calendar displays its indications on two dials, complemented by a twin-aperture for the date. Chopard’s Quattro technology, with four series-coupled barrels, provides this one-of-a-kind creation with nine days of power reserve, shown on the back of the case. One of the most demanding quality standards for watches, the Poinçon de Genève hallmark testifies to the origin and quality of this superb timepiece. For Chopard, the pursuit of the dragon is also the pursuit of excellence. C.R.

FOCUS — WATCH YOUR TIME USA — 56

expeditions and built special watches for extreme conditions to accompany him on the Arktos mission in 2002, when he circumnavigated the Arctic Circle, and 2006’s North Pole By Night. Horn and his partner Borge Ousland walked 1,000 kilometers from Russia to the North Pole for just over 60 days in the total darkness of the Arctic winter. This year, the brand launched a pair of 47 mm Luminor Submersible GMTs bearing Horn’s signature. The novel case material, called EcoTitanium, is derived from recycled titanium, while the strap is made from recycled plastic. The 19-piece limited edition run is distinguished by its bright blue lume rather than green, and includes the opportunity to join Horn on a polar expedition.

For those who relish the chance to put themselves in dangerous situations, Breitling’s Emergency II is a potential lifesaver and perhaps the ultimate tool watch for extreme explorers and adventurers. Launched in 1995, the first Emergency was equipped with an SOS transmitter and homing beacon that has saved some 20 lives. In 2013, Breitling upgraded the model with the Emergency II, incorporating a more advanced transmitter system with a dual personal locator beacon (PLB) that operates on two frequencies for homing in on distress calls. Emergency II’s beacon is one watch function you hope to never have to use, but it sure would have come in handy for Mallory and Irvine atop Everest almost a century ago.

III

IIII

CHOPARD L.U.C PERPETUAL T SPIRIT OF THE DRAGON AND THE PEARL. THE 353-PART MOVE-

I · BREGUET T YPE X XI 3817. BREGUET PRESENTS THE T YPE

I I I · H U B LO T C L AS S I C F U S I O N F ER R AR I GT. P R O U D LY

MENT OF THE L .U.C PERPE TUAL T SPIRIT OF THE DR AGON AND THE PE ARL IS EQUIPPED WITH

X XI 3817 CHRONOGR APH. ITS VINTAGE LOOK REFLECTS

S P O R T I N G F ER R A R I C O LO RS A N D D ES I G N C U ES , TH I S

A TOURBILLON REGUL ATOR WHOSE CARRIAGE, CARRYING THE SMALL SECONDS INDICA-

THE HISTORY AND ORIGINS OF THE T YPE X X LINE, WHILE

CL ASSIC FUSION IS A POWERFUL HOMAGE TO HUBLOT’S

TOR , ROTATES ONCE A MINUTE BENE ATH ITS POLISHED STEEL BRIDGE AT 6 O’CLOCK . COM-

ITS TECHNICAL CHAR ACTERISTICS PL ACE IT FIRMLY IN THE

AUTOMOTIVE PARTNER SINCE 2011 AND ITS GR AN TURISMO

PLEMENTING THE DISPL AY IS A PERPE TUAL CALENDAR REQUIRING NO CORRECTION UNTIL

21ST CENTURY. THIS CHRONO FE ATURES A RE TRO-ST YLE

CARS. IT HOUSES THE NEXT-GENER ATION UNICO HUB1280

THE YE AR 2100, SINCE ONLY CENTURY YE ARS DIVISIBLE BY 400 ARE LE AP YE ARS, MAKING

DIAL FRAMED BY A SMOOTHLY PROPORTIONED STEEL CASE.

F LY B AC K C H R O N O G R A P H CA L I B E R W H I C H D E L I V E R S

2100 A COMMON YE AR . TO ENSURE PERFECT RE ADABILIT Y OF THE CALENDAR INDICATIONS,

II · CHOPARD MIGLIA 2019 RACE EDITION. IN 2018, CHOPARD

THREE DAYS OF POWER RESERVE .

THEY ARE SPRE AD OVER T WO DIALS — ONE AT 3 O’CLOCK FOR THE MONTH AND LE AP YE ARS

CELEBR ATED THREE DECADES OF PARTNERSHIP WITH THE

IIII · TISSOT SEASTAR CHRONO. THE TISSOT SE ASTAR 1000

AND ANOTHER AT 9 O’CLOCK FOR THE DAY AND THE 24-HOUR INDICATION — ALONG WITH A

MILLE MIGLIA R ACE . THIS PARTNERSHIP CONTINUES THIS

QUARTZ IS NOW AVAIL ABLE AS A CHRONOGR APH, ADDING

L ARGE T WIN-APERTURE DATE ROUNDING OFF THE SYMME TRY OF THE DIAL AT 12 O’CLOCK .

YE AR WITH THE M ILLE M IGLIA 2019 R ACE EDITION. THIS

A PLETHOR A OF USEFUL FUNCTIONS TO WHAT HAS QUICKLY

D ISTI NCTIVE , STUR DY AND AC CUR ATE CHRONOGR APH

BECOME A POPUL AR WATCH. WITH A HOST OF USEFUL FEA-

REFLECTS A TR ADITION OF WATCHES MADE FOR CONTEM-

TURES, IT IS ALREADY AN ESSENTIAL IN THE WATER, THANKS

POR ARY GENTLEMEN DRIVERS.

TO ITS ABILITY TO HANDLE PRESSURE UP TO 30 BAR (1000FT).

57 — WATCH YOUR TIME USA — FOCUS

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO THE NEW YORK TIMES

The Ulysse Nardin Diver Chronometer Already a favourite among adrenalin-seekers, the Diver has adopted a completely new, contemporary appearance both outside and in, and redefines functional elegance with its audacious design. A dive watch built to withstand up to 300 meters of potentially deadly water pressure, its inverted, concave bezel combines with a domed sapphire crystal. The dial hints at the mechanical marvel of the UN-118 movement with silicon technology, a specialty of the Manufacture, that is visible through the open back of the 44 mm case. SuperLumiNova® on the indexes and hands makes the hours and minutes visible not only in the dark of night but also at great depths. The dial also displays a power-reserve indicator at 12 o’clock and a date and small seconds at 6 o’clock, all within the unidirectional rotating bezel. The numerals have been redrawn to read 0-15-30-45. Even the rubber and titanium strap has been cleverly reworked: the clasp is replaced by a pin buckle and streamlined with just one easily identifiable Ulysse Nardin signature element. Sturdy blue rubber guards protect the crown. E.D.

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO THE NEW YORK TIMES

FOCUS — WATCH YOUR TIME USA — 58

The Italian job

In just twenty years, Panerai has established itself as one of the top Swiss watch brands, loved for the uniquely Italian feel of its big, bold sport watches.

JE AN-MARC PONTROUÉ, PANER AI CEO

In Geneva earlier this year at the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH) watch fair, Panerai CEO (since April 2018) Jean-Marc Pontroué set off a ripple of excitement when he announced a new partnership with Luna Rossa, the Italian sailing team and Challenger of Record for the 36th America’s Cup; probably the most prestigious of all sailing competitions (the final will be raced in 2021). Panerai is never more at home than in the water, its natural element for as long as the brand has existed. Established in Florence in 1860, Officine Panerai forged a reputation supplying measuring instruments to the Italian Royal Navy. This led to a new mission to make dive watches for commando frogmen: the now iconic Radiomir, launched in the 1940s, and the equally celebrated Luminor, a decade later. Virtually unknown outside specialist circles some twenty years ago when it became part of the Richemont Group, the brand has succeeded in climbing to the top of the Swiss watchmaking tree, thanks to its distinctive and immediately

recognisable designs. So distinctive, in fact, that the watches’ sporting credentials could almost be eclipsed by their size. They are the XXL fit for the craze that has people clamouring for robust, manly, indestructible watches. Panerai has the wind in its sails, and so does Luna Rossa which has been given the honour of its own Submersible watch. Its hefty 47 mm diameter is balanced by the ultralightness of the carbon used for the case (another of carbon’s qualities being its extreme resistance). As for the dial, it incorporates sailcloth from the team’s AC75 monohull yacht. Experience required “We’ve decided to make experiences a part of Panerai,” commented Jean-Marc Pontroué, outside of SIHH. “For example, the buyers of one of the limited edition watches we presented in Geneva can spend a day training with Italian Navy commandos. Another limited edition offers the chance to accompany Mike Horn on an expedition to the Arctic. Similarly, customers who acquire one of the

limited editions associated with freediver and friend of the brand Guillaume Néry will join him on a dive in French Polynesia. You get the picture. My aim is for Panerai to be seen as a brand that provides experiences, not just new products. I’m convinced this is the beginning of a new era for luxury brands.” This doesn’t mean Panerai is forgetting where it comes from, as Jean-Marc Pontroué confirms: “A brand is only worth as much as its capacity to stand out from what everyone else is doing, and to invent modern-day stories that resonate with its customers. We can do this because of Panerai’s Italian identity, and its huge fan following. Plus, of course, its capacity to innovate with new materials and movements.” The brand invests heavily in its Laboratorio di Idee, which employs some fifty specialists to work on innovations such as Carbotech and BMG-TECH: new materials that make Panerai watches even more reliable and robust. It’s this combination of creative innovation and iconic designs that makes Panerai an anything but ordinary brand. Eric Dumatin

PANER AI SUBMERSIBLE MARINA MILITARE CARBOTECHTM — 47 MM.

PANER AI SUBMERSIBLE LUNA ROSSA — 47 MM. THIS SUBMERSIBLE

PANER AI JOINS THE R ACE FOR THE AMERICA’S CUP. AS THE OFFI-

PANER AI’S TIES TO THE ITALIAN NAV Y AND ITS FROGMAN COMMAN-

LUNA ROSSA IS THE FIRST WATCH TO COME OUT OF THE PARTNER-

CIAL SPONSOR OF LUNA ROSSA , PANER AI IS MAKING A SERIES OF

DOS ARE AMONG THE MORE EPIC EPISODES IN WATCHMAKING HIS-

SH I P BE T WEEN PANER AI AND THE CHALLENGER OF RECORD FOR

WATCHES INSPIRED BY THE TECHNOLOGIES AND MATERIALS USED

TORY. THIS NEW SUBMERSIBLE RECONNECTS WITH THESE TALES OF

THE 36TH AMERICA’S CUP. A DIVE WATCH THAT IS WATER-RESISTANT

IN THE AMERICA’S CUP: THE OLDEST SPORTS COMPE TITION IN THE

ADVENTURE, AS THE 33 LUCK Y OWNERS ARE OFFERED THE LIFE TIME

TO 300 ME TRES, ITS CASE IS MADE FROM CARBOTECH, A HIGH-TECH

MODERN WORLD BUT ALSO ONE OF THE MOST ADVANCED FOR INNO-

EXPERIENCE OF TR AINING WITH THE ITALIAN NAV Y’S COMSUBIN ELITE

MATERIAL BASED ON CARBON FIBRE . LIGHT WEIGHT, WITH A HIGH

VATION AND RESE ARCH.

DIVING AND COMMANDO GROUP.

RESISTANCE TO SHOCKS AND CORROSION.

grand-seiko.com

Watch Your Time 2019 - USA Edition

Articles inside

Sweet treats

Reconnect

The Italian job

Ode to nature

Reshaping history

A new window on information

Heritage in its DNA

Ephemeral and enduring

A fish to water

Play ball

King of watchmakers

A new take on time