Calibre Magazine - Aug-Sep 2020

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AUG - SEPT 2020 I

VOLUME 15 ISSUE 129

P a te k P h i l ip p e R e f. 5 30 3R- 0 0 1 Min u te R e p e ate r To u rb il l o n

PRECIOUS MOMENTS

Patek Philippe makes lasting memories.

IS S N 1 908- 4 994

Minutes August-September 2020

Editor's words

I

’m supposed to be in Geneva.

Of course, we have said that a lot in this wonderful year of 2020. In this case, everyone was hopefully planning for Geneva Watch Days, which was meant to compensate for the loss/delay/whatever of Watches and Wonders/SIHH and Baselworld, and which was itself moved already once.

We agreed to go of course, but as with everyone it was dependent on the situation at the time. Well that meant two-week quarantines minimum and such, so many had to forego the planned trips. The end result is that I have been at my computer rushing as a wave of information and imagery and talk came my way. By the time you read this, you will have seen the newest this and the latest that, the much-awaited new crown and so on.

It has actually been exciting, and the rush to get information and have chats has been surprisingly reminiscent of my first Baselworlds. When the only one around to work was me.

When I amassed a mountain of knowledge (or at least the paper of that knowledge) about everything the brands wanted us all to know. Only now though, the information more often than not comes in conversations and phone calls and online chats. And information actually goes both ways. We at Calibre always thought of ourselves as a watch geek magazine, but actually the industry considers us a trade mag, an industry insider. We are looked at not just to sell watches to end buyers, but to bring the brands out to distributors and retailers, to give people in the watch world a view of what the other people are doing. The most asked question in Baselworld for us? “So, what have you seen that you like in the other booths?”

And seriously, we have the best conversations just walking around and catching up. Or in the case of JP, on smoke breaks with the Sterns of Patek Philippe.

Maybe that should be the discussion point of our first Calibre online chat. What were all our experiences in Basel and Geneva and Hong Kong and Dubai and so on. All the little stories we have amassed over the years. The time we ended up in France with a visa that wasn’t yet activated, or the time we went around in circles in the revolving door of the Geneva airport. Probably though, our first chat will be about the launch and in-hand discussion of the brand new and much awaited…

Carl S. Cunanan Editor-in-chief

carsandcalibres

2 www.calibremagazine.com

August-September 2020

Contents Cover Watch

C OV E R WAT C H PATEK PHILIPPE

GRAND COMPLICATIONS

30

Patek Philippe

Enriches its collection of grand complications

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5 www.calibremagazine.com

August-September 2020

Contents Features

40

Bvlgari

Bulgari pays tribute to nine cities and the amazing culture that makes each one a worthwhile travel destination

44

Cartier

Brings back one of their most fashionable watches

48

A. Lange & Sรถhne

Updates a favorite TIME ZONE model

6 www.calibremagazine.com

August-September 2020

Contents Features

52

Jaeger-LeCoultre

Re-engineering the charming chiming complication

56

Panerai

Panerai once again evokes its glorious connection to the sea

60

Richard Mille

Gives us the hardness of diamond with the lightness of titanium

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August-September 2020

Contents Features

64

Vacheron Constantin

Updates their entry-level collection

68

Tudor

BB58 now clad in navy blue

72

Oris

A bronze watch like no other

8 www.calibremagazine.com

August-September 2020

Contents Features

76

GlashĂźtte Original

Reminds us of their not-so-humble beginnings

80

TAG Heuer

Re-tunes the Carrera Chronograph

84

Omega

The latest Constellation is both elegant and precise

9 www.calibremagazine.com

August-September 2020

Contents Features

88

U-Boat

Italo Fontana creates a bronze-clad version of his favorite dive watch

92

Seiko

Seiko pays homage to an old pastime

96

Chopard

Chopard brings us another reason to be Happy

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August-September 2020

Contents Features

100

Urwerk

Should consider supplying military contractors

104

Hublot

The future is rosy

108

Frederique Constant

Continues its homage to the iconic Riva

11 www.calibremagazine.com

August-September 2020

Contents Regulars

02

Minutes

Carl S. Cunanan

16

Tempus Incognitum JP C. Calimbas

18

The Time Machine

Hernan C. Mapua

20

Vintage Explorer Jose Martin V. UrsĂşa

22

The Wind-Up

Snippets of what's going on in and around the Calibre World

112

Timeframe

Pictures in time as we travel the world

12 www.calibremagazine.com

Editor-In-Chief

Carl S. Cunanan Joseph Peter C. Calimbas

Executive Editor Senior Editor

Hernan C. Mapua Jason S. Ang

Collections Editor

Kit O. Payumo

Associate Editor

Alberto E. Casal

Senior Staff Writer Multimedia Editor

Bryan Martin B. Zialcita

Design Director

Charie L. Biaden

Senior Designer

Mark David A. See

Junior Designer

Mary Ann E. Marcelo

Designer

Pamela Karla S. Biado

Contributing Writers

Katherine S. Cunanan, Jose Martin V. Ursúa, Leonard Vincent L. Ho, Edrich Santos & Dominique O. Cerqueda Contributing Photographer

Keith Sundiang

C! Publishing and Media Group, Inc. Units 2104 , 88 Corporate Center, 141 Valero corner Sedeño St.,

Vice President for Advertising Sales

Salcedo Village, Makati City 1227 Philippines

Mayette L. Asis

Tel: (+632) 7728.3720 to 21 Fax: (+632) 8844.2599 URL: www.c-magazine.com / www.calibremagazine.com

Advertising Manager

Leslie G. Maxilom

Advertising Traffic Manager

Mary Jane O. Salazar

Special Projects & Events Specialist

Telephone

(+632) 7751 8992

Distributed by: Alphastream Marketing Inc. #5 Everite St., Calumpang, Marikina City

Ria A. Fernandez Fax

Tel: (+632) 7945-5089

(+632) 8844 2599

Publisher

C! Publishing and Media Group, Inc. Managing Director Directors

Carl S. Cunanan

Carl S. Cunanan, Kevin C. Limjoco,

Copyright © 2020 The editors and publishers of this magazine give no warranties, guarantees or assurances and make no representations regarding any goods or services advertised in this edition. No part of this magazine may be reproduced, in part or in whole without written permission of the publisher.

Michael L. Lhuiller & Paolo M. Puyat-Martel Sherwin M. Miñon

Circulation Manager Senior Accountant

Merline B. Urdas

Credit and Collection Officer Accounting Assistant Executive Secretary Legal Counsel

FOLLOW AND VISIT OUR PAGES!

Mary Ann M. Benito

Susana D. Cutamora Elsie A. Teofilo

www.calibremagazine.com

Paredes Garcia & Golez Law Office

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Calibre 129

Tempus Incognitum August-September 2020

The Quarantine Life

A

s life in lockdown goes on, most of the people I get in touch with seem to have accepted the fact that whatever semblance of normalcy they long to get back to has now become tied to the availability (more like viability AND efficacy, if you ask me) of a vaccine.

Reminiscing about traveling, dining out, and long hours spent in malls are what people seem to focus on. I actually could see them looking out into the distance as if these activities they engaged in happened so long ago. So as not to dampen their spirits, I avoid dropping a reality bomb that those leisurely meanderings might never come back in the manner that they remember because there is and will henceforth be the new normal for the foreseeable future. I tend to ask them how they are spending their quarantine time given that it has been a hundred and eighty days since most of us likely spent an afternoon watching the world go by in a busy coffee shop at a mall. The results are a mixed bag of finding out ways to be productive while at home and finally getting to act on DIY projects, planned improvements shelved for an eternity or plain forgotten, or other forms of affirmative action at the old homestead.

The others, well there’s Netflix and a plethora of home delivery networks available.

Personally, I would say I found a couple of things that I wouldn’t have gotten to if it weren’t for the stay at home lockdown.

There are two that really improved how I get things done with the most minimal changes I had to undertake and both of them I could attribute to the extra time I had to do some Googling and checking out more diverse Youtube videos.

First up was getting one of those really inexpensive portable monitors that have found their way to online shopping networks. They are USB-powered so no need to be tethered to an AC outlet. I could work off my phone, desktop or my laptop (it acts as a second monitor) as the need arises. I was able to leave my work area and transfer to the spot in my room that I was most comfortable and productive at (think Sheldon Cooper’s spot on the couch) all times of the day. I would have never made this change had life been the way it was. Instead, I would have to make an effort to head on to my work area when I needed to get work done which usually led to procrastination. The second quarantine purchase that cost very little yet had a great impact was the purchase of a longer hose for my pressure

JP C. Calimbas Executive editor

16 www.calibremagazine.com

washer (what can I say, pressure washing cars soothes me) and for the longest time, I held off on buying a longer hose thinking to myself it’s not going to change how much of a hassle it is to use the out-ofthe-box hose. I couldn’t have been more wrong and I can say dreading to set up the washer and dreading the time it took to wrestle a short hose has become a thing of the past. For this, I have to credit Obsessive Garage’s YT channel. Go check him out if you like cars, pressure washers and anything auto detailing related.

There’s the Detailing Geek too for some ASMR cleaning stuff.

Now, these things may not apply to anyone but I mention them as sort of an example of what you can do while stuck at home. We’re going to be here for a while and Netflix goes stale after a while. Just like that bag of chips you’ve got there. Go look for that project you thought of one lazy afternoon but dismissed for later.

Now is the best time to get a move on it.

We all need some sense of completion every now and then.

Calibre 129

The Time Machine August-September 2020

Side Effects

I

n the pages of the last Time Machine, I mentioned that due to the lockdown imposed on everyone everywhere in the Philippines, regulations were mandated by local government units preventing the issuance of quarantine passes to seniors. This was to protect them from the now-dreaded COVID-19 virus, seniors being particularly susceptible.

Since June, being on ECQ, GCQ and whatever, people found the time to find out what was going on in other countries. In America, politics of the coming presidential elections were becoming volatile, even interfering with medical science, just to produce an edge, a winning formula, that this or that political party had the solution to end the affliction of the virus, and convince the public to vote for them. One political party in particular, contradicted ALL official announcements made by the White House.

Sweden, from the beginning, chose not to quarantine its citizens and was criticized by all nations as being irresponsible. I did find out economic estimates from the Swedish statistics office indicated that the country had fared better than other EU nations which took stricter measures. Sweden reported no new deaths from COVID-19 on Friday, August 7, according to the National Health Agency.

Remember that: NO NEW DEATHS! The architect of Sweden’s light-touch pandemic response, Anders Tegnell, has described recent trends in his country as “very positive” as the rates of fatalities and newly infected increasingly stabilize.

Back home in the Philippines, the twice or thrice extended ECQ was not producing the expected results. There were reports of mass starvations and increased infections in certain areas, prompting the government or whoever is in charge, to ease up on restrictions and allow people to work and go buy food. Seniors are still not allowed issuance of a quarantine pass.

Tagaytay is open only to residents with quarantine passes. If you are from anywhere other than Tagaytay, you are only allowed to pass through. You will not be entertained in the malls or any other establishment. All this to prevent the spread of infection. There were rumors that a re-imposition of the harsh GCQ measures were on the way.

Albert Einstein supposedly said, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.”

In the USA, AND in Germany, doctors themselves were saying that the result of using the drug hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID-19 patients has reduced fatalities to ZERO. You read that right. Do your own research, and be careful; there are too many fraudulent news outlets.

While you are researching, the discredited WHO has reversed its position on hydroxychloroquine more than three times, at last count, as well as methods of transmission.

Their figures are garbage, as is the US’ CDC (Center for Disease and Control).

While we’re at it, the stench rising from recent investigations into our own PhilHealth has revealed several anomalies in the figures relating to COVID-19. Hospitals are in connivance with PhilHealth because of monetary incentives: Financial assistance via PhilHealth’s release of money is offered if the illness is declared COVID-19. In short, someone IS paying/getting paid for a misdeclaration as to of Cause of Death. That

Hernan C. Mapua Senior Editor

18 www.calibremagazine.com

makes the current statistics on COVID-19 FALSE. That's what the current PhilHealth inquiry is about, among other things.

The PhilHealth inquiry has turned into a scandal: Whistleblower claims PhP15 billion stolen by PhilHealth execs in fraud schemes https://cnnphilippines.com/news/2020/8/4/ PhilHealth-P15-billion-stolen-mafia-execs.html Pangilinan: P15B PhilHealth scandal further warrants Duque’s removal from post https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1317260/pangilinanp15b-philhealth-scandal-further-warrants-duquesremoval-from-post Now you know for sure you cannot rely on local Covid 19 statistics. They are in a word BOGUS! Why is Sweden not getting more infections without quarantine lockdowns? Why has Sweden’s economy fared better than other EU nations which took stricter measures?

And finally, Quarantine is when you restrict the movement of sick people.

Tyranny is when you restrict the movement of healthy people.

Do you see the big picture?

Calibre 129

Vintage Explorer August-September 2020

Mensur and the Patina of Man

W

hat does a Nazi look like? (Don’t worry — this is not a political piece that’s been awkwardly shoehorned into your favorite wristwatch magazine.)

Allied propaganda from World War II would depict the German enemy as either a scar-faced monocled aristocrat, or a scar-faced, ape-like thug. It may be visual shorthand for “villain” but there is more than a kernel of truth behind the scar.

Leaf through photos of famous Nazis, and many of them will have wretchedly disfigured faces. While some of these may have been earned on the battlefield, most were “dueling scars” (Schmisse in German) from an activity known as Mensur, or academic fencing. The most notorious practitioner among the Third Reich’s elite was SS officer Otto Skorzeny, whose adventures during and after the war would make for a thrilling action movie — were he not an unrepentant Nazi to the end.

Skorzeny’s scar connected chin to ear.

The Mensur tradition began among German-speaking student fraternities in the 1700s, and reached its peak around the turn of the last century. We tend to think of fencing in the Olympic sense, or in the one-on-one sword fights we see in movies, whether fantasies like Star Wars and Lord of the Rings, or more realistic portrayals like in The Duelists or Rob Roy. That combat is all about the thrust and parry, footwork and

tactics. Mensur bears little resemblance to it, and looks faintly ridiculous at first blush: Two students stand at a fixed distance from each other, wearing armor that protects the sword arm, hand, torso, and neck. Steel goggles protect the eyes, while an optional nose-guard prevents Tycho Brahe-like nasal dismemberments. Note that most of the head is left unprotected.

This is not an oversight.

With the beer-soaked fraternity watching, the fencers stand bolt upright and raise their swords above their heads. When the signal is given, they batter each other with a flurry of overhead blows and sideways slashes. Aside from the blur of arms, steel, and blood, this is a static affair. There is no dodging, no retreat — a fencer’s only option is to parry, or to weather the assault without flinching. And that is the point of the exercise: The duel is not initiated by an insult, nor does the act restore the honor of one party over another. It is not about defeating an opponent or avoiding injury. Rather it is a test of character, selfconfidence, and courage. Consequently, ugly facial scars become a badge of honor much desired by the students. As medical science improved, the odds of earning truly gnarly scars decreased, but some students would do their best to encourage infection and keloid.

Mensur continues to this day, practiced in relative secrecy by hundreds of fraternities in Germany and nearby

Jose Martin V. Ursúa Contributing writer

20 www.calibremagazine.com

countries. It remains largely unknown outside of central Europe; Mensur’s only depiction in an English-language film was in the historical comedy Royal Flash. Ironically, considering Mensur’s association with Nazis, the activity was restricted in Germany in the late 1930s to limit the influence of non-Party groups.

I was reminded of Mensur when reading a recent article about the ongoing debate over faux patina on watches. Wouldn’t a Schmiss be comparable to yellowed lume or an artificially-aged dial? But as I learned more about academic fencing, it became very clear that the analogy was inapt. After all, a student desiring a Schmiss does not simply pay a make-up artist to apply a latex scar. He has to endure fear, pain, and risk real injury. While it is true that events have been contrived to produce specific outcomes, there is bravery involved — alien as it may be to most of us. You could compare a Schmiss to “fauxtina” if you were trying to age your Submariner by dipping your wrist in boiling saltwater.

In that case, you would earn my instant respect as I slowly back away from you while avoiding eye contact!

August-September 2020

The Wind-Up

Snippets of what's going on in and around the Calibre world

CARTIER

CELEBRATE DIVERSITY Nonconformity is fantastic

T

he Pasha de Cartier was first created in 1985. A cult following developed shortly after release, perhaps due to its modern, progressive design that symbolized both power and freedom. It was unapologetically nonconformist.

The recent collection of the Pasha de Cartier watch stays true to that spirit. The watches are bold and offer no excuse. The Pasha de Cartier campaign has garnered a lot of attention lately partly due to the masterful work of photographer Craig McDean. He is known for his avant-garde approach to projects, and for Cartier, he got to work with five incredible and diverse talents, each on their own journey. The black and white videos are a call to self-acceptance and diversity. This community of individuals is paving the way for more creativity, exploration, and acceptance.

Rami Malek, an actor committed to seeking out powerful, transformative roles that challenge expectations.

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Willow Smith is a singer, songwriter, and record producer. She has also forayed into acting and is known for her passion. She willingly goes beyond expectations in her journey to evolve and expand. Jackson Wang from China is a rapper, singer and dancer.

The former fencing champion joined the K-pop group GOT7 in 2014 and draws his energy from a need to encourage young people to be themselves. Troye Sivan was born in South Africa and raised in Australia.

The singer-songwriter and actor began to post his songs online at the age of 14. He believes in having faith in his creativity, defying all obstacles and expressing his personality without compromise. Maisie Williams achieved worldwide fame through

the role of Arya Stark in Game of Thrones.

She places teamwork and exchange at the heart of her artistic achievements.

The Pasha de Cartier watch is meant for the confident, self-assured man or woman who bravely faces their journey in life with conviction and daring.

There are more than a dozen models to choose from — in steel, yellow gold, pink gold, and some set with diamonds. The classic Cartier crown — either blue spinel or sapphire is unveiled under the chained crown cover. The watch can be personalized in the form of initials engraved under the the crown cover.

The basic steel model comes in 41mm or 35mm size, with a variety of straps. The pink

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gold models, in 35mm, have an added layer of bling, since some models have diamonds on the bezel. The yellow gold model comes in 41mm and a choice of 2 leather strap colors. There are skeleton models too, in steel, or pink gold, or white gold.

For the nonconformists who want fullon luxury, the Pasha de Cartier has two options, both in 35mm and white gold. The first model has a clean white dial and the bezel, case, and bracelet set in 8 and half carats of diamonds. The second model is a limited and numbered edition of 100 pieces, with the dial, case, and bracelet set in just over 10 carats of diamonds.

Extroversion and nonconformity never looked so good.

The Wind-Up

ROLEX

THE ROLEX AWARDS FOR ENTERPRISE Contributing to improving life and protecting our planet.

T

he Rolex Awards were set up in 1976 by André J. Heiniger, then Chairman of Rolex, to mark the 50th anniversary of the Rolex Oyster. It was intended to be a once-only celebration, but the Awards drew so much international interest that Heiniger and Rolex transformed them into an ongoing program awarded to people who have made a significant contribution to the world.

Rolex founder Hans Wilsdorf used the world as a testing ground for his watches, sending them to the most extreme locations, supporting explorers who ventured into the unknown. But as the 21st century unfolds, exploration for pure discovery has given way to exploration as a means to preserve the natural world. Since their foundation, the Rolex Awards have embodied the company’s determination to contribute to the world — the ethos that now inspires its Perpetual Planet campaign.

Unlike most other award and grant programmes, the Rolex Awards are not designed to recognise past achievements.

They are, instead, given for new or ongoing projects that can make a significant contribution in improving life and protecting our planet.

An estimate of 5 million people from the farthest corners of the globe have benefited from the Laureates’ Rolex projects. Some of these benefits include the planting of 18 million trees, the protection of endangered species and 57,600 square kilometres of the Amazon rainforest, and innovative technologies that have been developed for a range of applications.

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15:04

August-September 2020

THE 2019 ROLEX LAUREATES ARE:

“bridge,” potentially encouraging nerve regrowth and resting control of the legs.

assisting with compensation claims through a toll-free helpline service.

Joāo Campos-Silva from Brazil

Brian Gitta from Uganda

Miranda Wang from Canada

In the Amazon, the giant arapaima is headed for extinction. But in a close partnership with local associations and fishing leaders, the Brazilian fisheries ecologist has a plan to save, not only the arapaima, but with it, the livelihoods, food supply, and culture of the indigenous communities who depend on the region’s rivers for survival.

Delaying treatment for malaria for weeks while waiting for test results is common in rural Aftica. Gotta is conducting trials on a novel, low-cost, portable device, the Matiscope, which provides results in minutes using light and magnets — without the need for a blood sample. In 2017, Africa had 200 million cases of malaria.

Grégoire Courtine from France

Krithi Karanth from India

A scientist based in Switzerland, Courtine is developing a revolutionary approach to help people with paralysis walk again.

His method relies on re-establishing communication between the brain and spinal cord using an implantable electronic

As a conservation scientist she is determined to reduce the friction between wildlife and people living near Indian national parks by reducing threats to people, property, and livestock, raising conservation awareness in communities and schools and, importantly,

This Canadian entrepreneur and molecular biologist is spearheading an innovative process of turning unrecyclable plastic waste from items such as plastic bags and packing materials into valuable chemicals for use in industrial and consumer products, including making cars and electronics.

The word “Perpetual” is inscribed on every Rolex Oyster. But more than just a word on a dial, it is a philosophy that embodies the company’s vision and values Hans Wilsdorf instilled a quest for excellence back in the 1930s. Today, Rolex continues that quest by supporting visionaries who want to help build a better world, for everybody.

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The Wind-Up

LAMBORGHINI

STEPPING INTO THE FUTURE Experience the Sián Roadster under open skies.

L

ong, sculpted contours. Distinctive aero wings. A very low front with integrated carbon fibre splitters.

And the iconic Y-shaped headlights.

These are the unmistakable design aesthetics of a Lamborghini - the Lamborghini Sián Roadster, to be precise.

The Lamorghini Sián Roadster is the first open-top hybrid Lamborghini super sports car to feature a supercapacitor. The roofless design puts an exclusive group of drivers (as only 19 units of this car will be produced, all of which have already been sold) in one of the most spectacular cockpits ever: always open to the sky; resonating with the inimitable V12 sound from the most powerful Lamborghini engine to date; and experiencing extraordinary performance.

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The Sián Roadster’s hybrid system provides the highest power possible via the lightest solution, combining the V12 engine with a new powertrain. A 48-volt e-motor, delivering 34 hp, incorporated into the gearbox to provide immediate response and improved performance. The e-motor also supports low-speed maneuvers such as reversing and parking with electric power.

This super sports car carries Lamborghini’s innovative supercapacitor application: a world-first technology storing ten times the power of a lithium-ion battery.

Located in the bulkhead between the cockpit and the engine, it ensures perfect weight distribution. It is three times more powerful than a battery of the same weight.

It is three times lighter than a battery

15:04

August-September 2020

producing the same power. The electric system with the supercapacitor and e-motor weights only 34 kg, thus it delivers a remarkable weight-to-power ratio of 1.0 kg/ hp. Symmetric power flow ensures the same efficiency in both charging and discharging cycles: the most lightweight and efficient hybrid solution.

This advanced technology combines with the V12 engine, which incorporates titanium intake valves and is uprated to 785 hp (577 kW) at 8,500 rpm. Combined with the additional 34 hp from the hybrid system, the Sián Roadster delivers a total of 819 hp (604 kW) and reaches a top speed of over 350 km/h.

The Lamborghini Sián Roadster incorporates a highly sophisticated regenerative braking system, especially developed by Lamborghini. The symmetric behaviour of the supercapacitor, which contrary to normal Li-Ion batteries can be charged and discharged with the same power, fully charges the Sián’s energy storage system every time the vehicle brakes. The energy stored is an instantly-available power boost, allowing the driver to draw immediately on increased torque when accelerating away, up to 130 km/h when the e-motor automatically disconnects, improving the elasticity manoeuvres and making it more than 10% faster than a car without this system. The Sián Roadster accelerates from 0-100 km’h in less than 2.9 seconds.

“The Sián Roadster encapsulates the spirit of Lamborghini,” says Stefano Domenicali, Automobili Lamborghini Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “It is the expression of breathtaking design and extraordinary performance, but most importantly embodies important future technologies. The Sián’s innovative hybrid powertrain heralds the direction for Lamborghini super sports cars, and the open-top Sián Roadster affirms a desire for the ultimate lifestyle Lamborghini as we move towards a tomorrow demanding electrification.”

27 www.calibremagazine.com

The Wind-Up

ROLEX

THE RACE WILL GO ON The Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup will kick off in Porto Cervo at the end of August.

R

olex has been a committed partner to yachting since the late 1950s, and the relationship with the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup — and its organizers, the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda (YCCS) — since the 1980s. One of the most influential events in the sport, the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup will hold its 31st edition from Sunday, August 30 to Friday, September 4, 2020 as scheduled.

The level of competition is always first class in this event. The racecourses offer an unrivalled combination of challenging conditions and scenic backdrops. And this regatta has always been both the testing ground and the showcase in monohull yacht design and technology.

Maxis are defined as yachts that measure more than 60 feet long. At the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, the fleet is divided into different categories according to performance type and length. The objective for all highly driven Maxi owners is to emerge victorious against equally skilled and prepared crews in their class.

Due to the current world situation, the regattas will be held in a modified mode.

Registration procedures will be streamlined through digital channels. The skippers’ briefing and the prize giving - which will take place outdoors — will involve a limited number of crew members in proportion to the spaces. Traditional social events such as the owners’ dinners will be possible, respecting the necessary distancing and safety protocols. Crew parties, however, will not be allowed. And to ensure safety for all, club members and visitors to the YCCS will be strictly and regularly monitored.

IMA Secretary General Andrew McIrvine said: “With the requirement to obey COVID-19 avoidance measures, including social distancing and avoidance of gatherings, crews will typically remain

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15:04

August-September 2020

in their ‘bubbles’ from villa to yacht with virtually no wider interaction. The racing will still be good. We have made special provisions for reduced crew number with extra adjustments of time correction for yachts taking that option.”

This year’s Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup fleet will be smaller than the usual participants.

Many of the grand prix maxis will not be able to attend this year’s race. But despite this, more than 20 yachts are still entered for the race, despite the difficulties that the current times present.

Rolex Testimonee and United States sailing legend Paul Cayard states: “The Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup is a great example of how a sponsor and a yacht club can come together, create a long-term relationship and live through all of the evolutions required to

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remain at the top. As sailors, we love coming to compete — the winds, the sea, the spectacular scenery around the Sardinian coast and the organisational capacity of the yacht Club Costa Smeralda make it second to none. The entirety of the package makes it a must-do for the world’s top sailors. It is the best big-boat event on the circuit.”

Rolex has always been associated with activities that are driven by passion, excellence, precision, and team spirit. It was only natural that the Swiss brand would partner with the elite world of yachting.

Today, after more than 60 years, it still supports the most prestigious clubs, races, and regattas. Much like the watches they make, their sponsored events are prime examples of excellence, elegance, and prestige.

C OV E R WAT C H PATEK PHILIPPE

GRAND COMPLICATIONS

TRIUMVIRATE Patek Philippe proves that good things come in 3s Word s b y

KIT O. PAYUMO 30 www.calibremagazine.com

H

ow does one define the term “grand complication?” For most of the watchmaking industry, the term refers to the masterpieces of haute horology. These are the most complex timepieces ever made, generally in pocket watch form, and aside from conveying the time, usually feature a minute repeater, a perpetual calendar, a moon phase, a split seconds chronograph, and a grand and petite sonnerie, all in one encapsulating package.

Patek Philippe, however, expanded the definition to include a collection of their more complicated wristwatches. Indeed, the Manufacture uses the term “grand complication” to classify complex timepieces with one or more complications, such as minute repeaters with perpetual calendars, astronomical watches, timepieces with tourbillons, chronographs with

perpetual calendars, world timers with minute repeaters, or, for that matter, any model that combines any of these highly coveted functions.

Patek Philippe has, in fact, created an extensive collection of grand complication wristwatches, all in regular production no less, making each of these complex timepieces a testament to the Manufacture’s unparalleled expertise in watchmaking.

Indeed, the brand’s passion for creating grand complications goes as far back as its foundation in 1839 with the creation of a quarter repeater, a timepiece that is now proudly on display at the Patek Philippe Museum in Geneva. And as the 19th century continued to unfold, Patek Philippe further pursued its passion for grand complications, crafting many watches of this type, all while receiving several patents for its many technical innovations.

But that was just the beginning, because by the time the 20th century rolled over, the

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manufacture had already earned its enviable and legendary reputation having created socalled super-complicated pocket watches, which featured chiming functions as well as elaborate astronomical displays for American collectors James Ward Packard and Henry Graves Jr. It was also around this time that the Manufacture began miniaturizing grand complications so they could be worn on the wrist, as evidenced in 1925 by the first known wristwatch with a perpetual calendar. In the last decades of the 20th century, the manufacture again celebrated a milestone in this exceptional watch category when they presented two pocket watches that the world had never seen before: the Calibre 89 with 33 complications, which wore the crown as the world’s most complicated portable mechanical timepiece for 25 years, and the Star Caliber 2000 with 21 complications. In 2001 alone, the art of miniaturizing highly elaborate mechanisms found its ultimate expression with the launch of the Sky Moon Tourbillon with 12 complications. All of which led to the pinnacle of the modern manufacture’s watchmaking expertise: the Grandmaster Chime of 2014, Patek Philippe’s most complicated wristwatch with two reversible dials and 20 complications.

Which is why in its bid to “reassert” its expertise in creating grand complications, Patek Philippe is launching three new models for 2020: the new Ref. 5303 Minute Repeater Tourbillon which redefines the chiming mechanism; a new Ref. 5370, which is a reinterpretation of the legendary Split-Seconds Chronograph; and a redesign of the classic Ref. 5270 Perpetual Calendar Chronograph; all of which are in accordance to the two fundamental principles that are of utmost importance to Patek Philippe.

The first is to accommodate the maximum amount of technical complexity within the most minimal volume possible; and second, that it should never come at the cost of perfect aesthetics, allowing all that complexity to be harnessed within the most slender of cases thereby projecting the most timeless of elegance.

“It's not only about technical complexity,” says Patek Philippe President, Thierry Stern. “A unique combination of tradition and innovation, each new grand complication is an opportunity to push the limits and surprise the world by showing what we can do.”

Indeed, Stern believes, “Grand complications are the ultimate expression of watchmaking mastery.”

But even if the most complicated Patek Philippe timepiece can easily grace any museum, Stern says: “We believe even the grandest complications are at their best resting comfortably on a wrist.” Which leads us to…

A MINUTE REPEATER THAT LOOKS AS GOOD AS IT SOUNDS As previously mentioned, the Manufacture’s newest minute repeater is part of the brand’s reassertion in its expertise in grand complications.

And if the new Ref. 5303R-001 Minute Repeater Tourbillon looks a little different from other minute repeaters you’ve come across before (tourbillon or otherwise) that’s because it is.

Considering the long and storied relationship Patek Philippe has had with this type of complication, where else could the Manufacture bring its minute repeater story? Why, to the dial side, of course. Which is why, the Ref. 5303R001 Minute Repeater Tourbillon is the first minute repeater from the Manufacture that, not only is entirely skeletonized, but also has a chiming mechanism that can be viewed from the front instead of from the back.

In a move that we can all benefit from, Patek Philippe has made the end user their main priority and has, thus, acted accordingly. Created explicitly for connoisseurs of striking watches, the new Ref. 5303R-001 puts the user at the forefront with a chiming mechanism that can be admired without having to remove the watch from the wrist. That’s right, unlike other minute repeaters the hammers and gongs of the new Ref. 5303R-001 are on the dial side and can be viewed in action while the watch is fastened securely on the user’s wrist.

One wonders why all minute repeaters aren’t designed this way in the first place. A big part of the appeal of complicated mechanical watches is the fascinating mechanical ballet that it presents, and the hammer strikes of a minute repeater is one of the most beloved mechanical dances. So placing it in a location where it can be better admired is a no brainer, which admittedly, is easier said than done.

Reference 5303 made its world debut as a highly limited edition of just 12 pieces at the “Watch Art Grand Exhibition Singapore 2019,” the new Ref. 5303R-001 Minute Repeater Tourbillon now makes its bows as part of the current Patek Philippe collection. And since the aesthetics of the original limited edition was geared specifically towards the Singaporean market, the Manufacture went the extra mile by slightly reworking the new Ref. 5303R-001 ever so slightly to suit a wider international palette. This means, the red hour circle on the flange of the limited edition is now a sapphire-crystal rim embellished in black lacquer with rose-gold markers, while other red details have also been replaced by 18K rose gold; otherwise its business as usual with this distinctive minute repeater.

Thus, the transparency that puts the hammers

and gongs at the forefront also reflects on the tourbillon, the cage of which can be seen through the seconds subdial at 6 o’clock. Indeed, the manually wound caliber R TO 27 PS (which is based on caliber R 27 used in other references with this set of complications), has been heavily reworked and impeccably refinished for the purposes of the Ref. 5303R-001. Certain components, then, were pierced; the plate is decorated with elegant Côtes de Genève; perlage is featured on all the recessed areas; a circular satin finish grace the hammers; and beautiful beveling can be found on all the excavated areas.

The luxuriously elegant 42mm 18K rose gold case sports a wide, cambered and polished bezel with a caseband and lugs that have been hollowed out and filled with white-gold inlays of foliage engravings. This same decoration can be found on the white-gold slide on the left-hand case flank

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that activates the minute repeater, as well as on a white-gold rim on the periphery of the sapphirecrystal caseback.

No mere decoration, this hollowed-out area frames the manually wound caliber R TO 27 PS and functions to improve the resonance of the chiming mechanism. Its openworked, ornate design also has the added benefit of playing off the bat-shaped openworked bridge of the tourbillon with its beautifully bevelled edges and gleaming mirror finish, as well as the large center wheel with its toothed profile and gleaming surfaces that overlap the lower-left half of the tourbillon. Patek Philippe’s Calatrava cross that doubles up as the bridge for the repeater regulator adds the finishing touch to this exquisitely executed minute repeater movement, the lustrous sound of which was personally vetted

by Manufacture president Thierry Stern.

C OV E R WAT C H PATEK PHILIPPE

GRAND COMPLICATIONS

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C OV E R WAT C H PATEK PHILIPPE

GRAND COMPLICATIONS

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A RARE AND UNDENIABLE CLASSIC The split-seconds chronograph is another horological complication that has occupied preferential position in Patek Philippe’s wristwatch collection since 1923. A position further evidenced by the Ref. 5370P, the first Manufacture split-seconds chronograph with a platinum case and a black enamel dial powered by the proprietary caliber CHR 29-535 PS, which was launched to great acclaim at Baselworld 2015.

The accolades for the Ref. 5370P SplitSeconds Chronograph were so great, in fact, that it prompted one journalist to exclaim: “The 5370P is absolutely one of the finest watches Patek Philippe has released in years. It is the watch we, as vintage Patek lovers, have been waiting for, and it has done a great deal for inspiring renewed vigor amongst modern Patek collectors. This will go down as a classic.”

Since then, the rare and elusive Ref. 5370P Split-Seconds Chronograph has, indeed, become a collector’s holy grail, and not content to rest on its laurels, Patek Philippe has “re-issued” the timepiece for 2020. Considered one of the most limited watches in the Manufacture’s regular line

up, Ref. 5370P-011 has been made even more alluring with a dial hand-rendered with Grand Feu enamel (thus the word “EMAIL,” which is French for enamel at the bottom of the dial), in a blue color so striking it is unmatched in its chromatic intensity.

The blue dial of this new Split-Seconds Chronograph is enhanced by slender leaf-shaped hands with luminous coatings to track the hours and minutes, as well as applied Breguet numerals in white gold. It is matched with a similarly colored alligator leather strap, and does more than simply reflect the Manufacture’s proud tradition of Grand Feu enamel dials: it also enhances the legibility of an instrument endowed with a decidedly technical personality. Indeed, in Patek Philippe’s expert hands, the luxuriousness of the strikingly cool-blue colors becomes a welcome contrast to the serious vocation of the complication, and complemented by the silvery sheen of the 41mm platinum case makes for a highly coveted, and decidedly fresh split-seconds chronograph, which replaces its predecessor with the black enamel dial.

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The elegant, polished platinum case is endowed with a concave bezel, satin-finished flank recesses, and sensual cabochon-capped lugs.

In a pleasant addition, the sapphire-crystal display back can be replaced with a solid-platinum case back that is delivered with the watch. Because it is exceptionally tough and difficult to machine, 950 platinum has the distinction of being particularly challenging to mold for the case makers, imposing considerably more stress on the tooling than other classic case materials such as gold or steel. But the pros far outweigh the cons. Platinum stands out with an incomparably cool silvery gloss and a physical mass that underscores the class of the timepiece in a very obvious way. And as with all the manufacture’s platinum watches, the case is marked with a flawless Top Wesselton diamond discreetly set between the lugs at 6 o’clock where it can only be noticed by the wearer.

As before, Ref. 5370P-011 Split-Seconds Chronograph is driven by the proprietary caliber CHR 29-535 PS, which itself drew accolades upon its release in 2009. An impressive example of tradition meeting innovation, the two-phase chronograph is a classic manually wound movement that features dual-column-wheel control, and a horizontal wheel clutch. Two pushers and a rattrapante pusher integrated into the large turbine-style crown are on hand for the split-seconds chronograph functions. It operates at 4hz, and boasts a power reserve of at least 65 hours. Best of all, the movement boasts six patented innovations including, an optimized toothing profile; precision adjustment of engagement depth at the column wheel; optimized synchronization of the clutch and brake lever; a slotted minute-counter cam; self-setting hammers; and hammers pivoted between jewel bearings.

Split second chronographs use two seconds hands, each with its own purpose. During normal operating conditions these two hands function as one. Engaging the split function instantly stops the split hand so the intermediate time, or lap time, can be recorded. When released, the split hand will rejoin the chronograph hand like a mechanical game of “catch up” called a Rattrapante. A useful function if you happen to be a track-team coach; a manager of a racing team; or if you were officiating a regatta. What you would possibly do with it in the real world is entirely up to you; just know that you can. To play this “game” the system employs a heart cam, follower lever, and a ruby roller that follows the perimeter of the heart cam to ensure that the split hands are properly aligned.

SOMETHING TO REMEMBER Before his untimely passing, Leonard Nimoy once said, “A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory.”

For most things in life, this is generally true. Not for the watch industry though, for which the past and heritage are very much alive. Patek Philippe is the perfect example of that.

Back in 1923, the brand introduced its first wrist chronograph with a split-seconds function.

Then in 1925, Patek Philippe was the first to present a wristwatch with a perpetual calendar, a watch that holds particular value until today.

But it is the Ref. 1518 wrist chronograph with a perpetual calendar of 1941 that’s of particular interest to us here.

The Ref. 5270 Perpetual Calendar Chronograph continues that grand tradition begun in 1941.

It was launched in white gold in 2011 (as the successor of the Ref. 5970, which in itself is an evolution of the Ref. 3970), was updated in 2013 with tweaked dials, and was followed by a rose-gold version in 2015. Since 2018, the Ref. 5270 Perpetual Calendar Chronograph has been available in platinum with a golden opaline dial, and in rose gold with a gold “goutte”-style bracelet. This year, the Manufacture is extending its regular collection of this grand complication cased in yellow gold for the first time in the Ref. 5270J-001 Perpetual Calendar Chronograph.

A true anachronism, the 5270 has always been a product of two worlds: the past, with its subtle but undeniable vintage styling, and the present: with its undoubtedly modern proportions of 41mm in diameter and 12.4mm in thickness.

Indeed, a truly elegant proposition for this timeless watch that pairs a concave bezel with two-tier lugs.

This newest version gets a silvery opaline dial with applied hour markers, leaf-shaped hands in yellow gold, and sandblasted hands assigned to the chronograph functions. Otherwise, this is the same Ref. 5270 that we have come to know over the years. This means the Ref. 5270J-001 Perpetual Calendar Chronograph is still driven by the familiar caliber CH 29-535 PS Q movement, the very first chronograph movement with a perpetual calendar developed completely in the manufacture’s workshops.

First launched in 2009, this column wheel chronograph is connected to the timekeeping gear train by a horizontal clutch and features jumping minutes for the utmost in accuracy. It boasts six patented chronograph innovations, as well as an extremely svelte perpetual calendar mechanism (182 parts with a height of 1.65 mm) that features the day and month in double apertures

at 12 o’clock, analog date with an integrated moon-phase indication at 6 o’clock, subsidiary seconds at 9 o’clock, and a 30-minute counter at 3 o’clock.

Two small round apertures for the day/night indication and the leap year cycle at 7:30 and 4:30, respectively, complement these displays while the tachymeter scale on the circumference of the dial allows for speed-readings with the chronograph hand. And did we mention the analog date with an integrated moon-phase indication at 6 o’clock is still sans that annoying “chin” with the tachymeter track bending around the dates that was “deleted” from the original model? That’s right, the dates still simply cut into the track. Best of all, the movement can be admired through the sapphire-crystal case back, which can be interchanged with a solid back in

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yellow gold that comes standard with the watch.

Representing the third and final timepiece in the Patek Philippe 2020 grand complication line up, the new Ref. 5270J-001 Perpetual Calendar Chronograph is worn on a hand-stitched matte chocolate brown alligator strap with large square scales secured with a yellow-gold fold-over clasp. Unfortunately, it replaces the previous platinum and rose-gold models in an effort to accommodate more aficionados of Patek Philippe grand complications. And in conjunction with the Ref. 5303R-001 Minute Repeater Tourbillon, and the Ref. 5370P-011 Split-Seconds Chronograph, these three new timepieces perfectly meld tradition with innovation, and paired with beautiful finesse in aesthetics and technical features, they enrich the already extensive lineup of Patek Philippe Grand Complications.

C OV E R WAT C H PATEK PHILIPPE

GRAND COMPLICATIONS

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Features August-September 2020

Every issue, we try to bring the timepieces that we've seen at the shows and in different events we've attended both locally and overseas. These are the pieces that have caught our fancy and we hope they catch yours as well.

Feature Bvlgari

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August-September 2020

Going Global Bvlgari’s Urban Sport Watch Pays Tribute to Nine Cities Around the World Wo rd s b y

JP C. CALIMBAS

WHEN IT WAS FIRST LAUNCHED IN 1977, THE BVLGARI BVLGARI WATCH WAS VERY MUCH A HOMAGE TO THE CITY OF ROME, THE BRAND’S HOMETOWN. The watch was created to satisfy the demand generated by another Bvlgari creation, the Roma (created as a limited edition in 1975) which was allocated to a hundred of the maison’s best clients. Both these watches were deeply rooted in Roman history particularly architecture and Italian art. For the Bvlgari Bvlgari, the geometry of the watch’s cylindrical case harked the columns of ancient Roman monuments while the bezel was inspired by the imperial Roman coins wherein the name of the Emperor was engraved on the outside of the coin, leaving the center free for his portrait. Over the succeeding

years, the watch underwent slight revisions to keep up with the times but the designers always kept the fundamental aesthetic spirit.

For 2020, Bvlgari created a watch that embodied the urban lifestyle anchored on the City Collection. The new watch features a 41mm black DLC-treated steel case. The bezel is engraved with the BVLGARI logo and the name of one of nine cities. Powered by a mechanical manufacture movement with automatic winding, BVL 191 caliber, the watch comes with two straps that can be used interchangeably: one brown calf leather strap and one black rubber strap. Versatile in nature, it transitions seamlessly from weekday to weekend with a dynamic, strikingly current sense of elegance and adaptability. An elegant

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black grained leather pouch, that is ideal for travel and transport, complements each timepiece.

Now, this is where the fun begins. The watches in the Bvlgari Bvlgari Cities Special Edition 2020 is inspired by nine cities — Rome, Tokyo, Dubai, Paris, London, Ibiza, Milan, Mexico City, and NYC. These legendary destinations have hosted Bvlgari in the past and are some of the world’s most iconic capitals. As such, nine artists were invited to create twelve illustrations for each of the watches, the number 12 a nod to the marks on the dial. Each City Edition watch will come with a set of twelve unique art prints created by one of the nine talented young artists enjoined to share their own vision of the cities and their connection to the Bvlgari brand.

Feature Bvlgari

THE CITIES AND THEIR ARTISTS

The beating heart of Bvlgari, Rome has always been the wellspring of Bvlgari style. To express its glory, artist Iris Hatzfeld set out to capture its cinematic splendor, rendering its golden light and stunning textures in lush pencil strokes.

Its timeless spirit is made modern in the Cities Collection, which reinvents the enduring bond of Bvlgari and the Eternal City, using it as inspiration for the ultimate urban watch.

A high-tech utopia and capital of avant-garde style and sensibility, Dubai is a symbol of the limitlessness of the human imagination. Like Bvlgari, it is steeped in buoyant possibility and executed with daring. To render the city, artist Vincent Longhi used a graphic illustration technique to create a sort of modern impressionism.

Bvlgari has always been drawn to the treasures of Tokyo. To capture the city’s high-tech façade, the digital artist Faunesque employs a state-of-theart technique to make Tokyo’s most traditional elements feel fresh and futuristic. A magnet for modern urban adventurers, Tokyo’s magic lies in its distinctiveness, a quality that is mirrored in every new edition of the Bvlgari Bvlgari Collection.

Home to its own distinctive Dolce Vita, Paris represents an analog to Italian design and culture.

To recreate that connection, artist Jean Aubertin uses delicate watercolor to position Paris as Rome’s twin soul. For urban adventurers, there is no better place to explore than Paris, with its hidden corners and secret spots — so it’s a fitting inspiration for the Cities Edition 2020.

Take a casual walk through the London streets with Clémence Trossevin. Twelve watercolor scenes as a quiet English green comic strip. Trossevin has been gleaning for the signs of Bvlgari’s and the United Kingdom’s shared passion for Gardens and India. Passionate about patterns, she has multiplied them on any available surface of her interior scenes.

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Ibiza is a touchstone of Mediterranean brilliance, a sun-kissed jewel sparkling in the sea. Deeply rooted in millenary culture, the Mediterranean soul shines on Bvlgari too. Artist Manon Molesti conjures the aqua waters and electric nightlife of the island. Urbane and chic, it’s a capital of modern leisure and absolutely one of a kind, like the Bvlgari Bvlgari Collection.

Milan is the capital of Italian design and innovation. Likewise, Bvlgari has been at the forefront of many industry innovations — from the first luxury quartz watch to the Thé Vert oversize perfume bottle, the first ceramics jewelry and Bvlgari Hotels. To express that industriousness, the young architect Vincent Macquart renders the city’s unique landscape with an eye on architecture, color and shape.

He delights in Industrial Design the way Bvlgari does with Tubogas or Parentesi. Mixing the most modest to the most precious, the modern with the ancient, the huge with the small, Macquart offers us an urban utopia at the scale of this high creativity of the city.

Mexico City is a riot of jubilant color, making it a natural fit for Bvlgari’s enduring passion for brilliant hues. To channel the vibrancy of Mexico City and Bvlgari’s voluptuous spirit, the artist Aline Zalko uses bold lines and spectacular shades. The spirit of Mexico City aligns beautifully with that of the modern, urban adventurer, whose passion for travel and discovery takes him to the world’s most richly textured destinations.

As the capital of the Pop Art scene, New York is the spiritual home of one facet of Bvlgari design: its pop sensibility. Fashion meets cinema in the larger-than-life cityscape of the Big Apple. To recreate that electricity, the artist Natacha Paschal borrows from fashion magazines, reimagining her own scenes in rough gouache strokes. Urban culture is heavily influenced by New York, from street style to the sporty looks that evolve into high fashion. For this reason, the Big Apple was a natural fit for the Cities Collection.

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Feature Cartier

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The Cartier Diamond

The Parisian watchmaker applies technology to the service of design Wo rd s b y

KIT O. PAYUMO

Feature Cartier

THE CONCEPT OF THE TANK WATCH WAS ANOTHER IDÉE MÈRE (AN ORIGINAL IDEA THAT LEADS TO THE RISE OF OTHER IDEAS) PERPETUATED BY LOUIS CARTIER WAY BACK IN 1917. Cartier had just came off designing the watch of Brazilian aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont, and in this time when timepieces were produced only with round shapes we can only imagine the allure of further breaking with tradition and designing yet another watch with a rectangular shape. Thus, from 1917 until 1935 the Cartier Tank reigned supreme as the ultimate “disruptive” timepiece. That is until Louis Cartier decided to shift his perception 30° to the right.

That’s correct, everything on the dial of the Cartier Tank Asymétrique was shifted by 30°. Even the case was skewed to the right. Also known as the Parallélogramme or Losange at the time (presumably because of its shape), the original Tank Asymétrique was launched way back in 1936, and even back then, it already marked a radical departure, not just for watches with normal round cases, but for watches with rectangular cases as well.

Indeed, the rectangle of the original Tank became a diamond, while on the dial, the 12 was positioned at the upper right-hand corner of the case with the 6 at its opposite. Further, only even digits were considered with Arabic numerals taking the place of Roman numerals, all of which were separated by indexes. And it was all done in the service of easing the reading of time. When the user’s wrist is raised to check the time, the skewed dial of the Tank Asymétrique was already angled with the user’s line of sight.

And in the expert hands of Louis Cartier, this set up was not only fashionably chic but surprisingly practical as well. Even the strap did not escape Cartier’s unique vision with specialized straps having to be fashioned to accommodate not only the unique shape of the watch but a central, third lug, as well. Indeed, this detail (which was both functional and stylish) made the watch even more distinctive, and therefore, even more desirable.

In fact, to call the Tank one of Louis Cartier’s most important creations is an understatement with the Asymétrique constantly being reissued over the years. In 1999, two sets of watches appeared as right and left-hand versions, both of which were produced in a limited run of only 99 pieces each. In 2006, 250 pieces in yellow gold were made. This isn’t even counting the numerous other editions that have been made, over the years, with and without the central third lug while utilizing both Roman and Arabic numerals.

Eighty-four years on and the Cartier Tank Asymétrique is still the epitome of chic, fashionable

design, and has, indeed, been reborn once again as part of Cartier’s Privé collection. For those not in tune to the pulse of haute horlogerie, the Privé Collection made its bows in 2015 with the purpose of reviving historic Cartier designs albeit in strictly limited editions. Starting with the idiosyncratic Crash watch, the Cartier watchmaking design studio then turned its sights to the reinterpretation of the Tank Cintrée, and then the Tonneau watch.

2020 marks the inclusion of the Tank Asymétrique into the exclusive circle of this connoisseurs’ club, the various versions of which will also be released in strictly limited editions.

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Three models of the new Cartier Privé Tank Asymétrique with “Extra-large” 47.15 x 26.2mm dimensions will be immediately available in time for the 2020 digital edition of Watches & Wonders: the first in platinum with a silvercolored dial, a crown set with a ruby cabochon, and a grey alligator leather strap; the second in 18K pink gold with a dark grey dial, a crown set with a sapphire cabochon, and a grey alligator leather strap; and a third in 18K yellow gold with a champagne dial, a crown set with a sapphire cabochon, and a brown alligator leather strap.

All three models are extremely limited and

exclusively numbered to only 100 pieces each, with all three powered by the manually wound 1917 MC, a 16 x 12.95mm Manufacture mechanical calibre. The movement operates at 21,600 VpH, and has a power reserve of 38 hours.

And that’s not all.

Also making its debut with the three “regular” limited edition models is a skeletonized version of the new Tank Asymétrique. Driven by the 9623 MC skeletonized movement, this highly stylized version integrates its specially developed calibre into the asymmetric confines of the Tank Asymétrique to fulfill the mission of the Cartier

Privé collection: to apply technology to the service of design.

The 32 x 21.1mm 9623 MC skeletonized movement with its 48 hours of power reserve, whilst operating at 28,800 vibrations per hour (or 4Hz), therefore, appears within the exhibition dial, which has been carefully excavated to reveal the indexes and the stylized Arabic numerals 12 and 6. These have further been filled with blue lacquer and have, thus, become the primary windows for showcasing the expertly skeletonized movement.

Like the “regular” limited editions, the Cartier

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Privé Tank Asymétrique Skeleton is also available in three Extra-large models: in 18K pink gold on a brown or grey leather strap, and a crown set with a sapphire cabochon; in platinum on a blue or black leather strap and a crown set with a sapphire cabochon; and in a gem-set platinum version with a black or glossy blue strap and a crown set with a brilliant-cut diamond, all of which are fitted with an ardillon buckle, a rare option in Fine Watchmaking. The final word in stylish exclusivity, each version of the Cartier Privé Tank Asymétrique Skeleton is limited and numbered to only 100 pieces.

Feature

A. Lange & Söhne

The World Is My… A. Lange & Söhne makes the best tool to crack open our oyster even better Wo rd s b y

KIT O. PAYUMO

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IN HIS PLAY THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR, WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE WROTE:

“Why then the world’s my oyster, which I with sword will open.”

The oyster is obviously a metaphor for the world, while the sword in this case is the A. Lange & Söhne Lange 1 TIME ZONE. Just a few months ago we saw the Lange 1 TIME ZONE play its role as part of the 10-piece Lange 1 “25th Anniversary” collection as the 5th entry in the anniversary line. This made the 25th Anniversary model the second Lange 1 TIME ZONE to get the limited edition treatment after the 100-piece honey gold edition of 2016. And just like the other watches in the 25th Anniversary collection, the colors of that Saxon timepiece were predominantly silver and blue.

This was technically the same watch that made its debut way back in 2005, which for the past

fifteen years was powered by the manual winding Manufacture Calibre L031.1 movement fitted with a twin mainspring barrel for a 3-day power reserve. Indeed, it was so good at its dual role of GMT/World Timer that it remained unchanged in that entire time. That is, until now.

For 2020, A. Lange & Söhne is giving us a better, stronger, faster Lange 1 TIME ZONE, and we mean that in every way because the German master watchmakers have given their GMT/World Timer a new manufacture movement, one that makes full use of its new ring-shaped day and night indicators, and new daylight saving time indication.

Indeed, in our ever-increasing globalized world, watches with two or more time zone displays have become increasingly useful. A GMT indicates a second timezone, while a world timer can indicate any time zone on demand. However, if not used

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correctly, using either complication can lead to some confusion.

The Lange 1 TIME ZONE with its practical “regulator” style indications, successfully combines the two: home time is displayed on the main hour/ minute subdial, while a second time zone (local time) is displayed on the subdial at 5 o’clock. To help things along, a city ring that “allows” the user to “travel” around the world in an easterly direction is on hand to set the local time.

Like a world timer, each of the 24 time zones is represented by a city name on the peripheral city ring. To set the second time zone, simply press the pusher at 8 o’clock to advance the city ring clockwise one time zone at a time. This results in a corresponding advance of the local time subdial at 5 o’clock in 1-hour increments.

Then, it is simply a matter of lining up the time zone/city of choice with the arrow/pointer already conveniently located within the local time subdial, and viola, the Lange 1 TIME ZONE does the rest. It all couldn’t be simpler, and it’s all done automatically and mechanically. We wondered, of course, what A. Lange & Söhne would do next.

The answer, naturally, was to make the Lange 1 TIME ZONE better. And in typical Teutonic fashion they did it with a new manufacture calibre L141.1, a movement that represents all the experience gained by the development of 65 calibres by A. Lange & Söhne so far.

Indeed, every watch beginning with the Lange 1 that made its debut in 1994 have all been endowed with movements derived from the basic movement architecture of the original Lange calibre L901.0 and its two distinctive “islands” in the middle of the German ¾ plate. Beginning in 2015, A. Lange & Söhne began updating the movements in the Lange family of watches starting with the calibre L121.1. This has finally caught up with the Lange 1 TIME ZONE, which is the last watch in the Lange 1 family to receive an update to its original movement with the new calibre L141.1.

Here, the master watchmakers at ALS have done it again and just like how they fashioned their own “bespoke” version of the chiming mechanism for the ZEITWERK MINUTE REPEATER, they have engineered yet another version of the GMT/World Timer, one that they can call entirely their own.

Technically, the new movement moves on from its predecessor with a 72-hour power reserve derived from only one spring barrel. This is indicated by the words “GANGRESERVE 72 STUNDEN,” which replaces the word “DOPPELFEDERHAUS” (double mainspring

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barrel) on the dial. While further details include a classic screw balance and a freely oscillating balance spring crafted in-house and calibrated for a frequency of 21,600 semi-oscillations per hour.

Further, Lange-style quality hallmarks naturally abound. These include the three-quarter plate made of untreated German silver, screwed gold chatons, blued screws, an elaborate whiplash precision index adjuster, as well as a handengraved balance and intermediate-wheel cocks visible through the sapphire-crystal caseback.

Indeed, the artisanal decoration of the movement (which is assembled twice) simply reflects the intensive quality standards of ALS. On the dial, things are a lot more subtle with the biggest change being the day & night indicators on the home and local time subdials.

The former Lange 1 TIME ZONE presented these by supplying two separate mini subdials with pointers at 12 o’clock within the home time dial, and on the periphery of the local time at 8:30. And while this hardly represents a fatal error in design by the watchmakers at ALS, this still didn’t stop them from “correcting” it by making the dial even more streamlined and cohesive.

The result is an inspiration in clarity with a 24-hour display in the middle of each of the two dials represented by a rotating disc divided across its diameter by a blue sector. These discs rotate once on their axes every 24 hours and feature a blue portion to represent the night hours, and a non-colored half to represent daytime.

But aside from this everything else remains the same on the dial of the Lange 1 TIME ZONE. This includes the city ring, power reserve, and signature outsize date. The city ring arrow pointer at 5 o’clock, however, is made more prominent and now incorporates an aperture for a convenient daylight savings time indicator, which turns red if the selected city has a daylight saving time regime, and remains white if standard time applies to the city all year round. The fact that this new watch incorporates this feature is kind of a big deal, since users will have to manually compensate for this if staying in the relevant city.

The new Lange 1 TIME ZONE also retains the ability to swap time zones between the main dial and the subsidiary dial, and vise versa. This is made possible by a unique synchronization mechanism, thereby making life so much easier for travelers who are traveling abroad for extended periods of time and who suddenly need the local time to become the home time.

This is done by pulling out the crown to the second position and holding down the pusher at 8 o’clock for advancing the hour hand in the time-

“An inspiration in clarity with a 24-hour display in the middle of each of the two dials” zone dial. Normally, the hour hands of both dials are synchronized along with the minute hands, but this maneuver decouples the hour hands and allows the larger dial to be set independently to local time while the smaller dial can be set to home time.

Naturally, this necessitates the correction of the outsize date via the pusher at 10 o’clock, and explains the necessity of an AM/PM indicator on both the larger and smaller dials (since its assumed the traveler would know whether it’s night or day in whatever part of the world he may presently be).

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The dimensions of this cleaner and more focused edition of A. Lange & Söhne’s GMT/ World Timer remain unchanged with a case diameter of 41.9mm and a height of 10.9mm.

The new Lange 1 TIME ZONE is also available in three versions: with a white gold case and black dial; in pink gold with an argenté dial; and in a limited edition of 100 pieces in yellow gold with a champagne dial; all of which are matched with a choice of either medium brown, dark brown, or red brown hand-stitched alligator leather straps with corresponding prong buckles.

Feature

Jaeger-LeCoultre

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The Grace and Charm of the Alarm Two new Memovox models join the Master Control collection.

Wo rd s b y

BERT E. CASAL

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Feature

Jaeger-LeCoultre

WHEN THE WATCH BRAND JAEGER-LECOULTRE IS MENTIONED, ONE OF THE VERY FIRST WATCHES THAT COMES TO MIND IS THE REVERSO, AND RIGHTFULLY SO. It is one of the brand’s most iconic designs that is instantly recognisable. But its not just the Reverso that the watch brand is known for. Watch people also acknowledge the manufacture’s skill at creating alarm timepieces.

And with that, Jaeger-LeCoultre announces the launch of two new Memovox models.

The new generation Master Control Memovox takes its inspiration from the first Memovox

watches of the 1950s but adding a contemporary style to stay in tune with the times. But even with the modern design cues, it still retains the spirit of utility and charm that defines the original. The two new additions to the collection are the Master Control Memovox and the Master Control Memovox Timer.

The new Master Control Memovox reinterprets the graceful and uncluttered dial of the original 1950 model in a streamlined modern style. This timepiece presents the classical combination of alarm and date display with a

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silvery sunray brushed dial. The triangular-shaped indexes and Dauphine hands are faithful to the original 1950 version and keeps the refinement of the piece. The blue seconds hand adds a splash of colour to animate through the silvery-white dial.

The Master Control Memovox measures 40 mm x 12.39 mm. It carries an automatic mechanical movement, the Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 956, which displays the time, date, and has the alarm function. It has a power reserve of 45 hours.

For the second new model, Jaeger-LeCoultre developed an entirely new and useful function: the Timer. So they aptly called it the Master Control Memovox Timer. With this new complication, the wearer can now choose to either set the alarm on a specific time, or set the alarm to go off after the passage of a certain amount of hours.

With the alarm function, you set the time that you want it to sound. So if you want to wake up at 7:00 am, you set the alarm to sound at that specific time. But with the new Timer complication, you can set how much time you want to pass before it sounds. Still confused?

Think of it like the alarm function and timer function of your mobile phone. With the timer function, you can specify precisely how much time should pass before it will sound. If, for example, you want to boil an 8-minute egg, you set your timer for 8 minutes. Once time runs out, the alarm will sound, telling you to remove the egg from the boiling water. The Timer in the new Master Control Memovox Timer works in pretty much the same way. With the Timer function, you should be able to see just how much time is left before it runs out.

The dial of the Master Control Memovox Timer is laid out in concentric rings, in two shades of blue with a sunray finish. The inner ring is engraved in bas-relief with polished numerals.

On this inner ring, the elapsed hours until alarm are indicated by a small hand tipped with a red JL logo. Set at the outer edge of that ring, the Memovox’s signature marker points to the time at which the alarm will ring.

Despite being one of the most useful watch complications, the alarm is surprisingly rare in mechanical wristwatches. As mentioned earlier, Jaeger-LeCoultre first came up with it in 1950.

Eight years later, they released one with time zones. On that same year, the manufacture released the Memovox Parking. It had a central alarm disc on the dial printed with markings to

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set the parking time, reminding the wearer to add more coins to the parking meter.

In 1959, the Memovox Deep Sea was released.

It gave an audible reminder to the wearer when it was time to ascend to the surface. It was Jaeger-LeCoultre’s first divers’ watch and the world’s first divers’ watch with a built-in alarm.

In the 1960s, they came up with a variety of imaginative case shapes. In the year 2000, the most complicated model with alarm was released.

It was called the Master Grande Memovox with perpetual calendar and moon-phase display.

What makes the alarm function of the Memovox special is the sound it makes. Minute repeaters have hammers that strike a metal ring slow enough so you can count how many times the gong was struck. The sound that the Memovox creates is the sound of the hammer striking the gong repeatedly at a fast pace, like the sound of a school bell sounding of dismissal time. A better comparison would probably be the sound of a traditional alarm clock that has two bells at the top and a hammer that strikes each bell alternately. The latter’s description is

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probably what makes the sound of the Memovox so appealing and charming.

The Master Control Memovox Timer measures 40 mm x 12.39 mm. It is powered by the automatic mechanical movement JaegerLeCoultre Calibre 956 that displays the hours/ minutes/seconds, date, alarm, and timer indication. It has a 45-hour power reserve.

The stainless steel case has satin and polished finish and the dial is two-tone blue sunray with engraved numerals on the Memovox disc. This model is limited to 250 pieces.

Feature Panerai

Deep Blue Sea Panerai once again evokes its glorious connection to the sea

Wo rd s b y

KIT O. PAYUMO

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Feature Panerai

THE ITALIAN WATCHMAKER HAS LONG HARPED ON ITS STORIED ASSOCIATION WITH THE ROYAL ITALIAN NAVY. Indeed, every other novelty the brand releases seems to delve into precisely that, and for good reason. The first prototypes of the timepieces Panerai would eventually supply the Italian Navy with came out in 1936.

Called the “Radiomir,” these watches were specifically designed for the underwater exploits of the Command of the First Submarine Corp., and were so classic in design that the modern iterations of the watch still feature the same basic design codes; namely, a large steel “coussin” or cushion-shaped case, luminous numerals and markers (sans the radioactive material), wire loop strap attachments welded to the case, and a wide water-resistant strap that was long enough to be fastened around a diving suit.

The Luminor with its beefy crown guard made its debut in the 1950s, and like the bulk of Panerai production at the time is based on those very timepieces worn by the commandos of the Italian Navy during the World War II. And let’s be honest: when it comes to acknowledging its roots (militaristic or otherwise), no other watchmaker does it with more aplomb than Panerai. Which is why in honor of the decades that the watchmaker equipped the commandos of the Italian Navy, Panerai is giving us another version of the watch that those commandos wore on their numerous feats of heroism.

“Evoking its glorious history and exhibiting a proud and daring character,” the new Luminor Blu Mare – 44mm (PAM01085) comes on the heels of the automatic Luminor Marina (PAM01313) with a blue dial, which was launched last June. And even if the name “Blu Mare,” or “blue sea” in English is a clear reference to the marine heritage of the Florentine watchmaker, the new watch still aims to move the Panerai story forward by evoking the clean lines and angular lines of 1990s Luminor models.

Indeed, the case of this new Luminor Blu Mare – 44mm is forged and “turned” in AISI 316L stainless steel, a high-performance low-carbon metal characterized by its resistance to corrosion, and measures 44mm in diameter and 13.05mm in height. And just like its 90s counterparts, it features a bezel in polished steel, while its dodecagonal pressure-fit caseback and signature

Safety Lock crown protector is finished in brushed steel.

This is also the first Luminor Blu Mare in the collection to feature a blue dial, which is protected by a sapphire crystal made of the mineral corundum. The dial is further enhanced by a mesmerizing satiné soleil decoration, along with hour and minute hands with a rhodium finish. The typeface applied to the numerals are signature Panerai, and are further reference to the models that made their debut at the end of the 20th century. They have been etched exactly like the linear indexes and are filled with green SuperLumiNova to guarantee legibility even in the dark. Even the inclusion of the double arrow “OP” logo, the stylized representation of Officine Panerai’s initials, is yet another distinctive brand signature, albeit dating back to the 1980s.

The new Luminor Blu Mare

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– 44mm is driven by the Calibre P.6000, which replaces the old Unitas-based OP XI movement.

It is a manually wound movement entirely designed and developed inhouse by the Panerai Manufacture in Neuchâtel, and beats at a frequency of 3Hz (21,600 vph).

The movement is particularly robust thanks to the twin bridges supporting the regulator, and is equipped with an Incabloc shockproof device whilst boasting a three-day power reserved derived from a single barrel.

Water resistant up to 10 bar, the new Luminor Blu Mare – 44mm is completed with a matching blue calfskin leather strap with beige stitching and secured with a pin buckle in brushed steel. A second complementary blue rubber strap also comes standard, as well as a special screwdriver for changing the straps and removing the buckle.

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Feature

Richard Mille

A Drop In The Grey Richard Mille introduces a new and exclusive material Wo rds by

KIT O. PAYUMO

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Feature

Richard Mille

RICHARD MILLE HAS DONE IT AGAIN. ALREADY KNOWN IN THE INDUSTRY AS THE AVANTGARDE WATCHMAKER SPECIALIZING IN EXOTIC MATERIALS, the French watchmaker has introduced yet another hard alloy that joins its ever-expanding roster of innovative materials.

Indeed, Richard Mille has already given us the likes of forged carbon, exclusive ceramics, and quartz TPT (just to name a few) all in the pursuit of their particular brand of high-end watchmaking. Well, apparently, they’re far from done because they’ve just introduced yet another high-end material that combines the hardness of diamond with the lightness of titanium.

Indeed, Grey Cermet is less dense than titanium with a density of 4.1g/cm3, and is almost as hard as diamond’s 2,400 Vickers at 2,360 Vickers. It gets its color from a mixture of metallic zirconium and high-performance ceramic inserts, which were heated and pressed together to form a homogenous whole. Further, it is notable for its exclusion of nickel and cobalt, elements that are normally used in the forging of hard materials but deemed “undesirable” as a binder by Richard Mille’s partners, the micro-technology firm IMI Group, in its mandate to adhere to European REACH standards of chemical safety.

The result of the technique called “flash sintering,” Grey Cermet is produced by pairing

classic hot stamping with a series of powerful electrical pulses of current to increase the sintering kinetics. This makes Cermet’s inherent properties very popular in the use of ballistic protection, external aerospace fuselage components, and in the brakes of competition vehicles.

And the first Richard Mille timepiece to benefit from this new and exclusive material is the RM 11-05 Automatic Flyback Chronograph GMT, a typical ultra-complex Richard Mille timepiece that is literally bursting at the seams with a plethora of functions within its 50mm x 42.7mm tonneaushaped case. Limited to only 140 pieces, this new flyback chronograph is quintessential Richard Mille, and features not only a flyback chronograph with a countdown mode (which uses a 60-minute skeletonized disc instead of a hand so the user can read the elapsed time as well as the remaining minutes), but also an annual calendar with a semiinstantaneous large date south of 12 o’clock, and a semi-instantaneous month display indicated by Arabic numerals between 4 and 5 o’clock. And did we mention it also incorporates a GMT display?

That’s right, a hand filled with Super-LumiNova, which is easily adjustable by a pusher at 9 o’clock allows the display of a second timezone.

Best of all, the bezel of this typically high-tech case has benefitted from the use of Grey Cermet, which makes for its sleek, grey countenance.

And in combination with a caseband made of Carbon TPT, as well as a caseback in grade-5 titanium has resulted in a very low total weight that belies the timepiece’s robust and chunky appearance. Further, the case is water-resistant to 50 meters thanks to two Nitrile O-ring seals and is assembled using 20 spline screws in grade 5 titanium and 316L stainless steel washers.

Last but certainly not least, powering the new RM 11-05 Automatic Flyback Chronograph GMT is the Manufacture’s own manually wound Caliber RMAC3, which is visible from the sapphire crystal caseback window. The movement has been optimized with a skeletonized baseplate and bridges made of grade-5 titanium, which have been optimized for an extremely low weight/resistance ratio; a free-sprung balance with variable inertia, which guarantees greater reliability when subjected to shocks, and better chronometric results over time; a rotor with variable geometry that can be modified to the user’s own movements; and a double barrel system that contributes to torque stability and therefore, long-term performance for a guaranteed power reserve of up to 50 hours.

The RM 11-05 Automatic Flyback Chronograph GMT is matched with a specially designed RM rubber strap and as previously mentioned, is a limited edition of only 140 pieces.

“Grey Cermet is less dense than titanium... and almost as hard as diamond”

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Feature

Vacheron Constantin

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New Beginings Vacheron Constantin gives the Fiftysix a shot in the arm Wo rd s b y

KIT O. PAYUMO

Feature

Vacheron Constantin

THE 260-YEAR-OLD-PLUS MANUFACTURE FIRST INTRODUCED THE FIFTYSIX TWO YEARS AGO AS AN “ENTRY-LEVEL” MODEL INSPIRED BY THE REF. 6073, an earlier model from 1956 (thus, the name),

which was the first automatic, water-resistant watch made by Vacheron Constantin. Back then we were already impressed by how Vacheron Constantin navigated the unfamiliar waters of the entry-level market. Indeed, we felt the Fiftysix represented a new entry point, and a simple tribute to a simpler age. Most of all, it showed what Vacheron Constantin could do when they took their generations of expertise and focused them on a line that concentrated on only the basics.

Naturally, not everybody agreed (you can’t please everyone). Some felt that a brand that spent so much of its storied history specializing in fine watchmaking and haute horlogerie had no business “slumming” in the entry-level market, and that the collection was simply another attempt to capitalize on the “retro” craze that was sweeping the market. Others felt that the collection itself lacked the graceful design codes that marked the best Vacheron Constantin timepieces. Whatever the case (pun intended), the 260-year-old-plus Manufacture was determined to prove the naysayers wrong, and was resolute

in offering a watch that didn’t look or feel like an entry-level watch per se.

Fast forward to the virtual edition of Watches & Wonders 2020, where Vacheron Constantin has just launched two new updates for the Fiftysix.

Having made its debut in 2018 with three 40mm models in both pink gold and stainless steel with conservative monochrome and anthracite dials, the Fiftysix collection has been given a retro-inspired shot in the arm with both the selfwinding with date, and complete calendar models now bearing sepia brown-toned dial colors and matching calfskin leather straps that ups the collection’s retro-cred ten-fold for 2020.

As previously mentioned, the original Fiftysix collection is heir to an iconic watch from the

1950s. These new models are no different and, thus, borrow many of the same characteristics that defined Ref. 6073. These include lugs that form a part of the Manufacture’s Maltese cross emblem; and the box-type crystal atop the bezel that were found on classic post-war watches.

The timeless elegance of a 40mm case in 18K 5N pink gold simply completes the retro look of these new watches.

But what most concerns us here today are the new dial colors that imbue these new models with a revitalized vintage character. Starting with the Fiftysix Complete Calendar model, the sepia brown-toned dial becomes a new stage for the most complex model in the Fiftysix line up. Not many enthusiasts just joining the conversation

know that the complete calendar was the go-to complication favored in the industry long before the advent of the annual calendar, and was mostly coveted by collectors who didn’t want to incur the cost of a perpetual calendar.

The Fiftysix Self-Winding with date, on the other hand, is perhaps a true entry-level model… at least as far as Vacheron Concern is concerned.

The steel version, for example, retails at around EUR11,000.00, while this pink gold model with new dial colors comes in at about twice that.

A paragon of legible execution, the Fiftysix collection feature dials with the signature sector layout, which allows its numerous indications to play off the fascinating light effects created by the combination of opaline, sunburst, and snailed finishes with utmost clarity. For the Complete Calendar, these include the double windows of the day and month just below the Vacheron Constantin logo at 12 noon; the precision moon phase that requires no adjustment for 122 years at 6 o’clock; and the pointer date display at the periphery of the dial indicated by a central gold arrow-tipped hand.

The Self-Winding model, on the other hand, boasts a discreet date window with a brown background to match the dial at 3 o’clock, and an outer minutes/seconds track that takes the place of the Complete Calendar’s pointer date display to play off an inner black and white railwaystyle track. Further, an hour ring around the

circumference of both dials is enhanced by those specially designed Arabic numerals that alternate with gold baton-shaped hour markers. These are coated in luminescent matter, just like the hour and minutes hands.

The Fiftysix Complete Calendar is driven by the Calibre 2460 QCL/1, while the Calibre 1326 does the heavy lifting for the Fiftysix Self-Winding model. The former is a top-tier self-winding Manufacture movement marked by the Poinçon de Geneva, or the Geneva Seal, and features a stop-seconds device and a power reserve of 40 hours whilst oscillating at 28,800 Vph (or 4Hz).

The latter, on the other hand, is a self-winding movement sourced from the Richemont Group’s Manufacture Horlogère ValFleurier, but finished, assembled and regulated by Vacheron Constantin.

Calibre 1326 beats at a standard rate of 28,800 VpH, and boasts a power reserve of 48 hours.

From the sapphire crystal caseback one can view the elaborate finishing embellished in the tradition of fine watchmaking onto the respective movements of each model including their 22-carat pink gold oscillating weights delicately openworked in the shape of the Maltese cross.

Finally, both the Fiftysix Complete Calendar and the Fiftysix Self-Winding model are paired with brown calfskin leather straps with calfskin lining and beige stitching. These are fastened with 18K 5N pink gold pin buckles embellished with the brand’s signature Maltese cross.

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Feature Tudor

CONTINUING THE BLUE TRADITION A navy blue version of its flagship model.

Words by

BERT E. CASAL

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Feature Tudor

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THE BLACK BAY FIFTY-EIGHT “NAVY BLUE” GETS ITS NAME FROM ITS COLOUR — NO SURPRISE THERE — BUT ALSO FROM THE YEAR IN WHICH THE FIRST TUDOR DIVERS’ WATCH WATERPROOF TO 200 METERS (660 FEET) WAS PRESENTED. This model is offered in a 39 mm diameter case in keeping with the characteristic proportions of the 1950s.

It is ideal for slim wrists, people who like more compact watches, and vintage enthusiasts. And it is also true to the long TUDOR tradition of blue sports watches.

TUDOR, of course, is a subsidiary of Rolex.

The latter’s founder Hans Wilsdorf created the TUDOR Watch Company in 1946 to offer highquality timepieces at a lower price point. Both brands’ stories and successes have connections.

For instance, in 1953, the Rolex Submariner was the first diver’s watch to offer a water resistance of 100 meters. Shortly after it came out and achieving success, TUDOR began offering a diver’s watch in 1954 attaching the name “Submariner” to its name - the TUDOR Oyster Prince Submariner Ref. 7922. The TUDOR Submariners were less expensive but it offered the same high quality Oyster case like a Rolex.

TUDOR continued with the Submariner name until 1999.

In 1969, TUDOR introduced a divers’ watch with a blue dial and bezel. The other sports watches in the collection were soon attired in blue, immediately creating a lasting aesthetic hallmark known as “TUDOR Blue.” The 2020 Black Bay Fifty-Eight “Navy Blue” follows in this tradition with its navy blue dial and bezel insert.

Like other models in the Black Bay range, the Black Bay Fifty-Eight “Navy Blue” adopts TUDOR’s characteristic angular hands known as “Snowflake” that appeared in the brand’s 1969 catalogue. Resolutely anchored in the present, it brings together close to seven decades of TUDOR divers’ watches. While it is neo-vintage in style, its manufacturing techniques and its robustness, reliability, durability, and precision, as well as the quality of its finishing, are above current industry standards.

This is a color that also appears on the “soft touch” strap offered with this model and made from a synthetic, tactile material resembling flannel. Also offered with the Black Bay FiftyEight “Navy Blue” is a navy blue fabric strap.

TUDOR was one of the very first watchmaking brands to offer their watches with a fabric strap, back in 2010. This strap is woven in France by the Julien Faure company in the St. Etienne region.

The straps are woven on 19th century Jacquard looms. The resulting straps offer a manufacturing

quality that is comfortable on the wrist. As a third option, the Black Bay Fifty-Eight “Navy Blue” can also come with a riveted 316L steel bracelet with polished and satin-brushed finish.

At the heart of this watch is the Manufacture Calibre MT5402, which equips the Black Bay Fifty-Eight “Navy Blue” with hour, minute, and seconds on central hands. It has the finish typical of TUDOR Manufacture calibres. Its rotor in tungsten monobloc is openwork and satinbrushed with sand-blasted details. Its bridges and main plate have alternate sand-blasted, polished surfaces and laser decorations.

The Manufacture Calibre MT5402 is chronometer-certified by the Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute (COSC), with its performance going beyond the standards set by this independent institute. In fact, where

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COSC allows for an average variation in the daily running state of a watch movement between -4 and +6 seconds, TUDOR applies a tolerance of between -2 and +4 seconds in its daily rate.

Another notable feature of this movement is that its power reserve is “weekend-proof.” It has a power reserve of about 70 hours, which enables the wearer to take off his watch on a Friday evening and wear it on Monday morning without having to wind it.

As an added bonus, TUDOR is now offering a five-year guarantee on all its product sold after January 1, 2020. This guarantee does not require the watch to be registered, or any maintenance checks. And the guarantee is transferable.

Additionally, all TUDOR products bought between July 1, 2018 and December 31, 2019 will benefit from an 18-month extension to their guarantee.

Feature Oris

There’s No Place Like Home The independent Swiss watch company celebrates its roots with the first of a series of limited edition pieces.

Wo rds by

BERT E. CASAL

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Feature Oris

ORIS WAS FOUNDED IN 1904 WHEN, ON THE FIRST OF JUNE OF THAT YEAR, PAUL CATTIN AND GEORGES CHRISTIAN SIGNED A CONTRACT IN THE SWISS VILLAGE OF HÖLSTEIN THAT ALLOWED THEM TO SET UP AND RUN THEIR OWN WATCH COMPANY. Hölstein, situated 25 kilometres away from Basel, was experiencing economic hardship at that time. The two saw this as an opportunity to set up shop and start their business. They decided to name their company Oris, after a nearby brook.

As Cattin and Christian set up shop, two questions troubled their minds: 1) Could a mechanical watch be made using industrial techniques that stayed true to the romantic values of traditional horology, and 2) Could man and machine combine to deliver beautiful watches at prices that hard-working citizens could afford?

Looking at the Oris now, the answer is obvious, but back in 1904, such a move was… visionary.

After only six years, Oris was the biggest employer in the region, and in the coming decades, it would continue to grow at a quick pace. By the 1960s, it was one of the 10 biggest watch companies in the world, employing almost 1,000 people and producing more than one million watches a year.

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In the 1970s, the world experienced a global financial crisis, affecting a lot of industries including watchmaking. That era also saw the evolution of the quartz watch, delivering brutal blows to the watch companies. Suffice it to say that Oris survived these adversities by the time the 1980s came around. At that same time, Oris secured its independence and continued to produce beautiful watches that celebrated mechanical watchmaking, industrial manufacturing, and hand-crafted watches that were affordably priced.

This year, to celebrate the roots of their history and their association with the Swiss village of Hölstien, Oris is proud to release the first of a series of limited edition timepieces: the Oris Hölstein Edition 2020.

The case of the Oris Hölstein Edition 2020 is cast in solid bronze. The links of the bracelet are also cast in solid bronze, a first for Oris and a first in Swiss watchmaking. The pins holding the links and the folding clasps, however, are made of highgrade stainless steel. The case back is embossed with the Oris Bear, a symbol of the Oris spirit of warmth and honesty. Plus, it makes you smile.

The 43 mm case houses the Oris 771 movement which features centre hands for hours,

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“The Oris Hölstein Edition 2020 is a celebration of the brand's roots and values.” minutes, and chronograph quarter seconds. It has allotment for two subsidiary dials at 9 o’clock for the continuous seconds and at 3 o’clock for the chronograph 30-minute counter. This automatic winding movement has a power reserve of 48 hours. The dial is gold plated with black counters and rose gold plated indices. Super-LumiNova® is applied to the hands and indices.

Rolf Studer is Oris’s Co-CEO, and he explains a few things about the Oris Hölstein Edition 2020: “It’s a celebration of Hölstein and this company’s values. It’s also a tribute to people who love the Oris brand and who love mechanical watches. We really wanted to put a smile on people’s faces with this watch. We make serious mechanical watches for people who work hard for their money, who play their part in building strong communities, and who appreciate quality and beauty. We want to bring people joy. That’s been Oris since day one.”

“Just as a person is defined by where they come from,” Studer continues, “it’s the same for a brand. We are from Hölstein, a remote place away from the centre of the watch industry. This part of Switzerland is more about rigour the romance.

Being in Hölstein has defined us and made us the maverick that we are.”

Why put a bear on a watch? Rolf Studer simply said: “How can you be mad at a bear?” He’s a canvas for any kind of emotion. All of us had a teddy bear when we were kids and it was a mirror for our emotions. People buy watches because the cheer us up. Our job is to give people a happy moment in their hectic day. We thought about doing a special movement, or playing with new materials, or even doing something colourful. But in the end, we decided what connects us to this place and to watch enthusiasts around the world is joy. So we did something quirky, something unexpected - who else puts a bear on the back of a luxury watch made of solid bronze?”

The Oris manufacture has stood on the same site as it did when it was first founded in 1904.

The Oris Hölstein Edition 2020 timepiece celebrates that, honouring their roots, paying tribute to the magical village they call home.

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Feature

Glashütte Original

A Second Life Glashütte Original brings the famous Glashütte marine chronometer back to life

Wo rd s b y

KIT O. PAYUMO

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WE’VE WRITTEN MANY TIMES BEFORE ABOUT THE PRECISION OF GERMAN WATCHMAKING, THE PINNACLE OF WHICH IS UNDOUBTEDLY A. LANGE & SÖHNE. But included in the whole German

watchmaking world are specialty watch brands like Nomos and SINN, as well as that other German watch brand that has been specializing in elegant, modern, and luxurious wristwatches with autonomous, innovative movements for the past 169 years: Glashütte Original. Indeed, Glashütte Original has been described as a “living, authentic manufactory for fine mechanical masterpieces of time,” and as such, has been regularly mentioned in the same breath as A. Lange & Söhne.

The precious timekeepers produced by Glashütte Original embody typical German values such as precision, functionality and reliability “in the unending effort to achieve the highest levels of performance, coupled with a refined sense of timeless elegance.” The Senator Chronometer, which made its debut in 2009, and was voted “Watch of the Year” just a year later by the readers of the German trade magazine Armbanduhren, is one of those timekeepers.

Indeed, the term “chronometer” refers to the most precise timekeepers during the 18th and 19th centuries, and not many people outside of the most hardcore watch enthusiasts know that it was the humble marine chronometer that created the Saxon watchmaking industry that we know today. In fact, even less people know that Glashütte was home to some of the best marine chronometers in history. Going back to the year 1886, and continuing to the VEB Glashütter Uhrenbetriebe (GUB) in 1951, marine chronometers have been part of Glashütte watchmaking for years.

Even today, the word chronometer brings to mind utmost accuracy in the most precise timekeepers in the world. In fact, a watch or timepiece can only exhibit the proud title of “chronometer” when it has earned a seal of approval from one of the authorized testing institutes, official measuring laboratories that use standardized, industry approved procedures to test the timepieces for extreme rate precision.

The timekeepers from Glashütte Original are no exception and, in fact, have their rate precision

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tested based on the German chronometer standard by the German Calibration Service. This states that the timepiece must have the ability to be set precisely to the second, and that the movement must complete the entire test while mounted in its case.

Last year, Glashütte Original celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Senator Chronometer. And in an effort to remind us of the glorious Glashütte marine chronometers of the past, indeed the very timepieces that put German watchmaking on the map in the first place, Glashütte Original is presenting a highly exclusive version of the Senator Chronometer for 2020.

Limited to only 25 pieces, the new Senator Chronometer Limited Edition is presented in a newly designed white gold case, and comes with an exclusive solid gold dial and a goldplated manufactory movement with refined decorative finishes. And while exceptional aesthetics distinguish every timepiece that leave the Manufacture’s factory floors, this new Senator Chronometer Limited Edition is also distinguished by proven rate precision, and perfect legibility…

Feature

GlashĂźtte Original

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just like its highly accurate predecessors of the 18th and 19th centuries.

Indeed, the core concept that distinguishes the Senator Chronometer remains unblemished.

This new limited edition simply emphasizes its indelible past starting with its case. Still measuring 42mm, the new white gold case is directly inspired by historic models with a concave shaped bezel with a delicate knurled edge, which served to improve the grip on marine chronometers of the past. This bezel also has an inner flange, which is sloped with a brushed finish, and which cannot be found on the permanent models.

Once again inspired by historic marine chronometers, the familiar Senator Chronometer dial layout is also unchanged and has the hours and minutes still displayed from the center while the small seconds and running time (also called the power reserve) are still displayed at 6 and 12 o’clock, respectively, the silhouettes of which have been milled into the dial, thus leading to additional depth. Tucked away at the bottom of the running time indicator is a discreet day/night indicator, which is colored white from 6 in the morning until 6 in the evening and colored black from 6PM onwards. Naturally, the signature Panorama Date with its “jumping” function is still located at 3 o’clock, while a corrector, which allows for the quick setting of the date, is located on the side of the case at 4 o’clock.

The main difference between the standard models and this limited edition, however, is the dial material and finishing. Making full use of its own dial manufactory in Pforzheim, the dial of the new Senator Chronometer Limited Edition is made of a solid gold blank, which has been engraved with a laser to etch out the unquestionably elegant Roman numerals and railroad minute track. These engravings are then filled with black lacquer and burned in with heat in a kiln, resulting in more depth and vibrance than regular printing.

The solid gold blank is then manually silver plated, an elaborate process that calls for the perfectly calibrated mixture of fine silver power, salt and water to be rubbed onto the dial by hand

using a brush. This results in a shining silver surface, and a fine even texture that shimmers across the entire surface of the dial.

Last but definitely not least is the finely finished Calibre 58-03 manually wound movement, the wheel bridge of which is silver plated and given a galvanic coating in rose gold. This chronometer certified manufactory movement oscillates at 28,800 Vph (4Hz), and has a power reserve capped at 44 hours to ensure optimum chronometric precision. More importantly, Calibre 58-03 boasts a refined second-stop mechanism that stops the time display, and resets the seconds hand back to zero when the crown is pulled out. This mechanism also ensures the precise setting of the minute to

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the second by jumping the minute hand from one minute index to the next when turning the crown to set the time.

A sapphire crystal caseback allows the full finishing of the Calibre 58-03 manually wound movement to be viewed at glance. Thus, the exceptional watchmaking expertise that created the characteristic three-quarter plate, screwmounted gold chatons, polished and bevelled steel parts and the hand-engraved balance cock can be seen in all their glory.

The new Glashütte Original Senator Chronometer Limited Edition is matched with a dark blue Louisiana alligator leather strap that is almost black, and fastened with a foldover clasp or pin buckle closure in white gold.

Feature TAG Heuer

Carrera Redux TAG Heuer continues its 160th anniversary celebrations with the relaunch of the iconic TAG Heuer Carrera Wo rd s b y

KIT O. PAYUMO 80 www.calibremagazine.com

Feature TAG Heuer

AS REGULAR CALIBRE READERS ALREADY KNOW, it was the early 1960s, and Jack Heuer’s first order of business after taking control of the Heuer watch company was to review the company’s existing range of chronographs.

“In my first year at Ed Heuer & Co. SA, I participated in two Swiss car rallies,” explained Heuer. “The first rally had been a good experience for me but in the second one I took over the role of co-pilot, partly because I was quite good at mapreading thanks to my time in the scouts.We were doing fine until, close to the finish, I misread the dial of the Heuer 12-hour “Autavia” dashboard stopwatch by a minute. This error infuriated me and I realized that the dial of the stopwatch was unclear, confusing and very difficult to read correctly in a speeding rally car.

So in the fall of 1962 I decided to start a new series.”

First hearing of the legendary Carrera Panamericana race, that same year, Heuer was particularly struck by its infamous reputation.

Indeed, 27 racers and spectators died in the five years that the five-day, 3,300-kilometer race across the Mexican portion of the Pan-American Highway existed, making it the most grueling and dangerous endurance race of its day.

Carrera, of course, means “race” in Spanish, and armed with this new “disruptive” name, Jack Heuer created a chronograph specifically designed for drivers and motor-racing enthusiasts with a wide-open, easy-to-read dial protected by a shock-resistant and waterproof case tough enough for road wear. The rest, as they say, is history, with the very first Heuer Carrera being launched the very next year at the Basel Fair in the spring of 1963.

The collection has, indeed, played a pivotal role in TAG Heuer’s illustrious past, and with its unique history, as well as its undeniable ties to the world of motor racing, Jack Heuer’s most recognizable creation has stood the test

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of time. Which is why, for TAG Heuer’s 160th anniversary, the Swiss luxury watchmaker is relaunching the Carrera in two parts: this first wave, and a second in September (tune in to this space for that) with new redesigned Carreras that continue the collection’s indelible racing vocation with a new roadmap for the race-bred chronograph. Indeed, these initial four new flagship models exude both elegance and drive and join the brand’s “evergreen” line up (read: regular production) following the two limited edition anniversary pieces released earlier this year: the TAG Heuer Carrera 160 Years Silver and Montreal Limited Editions.

As they say: God is in the details, and these new sporty chronographs are no exception. They are refined and timeless, yet bold and striking.

They embody the spirit of endurance, which means they are robust; but they are also sleek and proportioned, and conform to Jack Heuer’s original intent for the chronograph to be clean and legible…features that ensure the watch can be read at a glance even during high-octane races.

This is made possible by the shortening of the trademark Carrera lugs for enhanced comfort, a fairly large 44mm stainless-steel case with alternating polished and fine-brushed finishes to make the watch appear sleeker and thinner, and an improved integration of the crystal and the slight bevel to improve its aesthetics. Like the original Carrera, the lugs are faceted, the pushers are piston-style, and in a nod to its vintage roots the crown is still unprotected.

But it’s the new dial that makes all the difference, specifically a bevelled flange that allows the applied rectangular indices to slant towards the center of the dial to draw the eye to the time. This is bolstered by faceted baton hands with a central contrast stripe in black, which is enhanced by a dial with a circular brushed finish that (again) draws the eye to its center allowing the time to be read at a glance. As before, the tricompax layout of the dial is faithful to the 1963 Carrera with an inner 60min/60sec track, and three chronograph registers that sit slightly below the dial.

The new TAG Heuer Carrera is available in four versions: the first in deep blue with a matching ceramic bezel (Ref.CBN2A1A. BA0643); in a unique olive green with a stainlesssteel bezel (Ref.CBN2A10.BA0643); and in two black versions, one with a sleek black ceramic bezel (Ref.CBN2A1B.BA0643), and a second “two-tone” version also with a black ceramic

bezel but with rose gold highlights and details (Ref.CBN2A5A.FC6481). This model is a first for the watchmaker with a ceramic bezel filled with rose gold colored lacquer, and crown and push pieces made from solid 18K rose gold.

For many, it will be this black and rose gold version that stands out, and indeed, with its color scheme, as well as the fact that it’s the only model fitted with a standard black leather strap, it certainly does. But there’s something about the green version that appeals to us. True, we’ve seen green dials before but the racing chronograph segment has yet to see many models in this color.

And as pointed out by others, it’s an immediately eye-catching tone, one that demands attention without being ostentatious. Indeed, that green dial immediately sets this model apart from the other “usual” entries in the brand’s extensive catalogue.

TAG Heuer’s own in-house Heuer 02 automatic chronograph movement makes its first

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appearance driving classic regular-production Carreras. This performance-driven movement had been previously tapped to drive some of the brand’s more exclusive versions of the Carrera and can be found today driving these four flagship, albeit regular-production models, with all its technical specs intact. This means the Heuer 02 with column wheel and vertical clutch beats at 2,800 Vph, or 4Hz, and boasts a massive power reserve of up to 80 hours.

Finally, the two-tone variant is matched with a clean black alligator strap with a signed deployant clasp as previously mentioned, but the other three versions also stand out with an attractive and sporty oyster-style steel bracelet. This H-shape bracelet is wider but thinner than previous iterations, making it slightly lighter and more ergonomic while still incorporating the distinctive polished bevels on the center links that allows it to play with the dynamic light effects rather nicely.

Feature Omega

Exquisite in Form Introducing the new OMEGA Constellation Gentleman’s collection.

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and Function 85 www.calibremagazine.com

Wo rd s b y

BERT E. CASAL

Feature Omega

THE VERY FIRST CONSTELLATION TIMEPIECE BY OMEGA WAS LAUNCHED IN 1952. It was named after the Lockheed jet Constellation, an airplane powered by four propeller engines. Its unique triple tail design easily identified it, and kept the overall height of the plane low enough to fit in existing hangars. It was used as a military and a civilian transport that could fit 40 passengers and fly with a range of 5,600 kilometers.

The Constellation was OMEGA’s flagship model from the very beginning. It started out as a chronometer in 1952. As time passed, it has moved on to become an ultra-thin watch to a marine chronometer. Today, the Constellation remains a symbol of exquisite precision and timeless style that watch aficionados respect.

This year, OMEGA releases the latest model for men. This new 41 mm watch reflects a sophisticated spirit, as it still captures the Constellation’s most famous design traits, such as the iconic claws and the half-moon facets at either end of the case. The model comes in stainless steel, 18K gold, or a combination of both. Almost all of the bezels are crafted in polished ceramic, mirroring the look of the original Constellation Manhattan of 1982.

Bevelling along the edges of the case and claws provide the collection with a more slender look compared to models of the past. The crown has also been subtly reshaped for added style. The hands are also updated with a slimline design, and the new indexes offer a suggestion to the Manhattan skyline.

Most of the new 2020 models will be presented on leather straps with an anti-bacterial rubber lining. A decorative metallic link connects each side of the strap to the case, creating a unique look of its own. Those who prefer an overall metallic look can match their new model with any bracelet in the Constellation 39mm collection, or its full leather strap.

The case back features a sapphire crystal that offers a view of the OMEGA Master CoAxial Calibre 8900 / 8901 inside. All watches have been Master Chronometer certified by the Swiss Federal Institure of Metrology (METAS) at the industry’s highest standards of precision, performance, and magnetic resistance.

As OMEGA’s flagship model, it is just fitting for it to be a Master Chronometer. But what does that actually mean?

The Official Swiss Chronometer Control (COSC) tests watches for their precision with

a criteria of -4/+6 seconds per day. The Swiss Federal Institute of Metrology (METAS) has a criteria of 0/+5 seconds per day. All of OMEGA’s Master Chronometer watches must pass the COSC tests then go through METAS tests and pass them as well before they are labelled as Master Chronometers.

To be called a Master Chronometer, the watch has to undergo 8 tests by METAS. The first one tests the function of the movement during magnetic exposure. This test ensures that your watch’s movement is unaffected by magnetic fields from everyday items such as mobile phones, metal clasps on handbags, laptops, and so on.

Each movement is subjected to a strong magnetic

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field of 15,000 gauss. A microphone is then used to monitor the ticking of the movement to ensure that it still functions properly under magnetic conditions. The second tests the function of the complete watch during magnetic exposure. Again, microphones are used to listen to the ticking of the movement.

Test 3 involves chronometric performance in both magnetised and demagnetised states.

The watch is subjected to multiple daily use simulations and takes place over two 24-hour periods. During the course of the two days, pictures are taken at predetermined times to match the time on the watch with an official METAS atomic clock. At the conclusion of the

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“The OMEGA Constellation has been a symbol of exquisite precision and timeless style.”

48 hours, deviations are calculated between the magnetised and demagnetised results to ensure that there is no impact on precision and falls within the strict tolerances set by METAS. Test 4 is all about chronometric precision on a day-to-day basis. Any movement of the hand, wrist, and arm can have an impact on the watch’s precision, as well as differing temperatures of the weather or air conditioned rooms. All these conditions will be tested over a 24-hour period.

Test 5 involves the deviation of chronometric precision in six positions. For this one, the watch is placed in six different positions - changed every 60 seconds - to verify your watch stays precise at any angle.

Test 6 is for isochronism. Setting your watch aside for a period of time stops it from winding automatically, and this can affect precision.

To ensure it still keeps the right pace at low power, the watch is tested acoustically in 6 different positions at 100% power reserve and at 33% power reserve. The average results of the measured precision during both states are taken, then the deviation between the two must fall within the tolerances set by METAS. Test 7 is dedicated for the power reserve. This METAS test will ensure that the watch is precise at either 100% power reserve or at lower percentages.

Finally, test 8 assesses its water resistance, making sure that it performs well under the stated

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water resistance level. The watches are submerged in a pressurised tank for approximately two hours at the stated limit. When taken out of the water, it is then heated to around 50° Celsius. A drop of cold water is then placed on the crystal. If condensation appears, it does not comply with METAS standards. For diver’s watches, they are subjected to an additional 25% beyond the stated water resistance limit.

The OMEGA Constellation is truly an exquisite timepiece that uses some of the most advanced watchmaking materials in the industry. Its timeless design offers elegance and style to those who wear them. Its grace and sophistication speaks to all who appreciate beauty and precision.

Feature U-Boat

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AN HOMAGE TO THE EARLY DAYS OF DIVING

The U-Boat Sommerso Bronze merges a modern professional dive watch with the beauty and durability of a metal that became the backbone of deep-sea diving Wo rd s b y

JP C. CALIMBAS

Feature U-Boat

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August-September 2020

IN CREATING A BRONZE VERSION OF HIS FAVORITE DIVE WATCH, U-Boat founder Italo

Fontana also pays tribute to the earliest nautical divers who braved the harsh conditions of deep diving using gear fashioned out of the first metal humans succeeded in manipulating. Bronze, highly resistant to seawater and stronger than stainless steel and iron combined, has always intrigued the creator of the Sommerso, a watch he designed being a passionate diver himself. For him, being able to combine a professional dive watch designed to withstand the rigors of diving with a metal inherently tied to the maritime world was a winning combination. That each bronze watch would create a patina unique to each timepiece was the icing on the cake.

A nod to antique diving equipment worn by the earliest nautical divers is evident and empathized by the natural oxidation of the material of the 46mm case, which creates a naturally aged look, often a unique one, extremely desirable by its wearer. Necessary for every pro-

“Bronze, highly resistant to seawater and stronger than steel has always intrigued the creator of the Sommerso.�

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dive watch, it features a rotating unidirectional bezel with calibrated markers every five minutes interspersed with numbers every ten minutes from 10 to 50. On its left side is the characteristic U-BOAT crown with a patented protective device. A Sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating protects the watch dial which is composed of three superimposed layers with the upper one in black with luminous beige hands and markers plus an additional counter for the 24 hours of the day and the date placed on the opposite side.

Furthermore, the Sommerso boasts a Swiss automatic mechanical movement, personalized to U-BOAT specifications featuring date, hours, minutes, seconds plus the 24 hours indicator. It also features a skeletonized rotor and a 44-hour power reserve.

Water resistant to 300 meters, the watch also paired the case with a dark brown handmade and hand finished calf leather strap with a bronze buckle subdued to a special anti-corrosion treatment.

Feature Seiko

Beyond The Moon’s Reflection On Water

The Seiko Arita Porcelain Suigetsu Wo rds by

BRYAN MARTIN B. ZIALCITA

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Feature Seiko

SEIKO OPENED THE FLOODGATES TO THE REST OF THE WORLD BACK IN 2016 WHEN THEY LAUNCHED THE VERY FIRST MODELS OF THE PRESAGE COLLECTION. Though all of Seiko’s releases for that year were well-received by watch enthusiasts, it was the pair of automatic chronograph limited editions honoring the 60th year anniversary of Seiko’s first self-winding watch that everyone was talking about. One was fitted with a grand feu enamel dial, while the other one had a dial applied with urushi black lacquer. These two special pieces highlighted all of Seiko’s strengths: the company’s signature grammar of design, inhouse movements, exceptional fit and finish, and traditional Japanese craftsmanship all rolled into an attractively priced package.

Since its inception, Seiko has always been known for creating affordable timepieces.

However, the Presage collection goes even further than this by blurring the lines between watch artisanship and industrialized watchmaking by imparting elements of haute horlogerie to each of its reasonably priced releases. As seen with its very first limited edition release 4 years ago with the aforementioned grand feu enamel and urushi black lacquer dial chronographs, affordability is still very deeply ingrained in the DNA of the Presage line. And since its launch in 2016, the Presage collection has grown from strength to strength. From its initial offerings of entry level models and its premium enamel and urushi black lacquer dial timepieces, the line has expanded significantly to include even releases with Shippo enamel dials and other variants of urushi.

Just last year, Seiko’s Presage line took another step forward with the introduction of 2 new

releases showcasing its new Arita Porcelain dials.

Similar to enamel and urushi black lacquer, porcelain dials were usually encountered in the realms of haute horlogerie. Seiko’s commitment to bringing fine watchmaking to the general public has not wavered at all, with the company sourcing porcelain from no less than the town of Arita — the heart of porcelain making in Japan for over 400 years.

In this year of uncertainty and massive changes, Seiko puts the spotlight again on its Arita Porcelain timepieces by introducing its newest limited edition — the Suigetsu. During the late 8th to the early 12th century, it was an age of unprecedented prosperity in Japan.

With art, prose, and poetry taking the center stage, a significant portion of Japan’s national identity was formed during this period. A popular

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pastime among the upper class of this age was called ‘Suigetsu’ – the enjoyment of the moon’s reflection on the lakes and ponds of their gardens.

It is precisely this ephemeral beauty that Seiko’s latest creation is inspired by.

Making the Suigetsu’s porcelain dial requires the skills and knowledge of an expert. Seiko collaborated with master craftsman Hiroyuki Hashiguchi and his colleagues at a manufacturer in Arita that has been producing porcelain since 1830. In order for the dial to be properly made, the craftsmen utilized a specially formulated Arita porcelain that was significantly harder than traditional porcelain, and has the requisite flexibility and sturdiness needed by a watch dial.

Aside from the special type of porcelain used, the Suigetsu also makes use of a clear, transparent glaze unlike traditional Arita porcelain which uses a special glaze that gives it a distinctive blue sheen. This transparent glaze allows the natural whiteness of the porcelain dial to emanate

without embellishment or interruption. Also called ‘Hakuji,’ this white porcelain tries to capture the essence of the moon’s reflection on water. This also serves as a sharp contrast to the blue on the hands, Roman numerals, indices and subdials of the watch.

The Arita Porcelain Suigetsu is limited to only 2,000 pieces worldwide. Inside it is Seiko’s 6R27 movement that beats with 28,800 vibrations per hour, with a 45-hour power reserve, and can be seen through the sapphire crystal exhibition case back. The watch is water resistant up to 100m and comes with a crocodile strap in a shade of blue that is reminiscent of the color of lakes and ponds under moonlight. The subdial at six o’clock shows the date, while the subdial at nine o’clock is the power reserve indicator.

The Arita Porcelain Suigetsu Limited Edition is more than just a desirable timepiece. It is a work of art that harkens us back to better times.

And in this day and age, that quality is priceless.

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Feature Chopard

JOIE DE VIVRE More facets for happiness

Wo rds by

KATHERINE S. CUNANAN

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CHOPARD HAS BEEN IN THE BUSINESS OF MAKING US HAPPY FOR SEVERAL DECADES. It took the brand less than 30 years to establish itself as an icon in the industry. Their amazing designs and fantastic choice of jewels certainly played a part.

But beyond the pomp and circumstance of a serious horological feat, there lies the innocence and playfulness that make certain pieces joyful.

Happy Sport has been on our wrists — and in our hearts — since the mid 90s, thanks to Caroline Scheufele’s dream of a watch that is beautiful and anything but formal.

DAZZLING DIAMONDS Diamonds on a watchcase are nothing new, and the same can be said of diamonds on the dial. But years ago, Chopard took fun and extravagance, and that joie de vivre, to another level with the Happy dancing diamonds that were free to move beneath the watch crystal. These diamonds had the freedom to move about, and gave the wearer the freedom to tinker with their watch during, let’s say, certain times that your attention needed distraction from a mundane meeting.

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Feature Chopard

A bit of reinvention has happened with the Happy Sport, and the line has released two jewellery versions are even more exciting. Yes, the Happy dancing diamonds are still there — and then some, as you’ll see soon — and the diamonds are now set in a prong setting. It may seem a trivial detail, but the change to a prong setting means more of each diamond’s facets are exposed to light, and thus able to reflect more light and dazzle. Each of the seven dancing diamonds brings that much more sparkle to the watch.

The reinvented gemsetting style with the prongs is put to good use in these watch models.

The Happy dancing diamonds, the diamond hour markers, and the (many) diamonds on the bezel all benefit from this new setting. And in the end, it’s the lady who wears this that benefits the most. As many jewelers often say, more diamonds, more smiles.

ETHICAL GOLD But lest you think that the sparkle is the only reason to smile, there is more to the Happy Sport models. The 18-carat gold used here is of ethical origin, both the white gold version and the rose gold version. These Happy Sport Joaillerie models come in 36mm cases that are entirely paved with brilliant-cut diamonds — an 18-carat white gold version and an 18-carat rose gold version. The white gold model (Ref. 274809-1001) has a more synchronous palette while the rose gold model (Ref. 274809-5001) has a stronger contrast between the diamonds and the metal. Each model has seven Happy diamonds in the new prong setting, and 10 diamonds for hour markers (the 6 and 12 have Roman numerals). The motherof-pearl dials add luster to the watch and texture too, since they are engraved with a guilloché motif. Chopard takes extra effort to make each watch as fabulous as possible, and their exquisite craftsmanship in the details is evidence of that.

"...the change to a prong setting means more of each diamond’s facets are exposed to light, and thus able to reflect more light and dazzle..."

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These Happy Sport Joaillerie models are evidence of mechanical excellence too. Each Happy Sport Joaillerie watch has the ultra-thin 96.17-C mechanical movement with automatic winding, based on the first Chopard Manufacture calibre. A mechanical movement is based on a mainspring typically wound by hand; for the automatic mechanical movement, the mainspring winds as you move your wrist. (Knowing how often you’d check your wrist to play with the Happy diamonds, keeping the watch running will not be a problem.) This calibre has 167 components, a frequency of 28,8000 vph (or 4Hz), and a power reserve of 65 hours. The Maison develops and assembles these calibres

completely and proves that there is depth of skill beneath the dazzling creations. The watch’s exhibition case back allows a peek into the inner workings. The watch comes with an alligator leather strap, and an 18-carat white or rose gold pin buckle set with diamonds. The white gold case with a dark leather strap is the one I’d pick (and yes, I’d probably be checking the time a lot often than really necessary. With those Happy dancing diamonds to play with, who could blame me?)

Maison Chopard continues to find ways to improve their already-amazing creations. The Chopard Happy Sport Joaillerie is proof that the creativity in unending, the glamour and playfulness are constant, and the Happiness will last forever.

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Feature Urwerk

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Desert Storm Urwerk gives the Time Hunter a full metal jacket Wo rd s b y

KIT O. PAYUMO

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Feature Urwerk

ACTUALLY, IT’S ALWAYS BEEN MADE OF METAL, OR BEADBLASTED STAINLESS STEEL, TO BE EXACT. To be fair, URWERK’s EMC Time Hunter has always been distinct, and now it’s even more so. Short for Electro Mechanical Control, the EMC is the first ever watch to have successfully eliminated the middleman. That’s right, the humble service center watch technician was painted out of the picture when Urwerk created the first portable electronic timing machine permanently connected to a mechanical movement. A haute horlogerie first, this meant the accuracy and timing of the EMC could be monitored and adjusted by the user at any time to suit their lifestyle.

And this was (IS) a big deal because even if a watchmaker regulated (precision tested and adjusted) a watch before being sold, real world occurrences ultimately determined its precision. Different positions as well as changes in temperature affect the timing of a watch. So much so that two different people wearing the same watch for a week will result in different accuracy levels because it will have undergone different positions during different activities in that one week.

“The interaction between a mechanical watch and its owner is a theme that has always inspired us,” said Felix Baumgartner, co-founder of URWERK. “Designing a reliable and precise mechanical timepiece is the foundation of our work… (So) the challenge here is to provide watch connoisseurs not only a precision timepiece, but also the tools to assess and maintain precision. Our goal with EMC is to give the owner of the timepiece information that, until now, has been decipherable only by a watchmaker equipped with complex apparatus. To achieve this, we thought long and hard and then created an easily useable and readable mechanism from scratch.”

And from scratch the watchmakers meant the creation of a hybrid electronic/mechanical system that makes each EMC Time Hunter completely one-of-a-kind. Bestriding two worlds, the entirely mechanical EMC Time Hunter is optimized by an electro-optical circuit that measures the rate of the mechanical side of the movement. It has its own power source, entirely separate from the rest of the movement, and uses a laser diode to collect two essential data relating to the movement.

Pointing towards the balance, the circuit reads its amplitude (the movement’s state of health) and rate deviation (accuracy), and compares them to a reference oscillator processor operating at a frequency of 16MHz, which serves as a benchmark for the accuracy of the watch.

With this information the user is free to manually fine-tune the oscillation speed of the balance and correct the variations in rate that inevitably appear over time. This is done via a timing adjustment screw on the caseback of the Time Hunter indicated by the engraved words, “Fine Tuning.” This literally manages the behavior of the movement by modifying the length of the regulating balance-spring.

And here’s the kicker: the electro-optical circuit is powered by a “mechanism” that only a mechanical watchmaker, with a mechanical watchmaker’s sensibilities can possibly conceive: a hand-cranked dynamo. That’s right, a large lever tucked discretely into the right flank of the watch is released and cranked by the user to energize the electro-optical circuit. Thus, in the

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hands of mechanical watchmakers Baumgartner and Frei even the electronic portion of the hybrid movement is “hand wound.”

This makes the manually wound UR-EMC2 calibre, with its 80 hours of power reserve, which was entirely crafted, finished, assemble and adjusted in-house, terribly unique. Indeed, it is an electronic/mechanical hybrid system that could have only stemmed from the mind and hands of URWERK. On one side, you have a mechanical Tier-1 operator created by the watchmakers, and on the other you have congressional oversight also created by the watchmakers. Sounds like the perfect recipe for a full on ground assault, to us.

Which is why it came as no surprise to hear that, for 2020, URWERK has “upgraded” the Time Hunter in the latest battle field-ready garb.

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Having made its debut as a concept ‘movement’ in 2013, the EMC was released as a timepiece for the wrist in 2014. Looking, for all intents and purposes, like a handheld measuring device, Felix Baumgartner and Martin Frei’s ‘timepiece’ featured a deconstructed dial with four separate indications…that (unfortunately) lacked all the mechanical grace and charm of every other UWERK creation. Still, the EMC ‘movement’ was awarded two first prizes in the “exceptional mechanism” and the “innovation” categories at the 2014 Geneva Grand Prix d’Horlogerie, while the neither round, square, or cushion-shaped watch earned Felix Baumgartner the title of “Watchmaker of the Year” in Hong Kong.

The EMC was “upgraded” into its present form in 2016, and along with a refreshed face that said goodbye to the fugly Russian helmet look of the original piece, the EMC Time Hunter was still incredibly distinct because despite its highly unusual shape the EMC in Time Hunter guise possessed the most straightforward dial in the entire URWERK oeuvre. Indeed, functionality reigned supreme with the Time Hunter, most especially on the dial with its classic time display

and matte black surfaces that wouldn’t look lost on a military vehicle or on military personnel.

Since 2016, the EMC Time Hunter had already flirted with military aesthetics, which, aside from the “regular” limited edition of “just” titanium/ steel, it was also made available as a limited edition with a military green ceramic-coated titanium/steel case. For 2020, URWERK takes the EMC Time Hunter further into the battlefield in military beige garb teamed with a camouflage canvas strap that earns the nickname Desert Sage.

Like a compass, a sextant, or a machine tool, the EMC Time Hunter Desert Sage is overt in its purpose. As before, it is crafted from steel with a titanium caseback, and is still neither round, square, cushion-like, nor (indeed) like any of URWERK’s signature indefinable shapes. This hyper-technical “machine” hugs the contours of the ‘motor’ inside it and submits to the constraints of its various organs. It is not symmetrical, regular, flat or curved, but remains doggedly distinctive with a stainless steel ‘hood’ that is micro-beadblasted and given a hard, matt ceramic lacquer-type treatment in a desert beige color. As a result, the EMC Time Hunter Desert Sage has a grainy finish reminiscent of military equipment.

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Its dial is still surprisingly straightforward with every indication zone ensconced within its own clearly marked space. Each unit is swathed in fluorescent green Super-LumiNova, a neon color favored by URWERK due to its blindingly luminescent contrast. The main hour and minutes dial with its chequered hand grenade pattern takes center stage at the lower right, and features a small disc-type seconds hand graduated in five-second increments at 1 o’clock.

This is complemented by a power-reserve indicator at 7 o’clock. “EM Control,” on the other hand, is located at 11 o’clock, and is the indication linked to the chronometric monitoring functions of the electro-optical circuit. The rate accuracy is graduated from -15 to +15, and uses seconds to measure daily rate deviation, while the amplitude is measured in degrees and ranges from 180 to 330.

Wonderfully over the top with military-grade functionality, the EMC Time Hunter Desert Sage is the most fascinatingly functional timepiece in URWERK’s already fascinating body of work.

It is a unique, and interactive watch that in desert sage-guise would look perfect on a special operator’s wrist.

Feature Hublot

GENDER NEUTRAL P e r f e c ti o n

i n

Di vers i ty

Wo rd s b y

KATHERINE S. CUNANAN

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Feature Hublot

INNOVATIVE CONCEPTS AND DARING EXECUTION ARE SYNONYMOUS WITH HUBLOT. They take

extra pains to be ahead of the pack, and it shows in their creative exploits. The brand began with a bang (no pun intended) in 1980, and their timepieces have continued to be showstoppers, resulting from finding new ways to do things, and new materials to combine in unexpected ways. Their “Art of Fusion” sees perfect implementation in their newest gender neutral timepiece, the Big Bang Millennial Pink.

As Hublot CEO Ricardo Guadalupe says, “At Hublot, we are particularly proud of the Art of Fusion. But the list of things we cherish also includes the ability to innovate, to change, to be different, and, of course, our watchmaking expertise. This Big Bang Millennial Pink that

we have created with Lapo Elkann from Garage Italia sits perfectly within this pioneering vision.

Our expertise in materials technology has enabled us to create a unique colour for this watch, Millennial Pink, symbolic of the world available to us, in its constant state of flux.”

Garage Italia is a creative hub you might think is closely aligned with the Hublot spirit and creativity. And you’d be right. Garage Italia dares to create personalized products and experiences.

The design and art of the Garage Italia world is a perfect partner for the similarly minded Hublot.

Lapo Elkann, Garage Italia Founder and Creative Chairman, says, “ At Garage Italia, we want to be part of a world where the character of every person is defined by their love of life and their inclusivity, rather than by their power or their superiority.

" . . . EX P ERT I SE IN MATE RIA LS TECHNOLOGY HAS ENABL ED U S TO C R EATE A UN IQ UE CO LOUR FOR THI S WATCH, M I L LEN N I A L P IN K, SYMB O LIC O F THE WORL D AVAI LABL E TO U S, IN ITS CO N STA N T STATE OF FLUX." 106 www.calibremagazine.com

More than simply a product, we want to create something which represents a positive change.”

The Big Bang Millennial Pink is more than watch; it is a state of mind. A state of acceptance, of flexibility, and of adventure. There is strength in diversity and the Millennial Pink embraces that concept. The positive change that Hublot and Garage Italia wanted to achieve is indeed represented in this watch. The dawn of the millennium brought a new way of thinking, including universal acceptance. The gentle pink hue of the Big Bang expresses both gentleness and confidence.

The special hue of this Big Bang somehow defies exact definition. This gentle pink is both delicate and strong. It embodies inclusiveness and acceptance. Pink is the color of harmony and approachability. Some say the distinct hue of the Big Bang Millennial Pink is powder pink, others call it baby pink. Some see it as a gentle combination of beige and delicious salmon, mixed in with apricot and grapefruit. Others say this pink hue is tied to rose quartz, to which are attributed love and compassion.

That indefinability is quite ironically perhaps what best defines the millennial. Not the person, but the mindset; anyone can have a millennial mindset, not just those tagged as ‘millennials’ due to their birth years. People say, ‘real men wear pink,’ but the reality is, all people wear pink. Who

wouldn’t want strength and compassion, love and acceptance? Thanks to the Hublot and Garage Italia collaboration, real people everywhere will be wearing this pink watch with pride.

The Big Bang Millennial Pink watch is not only for men, or only for women; it is gender neutral. It is for everyone. Hublot Ambassador Kylian Mbappé wears the Big Bang Millennial Pink watch with ease and comfort. Kylian Mbappé is a professional footballer, currently playing for PSG (Paris Saint-German) and the France national team. He is known for his clinical finishing, dribbling, strength, and explosive speed on the field. More importantly, he takes steps to involve himself in charitable efforts, specifically sporting activities for children with disabilities.

He embodies the pink hue to a T – strong on the field, gentle in his heart.

The Big Bang Millennial Pink comes in a matte pink skeletonized dial. The 42-mm case is lightweight aluminium, anodised, satin-finished, and through-tinted millennial pink. The Hublot engineering team does considerable research for their projects and this distinct color is a result of anodisation. Each watch comes with two straps, the first made of rubber with a deployant buckle, and the second of Velcro and knitted PES fabric with an anodized and polished aluminum buckle.

Hublot’s One Click system makes it very easy to switch out one strap for another.

The future is rosy and the Big Bang Millennial Pink is the perfect watch for anyone and everyone. Hublot and Garage Italia have collaborated wonderfully to create the Big Bang Millennial Pink in a very limited edition of just 200 pieces.

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RIVA RUNABOUT Frédérique Constant and the Riva Historical Society take a classic out on the water Wo rds by

KIT O. PAYUMO

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Feature

Frederique Constant

ACCORDING TO BOAT INTERNATIONAL, THE GLOBAL AUTHORITY IN “SUPER YACHTING,” the roots of the classic Riva yachts go way back to 1842 when a young Pietro Riva started a small business repairing and building yachts on Lake Iseo in the small northern Italian town of Sarnico. But it wasn’t until his great-grandson Carlo Riva would have the vision to create a range of wooden-hulled speedboats that the legendary Riva luxury yacht was born.

Indeed, these small, fast, powerful, and wooden Runabouts were luxury pleasure boats that could carry four to eight people and were used primarily for pleasure activities. Dating back to the 1920s, the Riva would eventually become the epitome of the jet-set era of the 1950s and 60s, and were originally created to take advantage of the power of a V8 inboard engine. In fact, being an agent for American yacht builder Chris-Craft, Carlo Riva used Chris-Craft and Chrysler engines in his classic Riva yachts.

A moving sculpture in wood, chrome and glass, the Riva is a design icon, one that commands attention wherever it goes. In fact, the iconic style of the Riva is still frequently featured in advertisements and editorials today. Add to this a long list of famous owners and an association with exotic Mediterranean locations such as Lake Como, Monaco and San Tropez, and it is no wonder that the Riva has, over the years, become a living legend.

Back in 1988, an association was set up to celebrate La Dolce Vita with the intention of preserving these classic wooden luxury crafts.

The Riva Historical Society (RHS) is a non-profit organization founded by Architect Piero Maria Gibellini (the biographer of Carlo Riva and creator of the Riva Historical Registry in 1996) along with Ingegnere (Italian for Engineer) Carlo Riva, as well as a few admirers of the legendary yacht builder. This caught the attention of Swiss watchmaker Frédérique Constant, which, under the unwavering stewardship of husband and wife team of Aletta and Peter Stas, began celebrating the iconic Riva in 2009.

Indeed, Frédérique Constant collaborated with the RHS to create the Runabout, a collection of timepieces named after the legendary Runabout yachts, and has also hosted numerous international events over the years, such as the Helice Classique on Lake Geneva and the Lake Tahoe Concours d’Elegance in the USA, to celebrate their love for the iconic Riva. For 2020, Frédérique Constant continues its partnership with the RHS with the introduction of the Runabout RHS Chronograph Automatic, a

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new chronograph model available in two limited series each composed of 2,888 pieces.

Making an auspicious comeback for the brand, this 2020 collaboration sees the return of the chronograph, which hasn’t been available for some years. It even echoes Riva's sporting past: from 1962, it produced certain models with two engines, each producing 185 bhp to enjoy the heady exhilaration of water sports on Lake Iseo, birthplace of the Riva.

Made in the usual “accessible luxury” style of Frédérique Constant, the two new Runabout RHS Chronograph Automatic models are attractive nautical-inspired watches housed in fully polished 42mm stainless steel cases with sapphire crystals both front and back. These cases are enhanced by old-school mushroom-style pushers, and are

complemented by thin bezels that allow the full view of the tricompax chronograph layout of the dial. Speaking of which, the dial reveals its Swiss origins with a central area stamped with a Clous de Paris pattern, and an hour chapter ring with a brushed sunray finish.

Two models will be immediately available for the Runabout RHS Chronograph Automatic: the first with a dark anthracite grey dial with silver applied hour numerals and indexes, and a light blue seconds hand (a maritime hue echoed on the topstitching of the black calfskin leather strap); and a second model with a silver colored dial with silver applied hour numerals and indexes, and a dark blue seconds hand. This second model is matched with a Navy blue calf leather strap with grey topstitching.

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Both models embrace La Dolce Vita with the FC-392 caliber, an automatic movement provided

by Sellita with an integrated chronograph with cam/lever mechanism based on iconic Valjoux architecture. The movement boasts up to 46 hours of power reserve, runs at 4Hz, and can be viewed from the caseback.

Both models embrace their exclusive nature as well, first, by the limited edition number engraved on each watch, and second, by an original imprint representing the official Riva History Society flag on the sapphire crystal caseback of the watch.

And as if that weren’t enough, each limited edition Runabout RHS Chronograph Automatic also comes in a special presentation box highlighted by a miniature replica of the legendary Riva moored alongside it.

Timeframe

BANKSY political art/graffiti on a wall in Bethlehem Banksy is an artist who is famous for his street graffiti which gives a strong political message.

Location: Bethlehem, Palestine Photo: Keith Sundiang

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A PIONEERING CROSSOVER THAT NEVER STOPS EVOLVING INTRODUCING THE NEW LEXUS RX Experience a luxurious drive to the top with the new Lexus RX. Designed with performance and sophistication in mind, the RX cements itself as a leading mid-size luxury SUV. Now with the RXL variant, it offers unique versatility without compromise with its added third row that comfortably and luxuriously seats up to 7 passengers. Brave design and craftsmanship lead every detail, making it a uniquely progressive crossover car.

The new Lexus RX. Every drive is an iconic one.

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*Model shown is RX F-Sport variant

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