Precious tourbillon
When Chanel presented its J12 Tourbillon Diamant watch in 2022, the brand was taking a new step in its horological odyssey by unveiling its very first flying tourbillon. Adorned with a solitaire diamond, the regulating organ of Calibre 5 was already turning heads. This year, Chanel gives a new face to this technical feat, as the watch exterior is clad in white or matt black ceramic. While nothing could be more natural coming from Chanel, the key difference is that the Maison has perfected the optical illusion. Instead of the precious diamonds lighting up the bezel of the first-generation J12 Tourbillon Diamant, the bezel ring is sculpted to evoke a setting of baguette-cut gems. Both clever and beautiful!
Superlative Worldtimer
Since the introduction of daylight saving time, no world time model had been able to adapt to time changes in different countries, or to countries that don’t change time (as in fact only around 70 nations do so). When Bovet’s owner Pascal Raffy decided to tackle this timekeeping singularity, the stakes were high. Especially since he wanted to equip it with a perpetual calendar, a tourbillon and a ten-day power reserve. Bovet used two means to bring this incredibly complex (744-component!) mechanism to life: its ‘writing desk’ case providing plenty of volume; along with a roller-type world time and perpetual calendar displays. The watch can be set to any of the 24 time zones, individually adjusted to UTC, EAS (European and American Summer Time), AST (American Summer Time, which changes three weeks earlier than in Europe) or EWT (European Winter Time), as each of the 24 rollers includes all four positions. Truly brilliant!
Mechanical mastery
The twin barrel and two gear-train system – one for the timekeeping part of the movement, the other for complications – is a specialty that Jaeger-LeCoultre was the first to develop in 2007. As the Duomètre Chronograph Moon reminds us, Jaeger-LeCoultre is at the top of its game with this high-precision mechanism. However, what makes this exceptional creation so special is the fact of combining the time and the lightning-fast monopusher chronograph (each of which has its own power reserve) with the celestial tranquility of a moon phase. This is a model that offers short-, medium- and long-term perspectives on time via the chronograph, the day and the Moon respectively. The trickiest part is not only to have fitted this peak horological feat inside a modestly sized 42.5mm case, but also to have treated it to an exquisitely elegant light-colored dial. The “Grande Maison” has resolutely lived up to its name.
Rocking time
What’s Jon Bon Jovi doing to celebrate the 40th anniversary of his eponymous band? He’s had a one-of-a-kind timepiece made at Jaquet Droz. While the rocker had probably already caught a glimpse of what the La Chaux-de-Fonds workshop had done for the Rolling Stones, he moved in an entirely different direction in bringing a creation rooted in his own universe. This Tourbillon Skelet in a red gold case treats the original Grande Seconde design to a dizzying openworked structure in which the tourbillon at 12 o’clock appears to be floating in the void beneath the handmade cartouche bearing the band’s name. In the dial center, a solid gold applique spreads its two wings, above a polished heart featuring applied hand-engraved numbers commemorating Bon Jovi’s 40 years on stage. While Jaquet Droz has produced just one watch, which Jon Bon Jovi is already wearing, fans are free to use it as inspiration for creating their own...
The power of purple
Immediately recognizable and loved for its powerful design since its launch in 2020, the Streamliner Center Seconds is even more striking draped in purple. This passionate color is becoming increasingly popular with the most cutting-edge brands, including H. Moser & Cie. with its highly evocative “own and unique take on Haute Horlogerie” slogan. Having owned one since its launch, I can testify to the wonderfully ergonomic feel of the cushion-shaped case with subtly curved integrated bracelet. The design harmoniously blends organic shapes with the spirit of the Roaring Twenties. The deliciously sophisticated and mesmerizing fumé gradient dial features a subtle nod to the brand with the discreet transparent lacquer logo. The caseback reveals a magnificent Manufacture movement with in-house balance-spring, partly skeletonized and adorned with new finishes. This model is also available with a deep “Matrix Green” dial.
Unprecedented date for World Time
Unveiled in a limited edition at the Watch Art Grand Exhibition in Tokyo, it was eagerly awaited in the current collection. Reference 5330 is the first Patek Philippe World Time watch to incorporate a date: more complex than it might seem, the function keeps track of local time, i.e. that of the time zone selected at 12 o’clock on the city disk, without any need for adjustment. This is not the case with other world time watches featuring a date display, on which the latter must be corrected manually, when required. The date therefore had to to adjust automatically in the two cases where a change would occur: at midnight, when the date moves to the next day; or when crossing the International Date Line from West to East (in the middle of the Pacific), when the date moves back one day. A patented differential was developed for the occasion, along with an atypical sapphire crystal date hand. Efficiency meets understatement, a classic Patek Philippe signature touch.
Complications in the saddle
For once, let’s start the story by the end and begin by looking at the reverse side of the Arceau Duc Attelé. The intricate workings of the Manufacture Hermès H1926 movement feature a cut-out inspired by the “duc attelé”, a canopy-top four-wheeled carriage drawn by two horses. The new Arceau owes its name to this vehicle, closely associated with the Hermès name. Appearing on the front of the 43mm case in polished titanium or rose gold, a central triple-axis tourbillon and a ‘tuning-fork’ minute repeater are driven by a high-frequency movement representing a first. Beneath the dome-shaped sapphire crystal, Hermès’ own stylistic vocabulary is revealed in a multitude of details: the double H of the triple tourbillon cage in mirror-polished titanium; the sloping Arabic numerals typical of the Arceau collection; the highly graphic guilloché pattern on the dial for the titanium version or the aventurine back for the rose gold version; as well as the hammers of the minute repeater shaped like a horse’s head as an additional nod to the equestrian world.
Sand gold sets the tone
Until the 1960s, it was common practice in jewelry and watchmaking to take creative liberties with gold alloys and color tones. Audemars Piguet takes up the baton by unveiling sand gold, an alloy featuring subtle nuances akin to those of sand dunes caressed by the sun. Its shade hovering between white gold and pink gold changes in step with wrist movements and this new precious material owes this hue to the addition of palladium and copper. Audemars Piguet introduces it on the case of the Royal Oak Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon Openworked, whose complex lines are highlighted by alternating polished and satin-brushed surfaces. On the movement side, the Manufacture in Le Brassus has adorned the bridges and baseplate of delicately openworked Caliber 2972 in a sand-gold tone to accentuate the contrasts with the rhodium-plated components and reinforce its 3D structure. A visual success!
Diving in style
Gucci has set its course this summer for a new automatic diver’s watch in seasonal colors: blue, green or black for festive summer nights. The Gucci Dive combines the codes of a diver’s watch – water-resistant to 300m and featuring a graduated unidirectional rotating ceramic bezel – with the brand’s innate elegance reflected in its attractive size (40mm) and stylized luminescent hour-markers. The maritime spirit pervades the entire model right the way through to the engraved caseback bearing the cardinal points. Having tested it for a week during the Skippers Cup in Greece, I can testify that it’s very pleasant to wear and particularly easy to read at night in the dark of the cabin, while also attracting attention and interest. A chic sports watch for vacations and relaxed evenings, with or without a scuba tank.
Ready for lift-off
In 1962 a true legend was born when, on the wrist of astronaut Scott Carpenter, a Breitling Navitimer Cosmonaute became the first Swiss wristwatch to reach space. To mark the brand’s 140th anniversary, Breitling is producing the self-winding Cosmonaute B12, living up to its big sister from 1962. This 250-piece limited edition is powerfully inspired by its astronomical heritage. The dial features a 24-hour display, enabling a clear distinction between day and night in orbit. The red gold case and deep green dial inspire confidence, whilst the 70 hours of power reserve and self-winding mechanism ensure optimal functionality. As the cherry on top, the caseback is engraved with a simple phrase making this timepiece one for the history books: “First Swiss Wristwatch in Space/Navitimer Cosmonaute May 24, 1962.”
Contemporary reminder
For absent-minded individuals who need an alarm to remind them of their appointments; for men and women who can’t stand being woken up in the morning by the digital sound of their phone, Cyrus has revisited the alarm/alarm clock function. This isn’t the brand’s first alarm watch, since its master watchmaker, Jean-François Mojon, developed a movement equipped with a function of this kind in 2018. The utterly contemporary new Klepcys Réveil boasts several key features: a 42mm steel case compared to 46mm previously; a refined frosted dial (a new finish for Cyrus); as well as a novel function with a 9 o’clock crown that activates and deactivates the alarm function indicated by the small blue arrow placed at the bottom of the dial. Visible between 7 and 8 o’clock, the bell-shaped hammer signals the time set on the dial/alarm clock at 4 o’clock by striking for 16 seconds. A day/night indication completes the picture, powered by the in-house manual-winding caliber with 72-hour power reserve, whose two barrels are visible through the caseback.
Blowing bubbles in Miami
It’s called Pantone 700 C, but we prefer its ‘bubble-gum pink’ moniker. Speake Marin’s new Dual Time outfit whisks us to Miami and more specifically to Ocean Drive. The master of ceremonies is guru watchmaking designer Éric Giroud, who decks out the piece in a black DLC-treated titanium case with a pastel pink rubber strap. We love its casual spirit, its laid-back boldness, while concealing nothing of its beautiful mechanism from the Cercle des Horlogers. The balance between serious watchmaking and bubble-gum cool is astonishingly unexpected. Pair it with a Ray-Ban & Lamborghini combo, or denim shorts & skateboard. Who else could?
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