AT LARGE
FUTURE PERFECT
Audemars Piguet, Royal Oak Concept GMT Tourbillon
TEXT MATT MORLEY
As November is Watch Special month, we get to let our hair down on the regular column and turn our attention to the luxury watch that, in our opinion at least, wins 2014’s first prize for futuristic styling. The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept GMT Tourbillon is still a Royal Oak in essence, a watch that many regular readers will recognise, but the design team seem to have done their very best to disguise it in a white ceramic case with a matching white hourglassshaped bridge splitting the watch face down the middle. Technically it is a watch “face” rather than a “dial” in this instance because there is no dial as such — instead the internal mechanics and lightweight titanium case middle are on display for all to see. At 3 o’clock sits a second time zone indicator; adjustable via a pusher at 4 o’clock on the case, it features two separate 1>12 disc displays, one white (for am) and one black (for pm). An indicator at 6 o’clock communicates which of the three modes the main winding stem is in at that time, be it time-setting (“H” for Heure), winding (“R” for Remontage) or neutral (“N”’). Finally, a tourbillon movement at 9 o’clock rotates once every 60 seconds, increasing timetelling accuracy by reducing the effects of gravity on the watch movement when held in a vertical position. Despite this impressive cluster of functions, it is the white ceramic that first attracts the attention here and indeed, it is this new component that most distinguishes this particular model from others that have preceded it in the Audemars Piguet stable. Something similar first appeared back in 2002 as a “concept watch” to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Royal Oak and since then the product development team have been tweaking its designs on a regular basis. Numerous watch brands have been experimenting with ceramic in recent years, not least because of its near scratch-proof quality, being nearly nine times harder than steel. That obviously comes with its own complications when manufacturing the watch, as only diamond can cut or shape ceramic. Audemars Piguet therefore had to deploy diamond-tipped machinery and specialist artisans to work with this particular material, spending eight hours just to polish a single ceramic bezel to perfection. The end result though is an urban, sporty and undeniably high-end watch. This combination may not be to everyone’s tastes — those who prefer classic watches will likely struggle with the 44mm case diameter and inyour-face styling — but for the rest of us, this is about as much fun as a luxury watch gets right now.
Scottish knitwear brand Lyle & Scott recently celebrated 140 years of quality by commissioning fans and artists to create artworks inspired by an event in a year of world history, from 1874 to 2014. See the winning artworks on display at Gallery MOMO in Parktown North. www.lyleandscott.com
MOTORING BMW 2 Series TEXT RICHARD WEBB
“The Ultimate Driving Machine” has been BMW’s siren call for 40 years, made real by a stream of driver’s cars like the 2002tii, the CSL and the M cars — yet the new 2 Series Active Tourer is a front-wheel drive MPV. So, is BMW’s switch to front-wheel drive such a big deal? I travelled to the Austrian ski town of Sölden for the global launch to find out. I wanted to see whether BMW’s battle with Citroen’s C4 Picasso, Mercedes-Benz’s B-Class and Peugeot’s 3008 would erode its hard-won Ultimate Driving Machine status. After all, the criteria by which an MPV is judged limits how visually engaging its design can be — think slab-sided bodies and squared-off sheet metal — and it is difficult to introduce any visual drama. BMW has cunningly used styling cues from its racier siblings to inject the visual fizz, connecting DNA from the 4 and 6 series with clever creases and kinks to disguise the car’s cavernous bodywork.
To step inside is to know that there is little in its class to beat it. Aluminium inserts, red dash stitching and premium leather affirm the well-engineered design, with generous room and storage space, large door bins and useful cubbyholes. It’s a quiet car on the motorway and stability is generally impressive but it’s on twisting roads that its precision and handling make it fun to drive spiritedly. This gives credence to BMW’s insistence that it is pursuing its long-term strategy by remaining true to the Ultimate Driving Machine tag despite the move to frontwheel drive. Local deliveries of the 218i, 220i, 220d and 225i start in the first quarter of next year and guide prices are from R378 000 - R440 500. Some BMW fans need to look away now because there are a lot more front-wheel driven BMW derivatives to come. Don’t say you weren’t warned.
The front-wheel Active Tourer handles well on twisting roads
Case: 44mm titanium with white ceramic bezel Movement: hand-wound Calibre 2930 Features: 10-day power reserve, tourbillon, second time zone display Strap: white rubber SA distributor: Picot & Moss, www.picotandmoss.com, 011 669 0500 Price: on request
48 NOVEMBER 2014
WANTED