WORDS CHRIS HALL
Keeping up with the times
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What does a new crop of luxury watches tell us about the direction of travel in this most stately of industries?
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ABOVE: Vacheron Constantin Historiques Ref 222 RIGHT & BELOW: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 50th anniversary watch
DIODE SA DENIS HAYOUN
he world of luxury the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak. watches can be As both the single most influential bemusing to design of the last half century and follow from afar, one of the most in-demand watches with its neverright now, Audemars Piguet was ending talk of never going to overhaul it drastically, hyped-up fashion instead playing it safe with a range of collaborations, tourbillons and new designs that delighted purists, titanium at one end, and intense while introducing a new automatic technical jargon at the movement as a other. It helps, I find, reminder that Every watch brand is substance, as well to consider everything engaged in constant as style, has a on a spectrum from tradition to modernity: part to play. dialogue with its every watch brand is Ploughing a past while fighting engaged in a constant similar furrow dialogue with its past is Vacheron to stay relevant while fighting to stay Constantin, relevant in a rapidly which stole the changing world. show at Watches and Wonders in SLICK OVERHAUL Geneva in April A good example is one with a revival of its of the biggest stories in 1970s icon Historique the watch world this year, 222 in period-correct the 50th anniversary of yellow gold.
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