Basel Beauties (clockwise from top): The Rolex Oyster Perpetual Datejust Lady 31mm (Yellow Rolesor) was an eye-catching addition; the retro look of the cool Silverstone from Tag; Ulysse Nardin's oh-so clever El Toro; the L.U.C Louis Ulysse - the Tribute pays homage to Chopard's founder. 14
HK Golfer・APR/MAY 2010
Rolex is updating its classic models for 2010 with the Oyster Perpetual Submariner Date and the Oyster Perpetual Explorer both receiving a makeover. The quintessential diver’s watch, the Submariner is now available in steel and boasts a new rotatable bezel fitted with a scratchproof Cerachrominsert (green or black available) with platinum graduations. It also offers improved legibility due to the hour markers and hands being coated in luminescent Chromalight. Another of Rolex’s most recognized watches – as worn by Edmund Hilary and Tenzing Norgay as they scaled Everest in 1953 – the Oyster Perpetual Explorer has been given a slightly wider dial of 39mm. It is now equipped with a self-winding mechanical movement featuring a Perpetual rotor, a Parachrom hairspring and Paraflex shock absorbers, further enhancing chronometric precision and resistance to extreme conditions. L i ke Rolex , Patek Ph i l ipp e i s a l so redefining its classics for 2010, and its inhouse chronograph calibre, H 29-535 PS, a long-awaited manually wound movement, was introduced last November. One watch featuring this movement is the 5170J, a chronograph that has caused much excitement among collectors, being reminiscent of Patek’s coveted 1940s models with its unmistakably round Calatrava shape, rectangular pushers and diameter of 39mm. Also new to the market is the 5951P, a split-seconds single push-piece chronograph
with a perpetual calendar which features the CHR 27-525 PS split-seconds chronograph movement. Due to the slenderness of the host calibre, the developers of the calendar cadrature were asked to strive for compactness as well, and the result is a movement with an overall height of only 7.3mm, which can be admired from the sapphire-crystal display back. C hopa rd m a rke d it s 150 t h ye a r of watchmaking in 2010 by unveiling four new movements at Baselworld. The calibres – the L.U.C 4TQE, 1TRM, EHG and 1.010 – equip the L.U.C 150, the Engine One Tourbillon, Louis-Ulysse – the Tribute and the L.U.C 1937 respectively. My personal favourite is the LouisUlysse – the Tribute, a pocket-watch that can be transformed into a wristwatch, and pays homage to Louis-Ulysse Chopard, who founded Chopard in 1860. It is also a reinterpretation of an invention of Karl Scheufele I, who in 1912 developed an ingenious system allowing a pocket-watch to be worn on the wrist. Like the Engine One, this innovative watch is limited to just 150 pieces, in honour of Chopard’s anniversary. The L.U.C 150 is another special piece, being the most complicated watch ever manufactured by Chopard. Comprising 516 parts, it powers a perpetual calendar, the equation of time, sunrise and sunset times and an orbital moon-phase display. Due to its complexity, only 15 of these watches are available to purchase.
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Tag Heuer, meanwhile, has gone retro for this year’s Baselworld, paying respect to the company’s 150th year as watch designers with an update on the Tag Silverstone. Named after the Formula One track in the UK, this cool chronograph was first launched in 1974, and its distinctive squared case with rounded edges was inspired by Steve McQueen’s 1969 Monaco, the Tag timepiece he wore in the movie Le Mans. Now with a softer edge and colourful dial, it looks sure to capture the passions of a new generation of watch enthusiasts. The counters, pushbuttons and crown configuration are the same as the original, which is made possible by using the Calibre 11 with Dubois-Depraz module, the world’s first automatic chronograph movement with micro-rotor. Typical characteristics of the movement are the date counter at 6 o’clock and the two pushbuttons, placed across from the crown in two indentations. The Silverstone became a defining symbol of the 1970s, and the top racing drivers of the era admired the chronograph for its name, unique shape and avant-garde look. Upon the watch’s launch, Clay Regazzoni and HKGOLFER.COM
Emerson Fittipaldi became Tag Heuer a mbassadors, a nd t he two legendary drivers chose the chronograph as personal lucky charms. Fittipaldi won his second F1 World Championship that year driving for McLaren while Regazzoni won the Silverstone Grand Prix in 1979. Finally, Ulysse Nardin has unveiled a perpetual calendar that it feels is the most user-friendly style of this watch ever produced, a nd t he El Toro is t he on ly perpetual calendar that adjusts forward and backward in seconds over the quick corrector position of a single crown. Its squeletted hands also make easy reading of all calendar functions. The hour hand, meanwhile, is adjusted instantly to a new local time with pushers (+) or (-) without taking the watch off the wrist or interfering with its time keeping, while the arrow keeps track of one’s home or reference time. The watch is available in a Limited Edition of 500 pieces. Ma k i n g i mprovement s or adjustments to existing models, then, was the focus of this year’s event, particularly for the two biggest names in the business, Patek and Rolex.
HK Golfer・APR/MAY 2010
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