Unveiled at Baselworld 2014 in a steel version, the Velsheda model features this year a red gold case, keeping its blued hand to indicate time and its superimposed ‘topping tool’ motifs in the centre of the dial.
Named after the iconic British “J Class” yacht built in 1933 in Great Britain and still racing today, Velsheda offers a minimalist display of time using a single polished steel, blued hand. While the single hand extends across the diameter of the white-lacquered, multi-level dial, its central hub is in the form of the Speake-Marin topping tool logo, as is the central seconds wheel sitting above it. The rotation of the seconds wheel on top of the slower moving hub of the hand creates ever-changing, eye-catching patterns, drawing the eye to the centre of Velsheda’s dial.
The highly legible Roman numerals are a subtle detail endowing the dial with a dynamic, contemporary feel.
The sculpted hand is neatly counter balanced by a pointer at one end and an arc at the other; coupled with the fine 5-minute graduations around the peripheral chapter ring they create an overall aesthetic echoing that of a compass, inspired by the marine world.
This nautical feel is strengthened by the Piccadilly case in red gold, waterresistant to 30m, and featuring a fluted, two-position crown (manual winding and time-setting with hacking seconds). It houses an automatic Vaucher calibre, offering 50-hour power reserve and visible through the display-back. The rotor too is in the shape of the Speake-Marin topping tool logo, a motif permeating the whole timepiece.
The watch is completed by a hand-made, black natural alligator strap, with a red gold pin buckle in red gold.
