Signe - Edition 40 by Signé

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S I G N É

THE MIDAS TOUCH

A NTHON Y VACCAR ELLO, SA INT L AUR ENT’S CR EATIVE DIR ECTOR

HUBLOT - A PROGRESSIVE APPROACH

TIMEPIECES PRESENTED AT LVMH WATCH WEEK 2021

MINIMALIST ELEGANCE PERFECTED THE ALL-NEW ROLLS-ROYCE GHOST

THE ADRIATIC HAVEN

ONE&ONLY PORTONOVI, NAUTICAL PLAYGROUND

THE FERRARI PORTOFINO M Evolution of Driving Pleasure

THE NEW LAND ROVER DEFENDER

THERE’S NOTHING LIKE A DEFENDER. APART FROM ANOTHER ONE.

The new Land Rover Defender is a 21st century update on a proven classic. Old favourites such as the rear-mounted spare wheel, the alpine lights and the side-opening tailgate have all been given the moderntouch. Inside, resilience and purposeful lines run throughout. And of course there’s that famous silhouette, which is recognised the world over, as it travels the world over. Defender. An icon in a category of one. Al Tayer Motors Dubai, Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah Premier Motors Abu Dhabi, Al Ain 800 MOTORS (800 668677) landrover-uae.com

AVENGER

The Aviation Pioneers Squad Scott Kelly Rocio Gonzalez Torres Luke Bannister

SUPER AVENGER NIGHT MISSION

Shot in a villa at Sobha Hartland

Exquisite. Flawless. Crafted. A few words you don’t hear in the real estate world.

Rera 1544, 1949

At Sobha Realty we see the big picture, by focusing on the little details. This attention to detail flows from a legacy of craft - from designing for the royal family, to the name behind the Sultan Qaboos Mosque. As the only real estate company that guides a project from concept to completion, we ensure that even our materials are personally sourced. The result is a flawless living experience. We find that it all adds up to a finer living experience. We spare no effort to ensure that your home is perfect when you move in, and for generations to come.

@ sobharealty

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Your home is your sanctuary

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Edition 40

PORTOFINO Another year has come and gone. It’s a time we should cautiously celebrate, the year 2020 is over. But many of the problems we experienced in 2020 will continue into this year. We still have a raging pandemic that has taken the lives of 1.5 million people; may they never be forgotten. A few weeks after we first heard the word “COVID-19,” we joined billions of people worldwide in adjusting to a radically different way of living. As you go through this edition, try to be mindful that the one thing that unites all the stories in this edition is that the pandemic equally impacted the creative people who worked hard to bring these products and experiences to life. We kickstart our edition with the man with the Midas touch, Anthony Vaccarello. The creative mind of Saint Laurent is this edition’s Fashion Scholar, an individual who never planned to be a fashion designer in the first place! Moving on to the world of horology, Ricardo Guadalupe, Hublot’s CEO, offers exclusive insights into the brand and the thought process behind some of the stunning models launched this year at the LVMH Watch Week 2021. Officine Panerai honours Guillaume Nery, its exceptional brand ambassador, with an exclusive watch. Yet another splendid creation with a whopping 70-year warranty! We had a chat Patek Philippe’s CEO and President, Thiery Stern on the chiming Grande Sonnerie. In our next feature, we present Richard Mille’s most complicated one yet, the highly colourful and highly complex RM 65-01. Our cover story is the new Ferrari Portofino M, for ‘Modificata’. A car that gets the supermodel treatment with an exclusive photoshoot and a presentation on this edition’s cover, Signe’s 40th. Our next automotive highlight is the second generation of the Ghost, the most successful Rolls Royce ever. The 60th birthday celebrations of Jaguar’s legendary E-Type continues with the unveiling of the Jaguar F-Type Heritage 60 limited edition. Stay safe and enjoy the read.

All rights reserved. No part of the material protected by this copyright notice may be reproduced or utilised in any form or by any means, without written permission from the Publisher. SIGNÉ does not take any responsibilities for incorrect information. The advertising appearing within this publication reflects the opinion and attitudes of their respective brands and not necessarily those of the Publisher or SIGNÉ.

ISSN 2410-4523

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LATEST

Our top product pick is the Rimowa backpack from the Never Still collection

14 ANTHONY’S MIDAS TOUCH

Career and the latest collection by Anthony Vaccarello

JUXTAPOSING UTILITY AND LUXURY A review of the Dunhill Spring 2021 Menswear Collection

TOBACCO ABSOLUTE

TAILORING THE BEST DRESSED

Molton Brown’s home collection will elevate the experience of living indoors

38 A PROGRESSIVE APPROACH

SNEAKER PICKS

A selection of Hublot’s timepieces presented at LVHM Watch Week 2021

Stay on trend with the best sneakers to own this season

THE STYLE EDIT

Fashion-forward buys, picked by Signé for you

A TALE OF TWO DIVERS

CLEOPATRA’S FAVOURITE STONES

Panerai launches the Guillaume Néry special limited edition

Closer look at the stone that has captivated our imagination with its green hues

FRAGRANCE FILES

Camel hair comes with its own natural tan

Editor’s selection of fragrances for the season

THE MOST COMPLICATED ONE

THE FABRIC WITH A NATURAL TAN

Aesop’s Gift Kit: The Chance Companion

Savile Row’s Norton & Sons has a long association with gentlemen

CITRUSY FRESHNESS

Richard Mille’s new RM 65-01 Automatic Split Seconds Chronograph

100

OBJECTS OF DESIRE We bring you a selection of our favourite must-have possessions

TIMELY CHIMES IN BLACK AND PLATINUM

Victor Dalmau, VW’s regional Managing Director on the automotive industry

The latest chiming masterpiece from Patek Philippe

STAYING CALM AND GOING STRONG

A FINGER ON THE PULSE

102

104

THE ART OF COFFEE

Blends that pay homage to the historic port city of Genova, and Italy’s eternal capital, Rome

THE FERRARI PORTOFINO M

Valtteri Bottas shares his passions for cars and watches

AN EQUESTRIAN ESCAPE Meliá Desert Palm, a resort with love of horses at the forefront of its experience

Evolution of Driving Pleasure, the new Ferrari Portofino M

AN INSPIRED CREATION

108

Breguet’s Tradition Quantième Rétrograde pays homage to the brand’s history

THE TIMELESS SPRINTER

MANY WAYS TO BELONG. ONE LIFE TO LIVE.

112

Pirelli and Montblanc’s latest collaboration, a limited-edition suitcase

One&Only Portonovi is a nautical playground for the discerning few

The Jaguar F-Type Heritage 60 limited-edition honours the E-Type

HONOURING THE METAL OX

Blancpain unveils an exceptional limited edition on the occasion of the Chinese New Year

MINIMALIST ELEGANCE PERFECTED The All-New Rolls-Royce Ghost elevates an already perfect product to greater heights

Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum City - District One

PIRELLI X MONTBLANC

THE ADRIATIC HAVEN

116

Yard-O-Led is all about making the finest handcrafted writing instruments

Infinity Des Lumières, set to bring art to life and all around

WRITING WITH SILVER

ENCAPSULATING ART

104

FA S H I O N • A N T H O N Y ’ S M I D A S T O U C H

ANTHONY’S MIDAS TOUCH We look back at the career and the latest collection by Anthony Vaccarello, Yves Saint Laurent’s Creative Director

Anthony Vaccarello, Yves Saint Laurent’s Creative Director, is one of those exceptionally talented, or highly fortunate, individuals; for he has tasted success in every venture he has indulged in thus far. From humble origins, he has carved a niche for himself in the world of fashion – as the master of bold and seductive feminine silhouettes – be it with a legacy brand or his eponymous label. Vaccarello was born in 1982, Brussels, as the only child of immigrant, working-class Italian parents. The fashion shows he saw on television and the Helmut Newton photos his mother collected, cultivated in him a fascination for the female form. He especially credits the bold, hyper-sexual silhouettes that found expression on the catwalks of Paris, Milan and New York during the 1990s as the primary fountain of his inspiration.

Despite his childhood fascination with the world of fashion, he chose to study law. A year later, in 2000, he gave in to the calling of his artistic side and changed course. He enrolled at La Cambre - the renowned visual arts school in Brussels - to study sculpture. There, he reconnected with the world of fashion and changed course once again. Vaccarello particularly credits the legendary Japanese designer Rei Kawakubo and her work at Comme des Garçons and Tunisian couturier and shoe designer Azzedine Aläia for reigniting his interest in the construction of clothes. In June 2006, Vaccarello graduated with honours. He presented his graduate collection at Hyères International Festival of Fashion and Photography. Established in 1986, it is the oldest contest for emerging young fashion designers, held annually in the French Riviera. Vaccarello’s collection

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- inspired by the Hungarian-Italian muse, porn star, and politician Ilona “La Cicciolina” Staller - won him not only the first prize but also attracted the attention of Karl Lagerfeld. He offered Vaccarello the responsibility of designing Fendi’s fur line. After two years at Fendi, Vaccarello moved to Paris and established his eponymous label. His ready-to-wear collection made its debut in 2009, after couture week. Five pieces from the collection made it to the window display of Parisian boutique Maria Luisa. Soon after, Vaccarello’s chance meeting with model Lou Doillon at a dinner party led to her modelling for Vaccarello’s lookbook. Shot in a parking garage and featuring his signature high hemlines and sexually charged power dresses, the lookbook added greatly to his brand value and earned him the prestigious ANDAM Fashion Award.

Anthony Vaccarello

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FA S H I O N • A N T H O N Y ’ S M I D A S T O U C H

Saint Laurent Spring Summer 2021 16

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Photo: Courtesy of Saint Laurent

Then, in 2012, came the dress that put Vaccarello firmly on the proverbial map. Anja Rubik stole the show at the Met Ball that year in her “simple white dress with a simple slit,” as Vaccarello likes to put it. Soon he was dressing A-listers such as Jennifer Lopez, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Miley Cyrus, among others. In 2014, Vaccarello began designing capsules for Versus Versace. After several collaborations with the brand, he was offered the creative director position in 2015. In his short tenure, retail sales more than doubled. The cumulative effect of this and previous successes landed Vaccarello the director’s seat at Saint Laurent in 2016, responsible for its womenswear and menswear lines. Not only is Saint Laurent one of the star brands in the Kering portfolio, but Vaccarello would be taking on the post vacated by Hedi Slimane. During his tenure, the French designer had earned critical acclaim and commercial success by

making the brand more appealing to the younger generation. The challenge for Vaccarello was to imprint his distinct signature on the brand while sustaining the momentum generated by his predecessor. Facing his biggest challenge to date, Vaccarello put his eponymous label on hold to focus on Saint Laurent. Over the past four years, he has retained the brand’s youthful appeal while returning it to its Parisian chic roots. For his latest men’s collection - the Spring Summer 2021, presented in September through a short film titled “No Matter How Long The Night Is” Vaccarello seems to have liberated himself from the restrictions of an overarching theme. The pieces are unified, however, by his signature clean and straight cut silhouettes, which give the clothes a light and airy look. Black and white anchor the palette, and are contrasted by a burst of natural tones in floral or leafy patterns.

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The artisanal pride of place for this collection goes to the use of feathers. Examples include a velvet-ish blouson made from cut feathers of different colours, then embroidered on silk; or an evening jacket that resembles crushed velour but made from fine feathers arrayed into a floral-ish pattern. The mood of the individual pieces or combinations are neither formal, casual, nor streetwear, but have elements of all three. One can mix and match to get the desired look: whether it be for an outdoor dinner party, for a night out, or a cup of brew with friends. Over the past four years, Vaccarello has brought new energy and freshness to Saint Laurent, has added his signature without diluting its DNA, and on the commercial side, he has delivered impressive sales figures. He has brought his Midas touch to the brand founded by Saint Laurent and made it his own.

FA S H I O N • J U X TA P O S I N G U T I L I T Y A N D L U X U R Y

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JUXTAPOSING UTILITY AND LUXURY A review of the dunhill Spring 2021 Menswear Collection

“This collection is not simply about deconstruction, but construction. It’s about the joy of making clothes and the emotional investment in them. These things felt particularly resonant of this time,” says Mark Weston, Creative Director of dunhill, about the brand’s Spring 2021 Menswear collection. He continues: “Fundamentally, there is a notion of utility and elegance — it’s almost a new view of ‘workwear’. There’s an evolution of ‘high Eighties’ style in the collection, culminating at today. There is a fusing of ‘New Romanticism’ with relaxed Japanese and Italian tailoring, together with our long-held and timeless traditions of British tailoring. There is an overall sense of culmination; a reflection of the many things we have invested in the collections at dunhill — of dunhill past, present and future.” The joy of work, together with the beauty of its utility and refinement, is at the heart of the latest dunhill collection. And once again, Weston’s most beloved era makes its presence felt. New Romanticism, beginning in the late 1970s and hitting its prime years in the 1980s, gave us such stalwarts of British pop-culture as Culture Club, David Bowie, Marc Bolan, Roxy Music and many more. These musicians presented to the world a bold and colourfully erogenous presentation of masculinity not seen before. Today, a time when meaning and emotional investment matters more than ever, when decomposability has given way to timelessness, Weston replaces the ethos of yesterday by refocusing on craft and tradition; amplified and infused with an ease that is almost subversive.

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FA S H I O N • J U X TA P O S I N G U T I L I T Y A N D L U X U R Y

dunhill Spring 2021 collection 20

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Experimenting with construction and deconstruction, the traditional codes and materials of men’s tailoring are revealed — quite literally. With an approach akin to that of ItalianBritish architect Richard Roger, the secrets of traditional construction are exposed and celebrated. Their utility becomes a new form of elegance. The inside is shown on the outside. This recontextualising of fabrics and formal techniques, of knowing the rules and how to break them, is a testament to the skills of the dunhill tailoring workshop at Bourdon House - the foundations of dunhill as one of the earliest global men’s luxury brands. In the S21 collection, chest canvas and shoulder canvas, foundational fabrics usually reserved for internal reinforcements, become prized for their naturalness and used as a focus rather than an aside. Linen Holland — a glazed linen — most often found strengthening and building pockets is featured throughout. There is a notion of the amplification of craft and the amplification of these materials in their own right. They are combined with more traditional luxury fabrications such as tumbled satins and super-fine bonded leathers. A stratification of history is presented through the motif of layering in the collection, a very British route from traditional pomp to something more pop. Here, fluidity and construction meet with precision to emanate raw-edged ease. The evolution of the peg trouser, voluminous wrap jacket, and waterproof silk outerwear are amplified from earlier dunhill collections and find a more elegant iteration here. The accessories in the S21 collection similarly embrace new shapes and evolve existing icons. Following on from its launch for AW20, the Lock Bag has been reimagined in a luxurious white eel skin, paired with polished silver hardware — an elegant iteration for the new season. The Link Strap loafer has had a monochrome makeover. Crafted in soft French calfskin and finished with matt black hardware that draws inspiration from watch chain straps, all assembled by hand. This relaxed take on the AW20 style features a collapsible heel, allowing dual use as both a shoe and slipper - a juxtaposition of Formal and casual functionality. Making its debut in the S21 collection is the Large Utility Tote. It combines workwear aesthetic with signature dunhill elements, including Duke-leather trims and AD brass hardware. Available in both, black cotton and natural linen mix. This capacious tote features double drop handles, alongside practical internal pockets and compartments lo organise one’s belongings. In compliance with COVID-19 restrictions, the collection was presented online, late last year. For the fourth consecutive time, the soundtrack to the runway video was created by musician and composer Moses Boyd; beautifully encapsulating the House’s spirit. The collection will be available in-store and online from March 2021.

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THE STYLE EDIT

EDITOR’S PICKS

Sunglasses, Berluti

Backpack, Dolce & Gabbana

T-Shirt, ETRO

Trousers, Brunello Cucinelli

Sandals, Jacquemus Les Mules

Belt, ETRO

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Sneakers, Dolce & Gabbana

Belt, Berluti

Jacket, Gucci

Backpack, Coach

Trouser, Ermenegildo Zegna

T-Shirt, Les Benjamins

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FA S H I O N

THREADS

THE FABRIC WITH A NATURAL TAN Camel hair is the luxurious winter fabric that comes with its own natural tan

Camel hair is sourced from the long, lustrous undercoat of the twin humped Bactrian Camel. This subspecies of Camel is common across the Asia Steppes, spanning from eastern Turkey to central China. Mongolia is the largest producer of Camel hair fibre, followed by China, Afghanistan and Iran. The use of Camel hair as fibre dates back to ancient times and even gets a mention in the bible. It was traditionally used for making tents, carpets and cloaks. In Europe, the earliest Camel hair garments were recorded in the 17th century. The fabric reached the zenith of its popularity around the turn of the last century when tailored Camel hair coats and suits became fashionable among Britain’s elite. In the US, Camel hair jackets became a standard among polo players in the 1920s and 1930s.

Even though its popularity waned in the post-war years, Camel hair has always claimed a share of the luxury clothing market. In recent years, however, its stock has been on the rise thanks to the growth in environmentally conscious consumerism. This is because of the sustainable manner in which the fibre is collected and processed. The Bactrian Camel produces two types of hair. The outer guard hair, which forms the protective layer, is hard, coarse and only suitable for producing tough industrial fabrics. The undercoat is the second layer, made of shorter and finer insulating hair. Ranging in length between 4 and 13 cm, it is this hair that gives us the soft, luxurious fabrics. Both layers are shed naturally during the late spring moulting season. The coarse and fine hairs are then separated, washed to remove any impurities, and

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then spun into yarn suitable for weaving or knitting. The yarns are washed again before being used in the manufacture of textiles. While some farmers perform the entire process from hair to textiles, mechanised factories are also used. Camel fibre has a diameter between 16 to 20 microns, similar to wool but less than mohair. It usually has a reddish tan colour and greater sensitivity to chemicals than wool. Although colour can be added, especially using natural dies, it is often presented in its natural tan state. Camel hair fabric has excellent insulating properties and is comfortable to wear. It is therefore used in the manufacture of premium coats, sweaters and thermal wear. High-grade Camel hair fabrics are comparable to cashmere, and the two are often blended to make luxury garments.

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RIMOWA

Never Still Collection Backpack AED 3,890

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FA S H I O N • B E S P O K E M AT T E R S

Patrick Grant

BESPOKE MATTERS Savile Row’s Norton & Sons has a long association with some of the best-dressed men in history

“A great suit should always enhance and should never detract nor overshadow the wearer,” says Patrick Grant, Director, Norton & Sons, during an exclusive with Signé. Founded in 1821, Norton & Sons have been tailors to the royal households of Britain, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Italy, Prussia, Spain and Portugal; three US Presidents and some of the best-dressed men and women of the last century, including Cary Grant and King George V. Every Norton suit is cut and sewn by hand at 16 Savile Row, and nowhere else. Who, in today’s world of branded fashion, is a Norton & Sons client? The craft of bespoke tailoring is undergoing a renaissance. A new generation of wealthy and stylish men want clothes that speak of their elevated individual taste. Our clients are understated men of more refined taste, and they understand genuine luxury, the luxury that comes with scarcity. And they want a service that is genuinely expert and personal. In addition, there is a fast-growing group of clients who are drawn to the sustainable and ethical credentials of Savile Row. At Norton & sons, we only make what is needed, we make by hand, we make using the finest natural, sustainable materials.

a strict house style. We are flexible regarding the technical cut, structure, and construction. From these discussions, we agree on a design for their tailored clothes which takes into account all of the client’s aspirations around the cloth, overall design, fit and construction. We then take a very detailed set of body measurements and look at all aspects of our customer’s body shape, and with this, we draft an individual pattern from scratch for each garment type. Next, we order in the fabric, cut it out and make a basic first fitting. This is the start of a process where a series of fittings are undertaken to refine the fit and allow our customer to have an input on the cut and fit of his or her clothing. Once we are both happy, we move to a more advanced fitting to finish the garment to perfection. Each suit takes about eighty hours of handwork to complete with every garment being cut and sewn in our workshop on Savile Row. It is only through these exacting procedures that we can control all stages of production to craft the perfect Norton & Sons suit.

Take us through the process of creating a Norton & Sons suit. The first thing we will do is spend time understanding what our customer wants from their tailored clothes; we make more separates now than suits. A typical first consultation can take an hour or more. At Norton & Sons, we have always worked with our clients to respond to their wishes rather than impose

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Norton & Sons 16 Savile Row, Mayfair London, W1S 3PL, U.K. 0044 (0)20 7437 0829 www.nortonandsons.co.uk Instagram: @nortonandsons Facebook: facebook.com/NortonandSons1821

Patrick Grant

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FA S H I O N

ami Paris

Spring Low-top Sneakers

Berluti

Shadow Knit Sneaker with Leather Details

Brunello Cucinelli

Honeycomb fabric and semi-polished calfskin runners

Bally Alexander McQueen Court lace-up sneakers

Bally Lift New styles in the Bally Lift collection have arrived, offering new ways to wear the brand’s contemporary signature sneaker as well as personalization options available in select stores worldwide. First introduced for Autumn/Winter 2020, the Bally Lift’s ultra-light rubber sole and sleek details have made it an immediate best-seller and recognizable brand silhouette.

Doraemon x Gucci Men’s Rhyton sneaker

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dunhill Aerial Runner dunhill introduces the Aerial Runner, a contemporary evolution of the House’s signature runner silhouette. Influenced by oversized running sneakers, this new style pairs technical fabrics with elevated Italian Calfskin; hand-finished using an airbrushing technique. Crafted with a vulcanized Vibram lightweight sole, EVA-based rubber foam brings a softness and spring to the step, whilst the underlying tread pattern offers a hiking inspired functionality.

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F A S H I O N • C L E O P A T R A ’ S F AV O U R I T E S T O N E S

CLEOPATRA’S FAVOURITE STONES We take a closer look at the stone that has captivated human imagination with its green hues

Emeralds are among some of the most precious of coloured gemstones, alongside rubies and sapphires. Their distinctly green hue is forever associated with hope, fertility, peace and the first shoots of spring. Famous the world over, they feature heavily in A-listers’ jewellery choices on the red carpets. Emeralds were among Cleopatra’s favourite stones, and her passion for them is well documented. Elizabeth Taylor, who played Egypt’s most famed queen on the silver screen, also acquired a passion for emeralds. It is believed that she acquired some of her legendary stones while filming Cleopatra in Rome. The first known emeralds were mined in Egypt around 1500 BC but were also independently discovered by ancient civilizations in Asia, and South America. Emeralds were believed to bring passion, bliss and unconditional love. Some associated emeralds with the ability to help foretell the future and see the truth, while others used it as a protection against the evil eye. Emerald is the birthstone for those born in the month of May. Emeralds, belonging to the beryl mineral family, are distinguished by their rich, green colour, ranging between bluish-green and slightly yellowish-green. A beryl stone, with beryllium as its key element, is colourless in its pure form and is known as goshenite. When trace amounts of chromium or vanadium make their way into the mix, beryl turns green. The presence of Iron, and depending on its state of oxidation, adds a further bluish or yellowish tint to the stone. For a stone to be called an emerald, it must be a beryl of gem-quality, distinctly green, and rich in colour with strong saturation. It is considered inappropriate to use the word

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F A S H I O N • C L E O P A T R A ’ S F AV O U R I T E S T O N E S

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emerald if a stone does not fulfil these criteria. If a stone has weak saturation or a light tone, it is classified as green beryl. If a beryl has a greenish-blue colour, it is called an aquamarine, while a greenish-yellow one is a heliodor. Emerald’s rarity comes from the fact that beryllium is present in very small amounts in the Earth’s crust. Moreover, the conditions that cause beryllium to be present in significant amounts at a location are different from those that cause chromium and vanadium to be present. As a result, emeralds are found in very small quantities in igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks in select locations worldwide. “A high-quality gemstone is rare. It is like a cordon bleu meal. It requires the best ingredients in the right proportions. The big difference is that nature is the chef, not man,” explains the author and fine jewellery specialist, Joanna Hardy. Today, just five countries produce emeralds reliably and in commercial amounts: Colombia, Brazil, Zambia, Zimbabwe and lately Ethiopia. Colombia is the largest emerald producing nation. The Kagem mine in Zambia - operated by Gemfields and the first emerald mine to be assessed against Eco-Age’s Green Carpet Challenge - produces around a quarter of the world’s emerald supply. Gemfields has not only been leading the way in responsible sourcing of emeralds since 2008, but is also a world-leader in the supply of responsibly sourced

coloured gemstones. The company also owns the world’s largest ruby mine in Mozambique. According to Joanna Hardy, the things to look for when purchasing an emerald are colour and cut. “What you are looking for is an evenness of colour with good saturation, tilt the stone in all directions as sometimes the colour can look vacant along some angles. Also, if possible, view the stone in daylight, so you don’t get a surprise when you take the stone away from the shop light source.” “The cut of the stone is also important for this will also make the gemstone come alive. Coloured gemstones often have inclusions (natural features) within the stone, and these are part of its DNA. Basically, rarity means value: the clearer the stone along with good colour the more rare the stone will be, but do not worry about the inclusions as these are what make your emerald unique as you will never get two stones looking the same.” “If it is a significant gemstone you are purchasing, then there must be transparency on treatments of any kind, so it must be accompanied by a certificate from a recognized, independent gemological laboratory.” Emerald, by Joanna Hardy, was published in December 2013 by Thames & Hudson in association with Violette Publications.

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FRAGRANCE FILE

EDITOR’S PICKS The Inimitable William Penhaligon, Penhaligon’s Citizen X, Ex Nihilo

Majestic and chic. The Inimitable William Penhaligon by Penhaligon’s is an Oriental Woody fragrance for gentlemen. Created with Vetiver, one of perfumery’s master ingredients. Earthy, warm and fresh. Woven inside an Oriental structure, one of perfumery’s mistresses of sophistication. Top notes are Bergamot and Jasmine; middle notes are Vetiver, Cedar and Incense; base notes are Sandalwood and Ambroxan. 75 ml - AED 1365

Described as a ray of light on the skin. A fresh, airy and detonating note, irresistible on the lapel of a Tuxedo jacket. The spicy freshness of Mastic Tree and White Pepper. An enveloping and reassuring heart of Iris. Incense’s woody notes mingle with the sensuality of Musk to blossom into a bold background. The incarnation of a new contemporary allure. 100 ml - AED 1337

Russian Leather, Molton Brown Ignite your senses with this wildly refined Eau de Parfum. The rich blends of Russian Leather capture the essence of outdoors and wilderness with woody-aromas of rich leather accord. Siberian pine meets black Amber, Vetiver and Geranium to evoke a rich, woody mood. Housed in a collectible glass flacon with a one-of-a-kind spherical resin cap. 100 ml – AED 550

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Mahrajan, Ojar OJAR comes from the word HOJARI, which is widely regarded as the finest quality of Frankincense resin in the world, located in Oman’s Dhofar mountains. Frankincense is one of the key ingredients of the collection. Mahrajan features a Floral Woody note - Sunrise Rose, bright dew petal bouquet wrapped in Cashmere woods & Musk. 20 ml - AED 590

Musk-Hareer, Rasasi Musk, is a series of three fragrances inspired by the rich perfumery traditions of the Middle East. Musk-Hareer is a magical fragrance that reflects the softness of silk. The precious high quality oriental essences harmoniously play along the contrasting, zesty and sparkling modern notes, creating rich and sophisticated signature expressions of timeless ingredients reinterpreted in a modern way. 50 ml -AED 158

The One Luminous Night, Dolce & Gabbana Quintessentially Italian notes of Basil and zesty Bergamot, enlivened by spicy Black Pepper. At the heart, the delicate sweetness of Dates, a classic Middle Eastern delicacy, is skillfully blended with aromatic Sage and crisp Geranium. The warm aspect of the Dates is echoed by the creaminess of Sandalwood in the base of the fragrance, meeting smoky accents of Incense and a lingering trail of Amber. 100 ml - AED 544

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GROOMING

CITRUSY FRESHNESS

The Chance Companion is an Aesop Gift Kit that pairs two of its hand and body care favourites – Aesop’s signature Resurrection Aromatique Hand Wash and the citrus-based Rind Concentrate Body Balm. The Chance Companion is housed in a 100 per cent recycled paper pulp case that is entirely biodegradable. The Resurrection Aromatique Hand Wash is a clear, low-foaming gel that is gentle and cleanses without drying the skin. The ideal way to apply the hand wash is to massage a small amount into one’s wet hands and then rinse thoroughly. Its key ingredients - Mandarin Rind, Rosemary Leaf and Cedar Atlas – refreshed the skin, leaving a citrusy, woody aroma. The Rind Concentrate Body Balm is a citrus-based swift-absorbing balm that refreshes and lightly hydrates skin. The balm should be massaged from one’s neck to toe after shower or bath. Featuring Pink Grapefruit, Orange Rind and Lemon Rind, it leaves a deliciously scented citrus aroma. The pair’s suggested complementary products are the gel-based Bitter Orange Astringent Toner - with Witch Hazel, Niacinamide and Chamomile Bud - and the Herbal Deodorant Roll-On featuring Sage Leaf, Zinc Ricinoleate, Wasabi Extract. Aesop’s current Gift Kits, collectively entitled ‘Sensory Chronicles,’ pay tribute to the remarkable

power of the imagination. Therefore, each Gift Kit comes with a complimentary eBook audio download. With The Chance Companion kit comes ‘Something Childish But Very Natural’ by Katherine Mansfield, one of the great modernist writers. The story of young love starts with a chance encounter on a train and chronicles the couple’s journey as they navigate from the idealism of fleeting youth to the sober grip of adulthood. Aesop’s current Gift Kit collection has four combinations in addition to The Chance Companion. The Seasoned Wayfarer includes three formulations for a fragrant home and is paired with a poetic story by a famed Indian polymath. The Ardent Nomad consists of an anti-oxidant rich cleanser, toner and hydrator particularly suited to city dwellers’ skin. The Lore Collector is another hands and body cleansing combination and is paired with a timeless tale of fallible memory and the delicate line that exists between the subconscious and reality. The Metaphysical Voyager includes a lightweight serum and moisturising cream to hydrate and replenish skin. This kit is paired with a meditative tale from The Posthumous Memoirs of Brás Cubas — a classic work of Brazilian literature by Joaquim Maria Machado de Assis.

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TOBACCO ABSOLUTE

Discover the therapeutic power of scents as you envelop your home in a symphony of fragrances with a selection of Molton Brown’s scented candles, home sprays and aroma reed diffusers. Perfectly designed to complement your home’s ambience as well set the mood right, Molton Brown’s home collection has an array of options to pick from that will elevate the experience of living indoors whilst enhancing the positive vibrations of your sweet abode. With fragrances developed by master perfumers from around the world, Molton Brown brings to you the best of ingredients that are thoughtfully mixed, giving way to a

luxurious fragrance that breathes positivity and exclusivity. Perfect to enhance the setting of your home - scented candles make for a flavorful addition to your space. For an all-around, long-lasting and far-reaching fragrance, invest in one of the many reed-diffusers or create an invigorating ambience with just a few drops of the home sprays. A warm combination of cedarwood, leather accord and tobacco with a hint of grapefruit. Complex and mature, the collection is deep and adds an air of sophistication to your space. Combination of wood and tobacco continue to create a rich and luxurious home ambience.

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WA T C H E S • A P R O G R E S S I V E A P P R O A C H

A PROGRESSIVE APPROACH Signé presents a selection of Hublot’s timepieces presented at LVHM Watch Week 2021, along with exclusive insights from CEO Ricardo Guadalupe

January 2020 witnessed the inaugural LVMH Watch Week, a grand event held at the Bulgari Resort in Dubai. This year, however, due to the Covid restrictions, the event had to be moved online, where three of the group’s watchmaking Maisons - Hublot, Bvlgari and Zenith – presented their latest creations. Here we focus on the timepieces presented by Hublot. Rather than taking the conservative route as one would expect, Hublot chose to be bold by presenting a stunning line up of twelve new models, each quite exceptional in its own right. In an exclusive interview with Signé, Ricardo Guadalupe, Hublot’s CEO since 2012, explained the thinking behind this approach. “Last year was a very difficult year for everybody; for the people in the industry and, of course, for Hublot. We faced a lockdown of our factory for two months. Our distribution was down at almost 80% at a certain point. So we thought: how do we react? We must be agile, innovative, and creative. So we decided that we should continue investing in our brand; to show that we are a strong brand and that our innovation and very high technological know-how in manufacturing timepieces are really at the top. That’s why we said we’re going to come at the beginning of this year with a series of novelties that are really strong.” Of all the “novelties” presented by Hublot at LVHM Watch Week II, the star has to the Big Bang Tourbillon Automatic Orange Sapphire. Hublot’s Metallurgy & Materials laboratory has made a name for itself because of its ability to machine some of the most challenging materials around. One of them being sapphire. Hublot debuted a fully transparent and colourless case made entirely of sapphire on the aptly named Big Bang Unico Sapphire. Since then, the brand has introduced several colours in succession Black, Red, Blue, and Yellow. Now we have a Sapphire case tinted orange by incorporating titanium and chromium into its crystalline

structure. As impressive as this feat may seem, for Ricardo, developing “the new calibre [MHUB6035] of the Big Bang Orange Sapphire was the biggest challenge. We developed an automatic tourbillon movement not by just putting a rotor on the back [a rarity in itself], but by inserting a microrotor on the dial side. And of course, a micro-rotor is always challenging. Then we also had to incorporate three Sapphire bridges, another first.”

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Hublot - Big Bang Tourbillon Automatic Orange Sapphire, 45mm

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Hublot - Big Bang Integral Blue Ceramic, 42mm

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Hublot - Classic Fusion Orlinski Blue Ceramic, 40mm

Ceramic is another of Hublot’s signature material which is also notoriously difficult to work with. Up to three times harder than steel and 30 per cent lighter, ceramic is soft to the touch and a delight to wear thanks to its thermal and hypoallergenic properties. Making its debut last year in black, the Big Bang Integral is now presented in three colours: white, navy blue and grey. Ceramic is used to construct the 42mm case, bezel, case-back and the integrated bracelet featuring alternating polished and satin finishes. It is powered by the new Unico HUB1280, a slimmer, 1.3mm thick upgrade to the Unico HUB1242. Artist Richard Orlinski’s now emblematic edges, facets and bevels also find expression this year in ceramic. The Classic Fusion Orlinski 40mm is now presented in monochrome mode, in two colours - flashy blue and gloss black. The watch is entirely constructed in ceramic, except for the crown and the soft rubber strap. Orlinski’s origamilike patterns are found even on the dial. These watches are literally artworks that can bet worn on the wrist.

Orlinski, commenting on the watches, said: “These two monochrome editions are perfectly in line with the DNA of the fusion of our two worlds, that of the House of Hublot, which shapes precious materials and dreams up extraordinary products, and mine, a world of pop and colour.” Black carbon fibre with white glass-microfibre inclusions form the architectural base of this year’s Spirit of Big Bang Tourbillon Carbon White; the watch that is “different, yet resolutely Hublot,” according to Ricardo. The watch’s 42mm tonneau case, case back and bezel are crafted from the composite material. The white glass-microfibre inclusions are used mainly to improve the breaking strength of composite material. This watch has a transparent dial and sapphire case back to reveal the rhythms of the skeletonised HUB6020. This tourbillon movement was specially designed to sit within the tonneau case of the Spirit of Big Bang. Paired with a white, lined rubber strap, the Spirit of Big Bang Carbon White embraces interchangeability through Hublot’s patented “One-Click” system.

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Hublot - Spirit of Big Bang Tourbillon Carbon White, 42mm

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Hublot - Big Bang MP-11 Power Reserve 14 Days Magic Gold, 45mm

Hublot’s calibre HUB9011, a manual-winding skeletonised movement, is one of the jewels of the brand. The movement’s architecture integrates seven series-coupled barrels to deliver an exceptional power reserve of two weeks; indicated directly on a cylinder located to the left of the seven barrels. To present this mechanical art, Hublot created the Big Bang MP-11. Its sapphire crystal has a convex arc that flows over the cylindrical barrels, creating a magnifying effect. This year Hublot presents two new models of the MP-11, constructed using two of its signature materials: Magic Gold and Blue Sapphire. This line up of models launched at this year’s LVHM Watch Show, is demonstrative of Hublot’s progressive approach to watchmaking. Unlike most Swiss haute Horlogerie brands, who have a century of legacy or more behind them, Hublot was founded in 1980. While this may seem like a handicap, Ricardo sees it differently. “Being a young brand, built around the ‘art of fusion’ concept, enables us to bring a lot of new technology to the market,” he says. There is another factor pushing the brand’s progressive stance. “We have a fairly young customers base, between 30 and 50. Those over 50 only make up 10 or 11 per cent. And

if we look at China, it is even younger, at 25 to 45, that’s five years younger,” reveals Ricardo. As a young brand catering to a young clientele, “We must create pieces of art because, in the end, a watch is not necessarily about telling time any more,” says Ricardo. “So our watches must create emotions through the perceived value that we give to a watch. At Hublot, we do it through materials and through the movements. Our partnership with artists like Takashi Murakami, Richard Orlinski and Sang Bleu also inspire us from outside our industry.” Looking into the future, Ricardo says, “people and consumers want to know what they’re buying. How’s it is manufactured. So the goal at Hublot now is to show that we are a properly integrated manufacturer. We want to create content to tell our story; to present our watchmakers, our designers, engineers, constructors and mechanics. I feel it is time for Hublot to concentrate on telling who we are, and what is Hublot’s art of fusion.” Ricardo concludes with advice for his compatriots: “I believe that the evolution of the Swiss watch industry should be, in general, towards offering products that look towards the future.”

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A TALE OF TWO DIVERS Panerai honours its brand ambassador and world champion freediver Guillaume Néry with a very special limited edition

Panerai continues its celebration of the 70th anniversary of the birth of Luminor with a new performance watch inspired by world champion freediver and Panerai brand ambassador Guillaume Néry. This is a limitededition titanium model of just 70 pieces and comes with an incredible 70year warranty. It only seems appropriate that a watch brand built on the most demanding of diving disciplines, that of the military, should choose to commemorate the 70th anniversary of Luminor by dedicating a special edition to one of the most outstanding freedivers of this generation. Born in Nice, 1982, Guillaume Néry’s path to free-diving success began with him losing a schoolboys’ challenge on who could hold his breath the longest. Competitive by nature, Néry spent long hours in his room practising holding his breath for longer and longer periods to be the best at it in his school. By the time he was fourteen, according to Néry, he could hold his breath for up to four minutes. Around this time, he came across a documentary on free-diving and realised he could put his talent to good use. Free-diving, in a broad sense, is the oldest and purest form of diving, where specialists venture underwater without the aid of breathing equipment. Throughout human history, man has gone underwater to find pearls, sponges, sunken treasure, fish, or sabotage enemy ships. With the advent of diving equipment, free-diving has been largely relegated to the recreational and sporting spheres. Today, free-diving encompasses a broad range of activities from underwater hockey to depth-record attempts. The latter being Néry’s speciality. Currently, there are eleven depth-record disciplines recognised by AIDA and CMAS, the two governing bodies. In these disciplines, for both competition and record attempts, the objective is to reach a pre-announced depth. The discipline may involve the use of various aids such as sledges, weights, fins, or nothing at all.

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Image: Tim McKenna

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Image: Callum Snape

Image: Tim McKenna

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Panerai Luminor Marina 44mm Guillaume Néry Edition

Néry describes a dive as “a journey that takes place between two breaths. The last one before diving into the water, and the first one after coming back to the surface. The dive is a journey to the very limits of human possibility. A journey into the unknown. But it is also, above all, an inner journey where a number of things happen; physiologically as well as mentally.” Néry joined the French national team at the age of 19. A year later, in 2002, he became the youngest world record holder in free-diving history when he dove to 82 meters in the Constant Weight discipline. In 2004, he reached a depth of 96 metres to set another record. The next year, in the No Limits discipline – in which the diver goes down with a sledge and comes up with an air-balloon – his dive of 100 metres matched the record set by the legendary Jacques Mayol in 1983. In 2008, he broke the Constant Weight world record for the fourth time with a dive of 113 meters. This was followed by a Team World Championship with the French national team. This was France’s first-ever victory in the event. In 2011, he won the individual Constant Weight AIDA freediving World Championship. Néry’s record-setting career was brought to an abrupt end in late 2015. While attempting a 129 metres dive, the officials mistakenly set the marker at 139 metres. This was well below the world record at the time and, more critically, below the depth Néry had trained for. He reached the set marker, and

had thus unknowingly broken the world record, but he passed out just before reaching the surface. This resulted in his dive being disqualified. The dive also resulted in him suffering lung barotrauma - damage caused to the lung from rapid pressure changes. With a cocktail of mixed emotions, Néry was forced to quit the sport. Over the years, Néry has teamed up with his long time partner Julie Gautier, also a world-record-setting diver, to produce a series of stunning short film on diving: Free Fall (2010), Ocean Gravity (2014), Haven (2016) and One Breath Around the World (2019). Néry, who considers himself a lifelong athlete, could not stay away from competitive diving for too long and became the first person to reach 105 metres wearing only a swimsuit, and his trusted Panerai. The Italian watchmaker, which earned its stripes as the official watch of the Italian Navy’s divers, now honours this extraordinary athlete and its brand ambassador. The Luminor Marina 44mm Guillaume Néry Edition (PAM01122) is part of a series of special edition Luminor models, the first of which was unveiled last April, to mark the 70th anniversary of its most popular watch. It was in 1949 that Panerai patented a new Tritium based self-luminous substance it called Luminor. It was developed as a replacement to Radiomir, a radium-based material. The following year, in 1950, Panerai produced the prototype featuring the new Luminor substance

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Panerai Luminor Marina 44mm Guillaume Néry Edition

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Guillaume Néry, world champion freediver and Panerai ambassador

Image: Tim McKenna

on its dial markings. It was also the first model to feature the brand’s signature crown-protecting bridge. While the original was constructed in stainless steel, the Néry Edition is presented in a greyscale aesthetic, and discreetly incorporates innovative elements developed at the Panerai Laboratorio di Idee. The 44mm case, with 16.2 mm thickness, is in sandblasted titanium. The metal was shaped using Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS), a 3D printing process. Its Safety Lock crown protection device, crown, bridge lever and bezel are also constructed using the same material and process but have a rubberised black coating applied. The black dial has the standard Luminor sandwich architecture, with Arabic numerals and indexes in white Super-LumiNova with green luminescence. However, it has an evocative “dégradé” eﬀect that emulates the shades produced when sunlight ﬁlters through the depths of the sea. There is a seconds subdial at 9 o’clock and a date window at 3 o’clock. The covering sapphire crystal has an accentuated convex arc. The watch is powered by Caliber P.9010, a self-winding movement measuring only 6 mm in thickness. It was designed and developed at the Panerai Manufacture in Neuchâtel. The movement, which presents the hours, minutes, small-seconds and date, is equipped with double barrels for a three-day

power reserve. It also supports an innovative quick timeadjustment function that can move forward or backwards in increments of one hour and is connected automatically to the date indicator. Its Glucydur balance wheel, made from beryllium bronze, has superior resistance to temperature variation and shock absorption. To further improve the movement’s shock resistance, its jewel bearings are mounted using the Incabloc shockproof mechanism. The twelve-sided screwed caseback, in sandblasted titanium with DLC coating, has an engraving depicting the silhouette of the freediver and Ambassador Guillaume Néry, along with the “70 Years Warranty” logo. The watch is water-resistant up to 30 bar, that’s about 300 meters. The Néry Edition comes with two straps. One is made from a black recycled PET material with white stitching and a trapezoidal pin buckle. The other is a white rubber technical strap, the very first to feature luminescent “Oﬃcine Panerai” personalisation. The watch comes in a recycled plastic box engraved with Néry’s signature. The 70 pieces of the Luminor Marina 44mm Guillaume Néry Edition (PAM01122) are only available at select Panerai boutiques.

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THE MOST COMPLICATED ONE Richard Mille’s new RM 65-01 Automatic Split Seconds Chronograph uses colours to simplify its high complexity

Richard Mille’s new RM 65-01 Automatic Split Seconds Chronograph is “the most complex timepiece” ever to leave the Richard Mille workshops, following five years of development. The design of this new high-frequency model has a highly colourful aesthetic and features, among others, a new gearcase, a function selector mechanism in the crown, and an all-new rapid push-button winding mechanism. The RM 65-01 lays claim to be a worthy successor to the brand’s celebrated chronographs. Two of them, the RM 004 Chronograph Rattrapante and the highly intricate RM 008 Chronograph Tourbillon being the pioneers at a time when few watchmakers were capable of producing the tourbillon and chronograph combination. There is also the RM 056, the split-seconds chronograph tourbillon that was the first watch to be fully encased in sapphire. Richard Mille’s latest chronograph has a high-frequency balance with variable inertia, at 5 Hz, or 36,000 vibrations per hour. As with any chronograph, the developmental focus was on superior timekeeping accuracy over an extended period. Another objective was to deliver precise stopwatch calculations; up to 1/10th of a second. It has a splitsecond hand to calculate intermediate times, a first for Richard Mille on an automatic movement. Developed in partnership with Vaucher Manufacture Fleurier, the integrated movement has a six-column wheel architecture and vertical coupling. Like a mechanical brain, this castellated piece orchestrates the controls and can be seen through the base. Its chassis supporting bridges are of grade 5 titanium. It receives its energy from a fast-rotating barrel that maintains ideal torque for energy transmission for the full duration of its 60-hour power reserve. The barrel’s automatic winding also ensures the watch sustains optimal torque whilst worn on the wrist. This is further enhanced by the variable geometry of the calibre’s oscillating weight segment, which makes it possible to change the rotor’s inertia for improved winding yield. Its effectiveness obviously depends on the movement produced by the person wearing the watch.

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WA T C H E S • T H E M O S T C O M P L I C A T E D O N E

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To demonstrate its reliability, “to function under any circumstances,” the chronograph was subjected to a battery of tests. These included everything from shock and drop simulations to accelerated 10-year ageing phases for all functions, waterproof tests and magnetic field resistance trials. Another milestone achieved with the development of the RM 65-01, is Richard Mille’s first in-house patented rapidwinding mechanism. Developed as an alternative to using the crown to wind the barrel, it is activated by the red pusher at 8 o’clock. In 125 presses, the barrel becomes fully wound and ready to time the next event. This highly practical function, described as “very playful” by Richard Mille’s engineers, was particularly difficult to develop because of its high levels of torque transfer. During the ageing tests, the function was activated thousands of times. The model also features a new gearbox, taking the form of a function selector housed in the crown. This system makes it possible to switch between ‘traditional’ winding, semiinstantaneous date adjustment or setting the time - all done simply by pressing the crown; another first for an automatic watch. The combination of the push-button winding and crown functions combine to enhance the ergonomic quotient of the watch. “Given its technical edge, which translates to a movement with 480 components, we knew from the beginning of its construction that the development phases would be long and complex because all the “commands” had to be scrupulously checked. But the advantage is that once stabilised, this movement is reliably consistent. This split-seconds

chronograph was subject to a battery of merciless tests that had to demonstrate its correct function in any situation,” says Salvador Arbona, Technical Director for Movement. The unmistakeably bright colours that dominate the dial have a purpose - colour-coding to match the watch’s functions with its pushers. Yellow is for time and is therefore found on the central hours and minutes hands, as well as, on the seconds subdial at 6 o’clock. Green indicates the semi-instantaneous date display placed in a vertical aperture at 11 o’clock. Orange identifies the watch’s chronograph functions. It is found on the central seconds hand, and on the subdials located at 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock. While the chronograph function is activated, the minutes passed are indicated by the subdial at 3 o’clock. The subdial at 9 o’clock indicates the hours that have passed since the chronograph was started, up to a maximum of 12 hours. To avoid any confusion, the split-seconds hand is presented in blue. Red is linked to the winding mechanism. The case, available in Carbon TPT or Gold and Carbon TPT, sports a Carbon TPT bezel, caseband and caseback. The crown is in microblasted, polished and satin-finished grade 5 titanium. On either side of the crown is the chronograph buttons, also in polished and satin-finished grade 5 titanium. The same material and finish are used for the plate engraved with RM 65-01 on the caseband. The rapid-winding pusher stands out in red Quartz TPT. The RM 65-01, which has over 600 components, is unmistakably Richard Mille, but affirmative in its own identity. It certainly looks set to take its place in the gallery of illustrious timepieces from the brand.

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WA T C H E S • T I M E L Y C H I M E S I N B L A C K A N D P L A T I N U M

TIMELY CHIMES IN BLACK AND PLATINUM Introducing the latest chiming masterpiece from Patek Philippe, the Ref. 6301P Grande Sonnerie

“If you are at the top in watchmaking, you also have to prove it,” declares Thierry Stern, the CEO of Patek Philippe while introducing his latest masterpiece. The Ref. 6301P Grande Sonnerie is a six-complication wristwatch with a black enamel dial and a platinum case. Almost a decade in the making, this grand complication is the manufacture’s first wristwatch that “presents the grande sonnerie as the epitome of horological complications in its purest form.” The grande sonnerie is complemented by two other chiming complications: a petite sonnerie and a minute repeater on demand. “As a watchmaker, it is not only about learning how to create such a piece, which can take 15 to 20 years; you also need talent. Not every watchmaker who studies for twenty years will be able to work on a grande sonnerie. They need more than that. They need passion... There has to be a harmony in the piece that you build. There has to be an aesthetic of it. That is something you need to have in your heart. You cannot learn it in school,” says Stern. In addition to the three chiming complications stated above, the 6301P has three visual complications. There are two power reserve indications – a movement power-reserve indicator and a strike work power-reserve indicator. The third complication is the jumping seconds. One of the greatest challenges for the engineers of a grande sonnerie is mastering energy flows and power reserves. Unlike minute repeaters, which are triggered on-demand, the grande

sonnerie needs to have sufficient power reserve to automatically sound the required number of time strikes with uniform acoustic quality. “It was very important for us to have a watch that can work for a really long time, both in terms of the minute repeater, grand sonnerie and the movement,” says Stern. “The grande sonnerie will work for 24-hours. That means 1,056 gongs in 24-hours. The power reserve for the time mechanism is 72-hours. That is a very powerful watch, especially if you consider at the thickness of the watch, at just 12mm.” To achieve these objectives, the engineers developed a new movement based on the calibre 300 of the Grandmaster Chime – the 20-complication watch launched to celebrate the watchmaker’s 175th anniversary in 2014. The resulting calibre GS 36-750 PS IRM accommodates 703 parts within its 37x7.5 mm dimensions. It has two tandem-connected twin mainspring barrels, one for the gong train and the other for the chiming mechanism. The mechanism supports three hammers of identical size and mass to guarantee a uniform strike for all three pitches - low, medium and high. The three hammers not only require more energy but also complicate the watchmaker’s work when tuning each gong to achieve the much-coveted Patek Philippe’s signature sound. The hours are struck on the low-pitched gong, while a high-low-medium sequence of strikes marks the quarters. Each quarter-hour sequence is automatically preceded by the number of elapsed hours.

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Patek Philippe Ref. 6301P Grande Sonnerie

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The petite sonnerie mode strikes the full hours but omits the repetition of the hours when striking the quarter hours. In the silence mode, the automatic time strike is switched off altogether. The selection of the strike work mode is performed with an innovative slide switch in the caseband at 6 o’clock. The petite sonnerie is selected by sliding the switch to the left, the grande sonnerie mode is in the middle, and silence mode is on the right. The minute repeater is triggered by pressing the pusher in the crown. It strikes the number of hours and the quarters as in the grande sonnerie mode, plus the number of minutes that have elapsed since the last quarter-hour on the higher-pitched gong. The minute repeater can be triggered at any time, even if the slide switch is set to the silence mode. The small jumping seconds displayed at 6 o’clock has a mechanism derived from another 175th-anniversary model - the Ref. 5275 Chiming Jump Hour. This mechanism was modified to count the seconds in the 6301P. The calibre GS 36-750 PS IRM can be admired through the sapphire-crystal case back. Some of the components visible include the barrel bridge, the transversal balance bridge, and the many polished reentrant angles. The centrifugal governor, which regulates the speed of the time strikes, is decorated with exquisitely polished finishes. One of Patek Philippe’s fundamental principle is that a grand complication must also be pleasant to wear in everyday situations. “The main idea, for me, was that this watch should be wearable every day, 24-hours a day. So it had to be something very slim, very discreet... The watch is 44.8 mm wide. For Patek, that’s quite large. But for the market, where a lot of brands have watches going up to 45 or 46mm, 44.8 is really something quite impressive. It’s a beautiful watch to wear.” The 6301P’s platinum case, with curves and rounded contours, is based on the Ref. 5370 split-seconds chronograph presented in 2015. Its concave bezel offers the perfect transition between

the slightly cambered sapphire-crystal glass and the countersunk satin-finished case flanks. “It was quite clear in my mind to choose this design... The challenge for me was to make it in platinum for the Grande Sonnerie. It sounds crazy because platinum is the worst material for sound. It has about 30% more density [than 18K gold]. So the sound does not like to get out of this case,” says Stern. Unlike all other Patek Philippe platinum cases thus far, the 6301P has a small diamond set into the caseband at 12 o’clock, instead of the usual 6 o’clock position because of the slide switch for selecting the strike work mode. However, “the biggest challenge for me was the dial,” confesses Stern. “The complexity, when you are doing a black enamel dial like this, is to make the colour totally black. This comes from the purity of the materials you choose, the way you work on it, its thickness, how we finish it, polished it... On this type of watch, I will lose three dials to make only one.” The black grand feu enamel dial has a “glacé” finish. The applied Breguet numerals are slightly slanted for a classic look. The leaf-shaped hands are luminescent white gold. The displays for the central hours, minutes, and the subsidiary seconds at 6 o’clock are all well-proportioned. The power-reserve indicator for the movement is at 9 o’clock, and for the strike work mechanism is at 3 o’clock. The timepiece is worn with a hand-stitched shiny black Alligator strap with square scales and a fold-over clasp. As a matter of policy, Stern was unwilling to divulge the annual production numbers. However, he said: “now that we know how to fabricate it, I would say it would take us about a year, minimum, to fabricate such a watch. When I say minimum, it’s really the minimum because there can be a lot of problems. I am the last [of these problems] because I have to validate the watches and I am very strict.” He also added, in a witty tone: “The price is 1.25 million Swiss Francs. For that price, you can also have the leather strap.”

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STAYING CALM AND GOING STRONG Valtteri Bottas shares with Signé some of the challenges he has faced in 2020 and his passions for cars and watches

Being Lewis Hamilton’s partner at the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 team is never going to be an easy task. With seven F1 Drivers’ Championship titles, Hamilton is the joint-record holder with Michael Schumacher. He holds the outright records for the most wins (95), pole positions (98), podium finishes (165), points finishes (229), career points (3778) and points in a season (413). Nico Rosberg - Hamilton’s childhood karting teammate and the one predicted to achieve greater success - only managed to better him once in the four years (2013-2016) they were together as teammates at Mercedes. This despite Rosberg joining the team three years prior to Hamilton. So when Valtteri Bottas left Williams to replace the retiring Rosberg at Mercedes in 2017, the odds were not in his favour, to say the least. Despite these heavy odds and a challenging start, Bottas has held his own by finishing second in the last two consecutive seasons (2019 and 2020). So far, he has accumulated nine race victories, has been on the podium 56 times, and on pole positions sixteen times in his four seasons at Mercedes. The team announced recently that Bottas will be driving for Mercedes in the 2021 season. Valtteri Bottas was born in 1989, Nastola, Finland. He began

go-kart racing at the age of six and, in the following decade, his consistent victories earned him a spot in the Finnish national gokarting squad for seven years. Bottas dreamed of following in the footsteps of the numerous Finnish success stories in motorsports. “Motorsports is in the blood of Finns, and there’s always been heroes for young kids. For me, there was Mika Hakkinen. I was a big fan of his, and he was a big motivation in my career.” Bottas told Signé recently during an exclusive interview. Elaborating on the reasons why the Finns have been so prominent in motorsports, he said: “From a young age, the level of racing - whether it’s go-karting, motocross or any other form of motorsport - is pretty good because there are lots of people doing it. I think our mentality is also pretty good for the sport. I think we can control our feelings pretty well, and in motorsports, you need that.” In 2007, at the age of 17, he made the step up from go-karting to singleseater racing and began his steady ascent to driving an F1 car. In his second season, he clinched two trophies: the Formula Renault 2.0 NEC championship with twelve wins out of the sixteen races, as well as the Formula Renault Eurocup with five victories.

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In 2009, Bottas joined the ART Grand Prix squad for the F3 Euro Series. Even though he finished the 2009 and 2010 seasons in third place, he won the prestigious Masters at Zandvoort in both years. He is the only driver to ever win this prestigious event twice in succession. Other winners of the event include Lewis Hamilton (2005) and Nico Hülkenberg (2007). In 2011, Bottas’ championship run in the GP3 Series, a support event to Formula One, lead to his first Formula One test outing with Williams. Bottas made his Formula One race debut at the 2013 Australian Grand Prix, thereby becoming the ninth Finn to compete at this level. Bottas had a difficult F1 debut season, finishing 17th while driving an uncompetitive Williams car. However, in 2014, when the Hybrid-Power Units were introduced in F1, Williams were powered by the dominant Mercedes engines. Bottas finished fourth that season and ahead of his Williams teammate Felipe Massa. In the following two seasons, while Williams performance dropped overall, Bottas continued to consistently out-perform his more experienced teammate. His consistency, along with his experience with the hybrid Mercedes engines, landed him a seat with the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 team for the 2017 season. He became the

Valteri Bottas, seen here wearing the IW502708 Big Pilot’s Watch Annual calendar Edition “150 years” SIGNÉ • EDITION 40

WA T C H E S • S T AY I N G C A L M A N D G O I N G S T R O N G

Valteri Bottas, seen here wearing the IW502708 Big Pilot’s Watch Annual calendar Edition “150 years” 62

11th F1 driver for the Silver Arrows, following in the footsteps of the great Juan Manuel Fangio, Sir Stirling Moss, Michael Schumacher, Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg. An F1 driver’s life may be likened to living in a pressure-cooker made of glass; The pressure is intense while you are being watched constantly. Even by F1’s exacting standards, the 2020 season was exceptional. “It was really strange, for sure,” reveals Bottas. “We were in Australia, all ready for the first race when everything got cancelled. And then, a few days later, we heard that there’s not going to be any racing for the next few months. Obviously, you do a lot of preparation so that you are fully ready for the start of the season. So I had to delay that process.” While the unexpected break was “an opportunity to do lots of things other than racing,” says Bottas, “the key thing was to have goals in terms of training and other things to find a bit of rhythm in my life. I also did some rallying, and some go-karting during that time. As we were getting closer to the start of racing, then obviously, the mindset started changed more towards racing and preparation with the team.” Like all F1 drivers, there is a good reason for Bottas’ emphasis on physical and mental conditioning. “It’s always

difficult to explain because most people don’t realize how much pain there can be in the car over the race distance, which can be one-and-a-half to twohours long,” says Bottas when asked to elaborate on his training routine. “The best way to train is actual driving. It’s the best simulation because we cannot create the G-force in training. But you also need a specific kind of fitness training that is a bit of a combination of things - strength, endurance, and reaction speed.” In the delayed and re-scheduled 2020 season, his efforts paid dividends with a victory. This victory in the season opening race held in Austria was the eighth F1 win of his career. Bottas also showed a side of him in 2020 that he had not done before. On the back of his helmet, there was a graphic in which hands of different colours held each other, along with the words “stronger together.” Explaining the significance of this graphic, Bottas said: “Coming into this year, there was a lot of awareness being raised by F1, its teams, and especially our team against racism, which I think is an important matter. So I thought it would be nice to do something. Actually, it was my girlfriend [professional cyclist Tiffany Cromwell] who designed the graphic pretty quickly. And it’s been on my helmet ever since.” SIGNÉ • EDITION 40

Away from the F1 circuit, like all race car drivers, Bottas loves to drive. “My favourite road car is obviously a Mercedes - the GTS model,” says Bottas. “That’s what I have in Finland for my everyday use. On track as well, it’s really good fun. It’s rear-wheel drive, and it has good braking. It’s a beautiful car.” Bottas also revealed to us that he has a passion for watches - “I have always been a big fan of watches. I started collecting watches when I was quite young. I have a small collection that is definitely getting bigger, slowly.” IWC Schaffhausen has been the official “engineering partner” of the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 team since 2013. As a result, the team’s drivers have been among the watchmaker’s ambassadors over the years. “I’m a big fan of the Big Pilot watches,” reveals Bottas. “I have a few different colours of them. My favourite one, from all the IWC watches, is the 150th-anniversary model [46.2mm stainless steel case with a self-winding movement] which I was a big part of.” The year 2020, and the F1 season is behind us. As we all look to 2021 with cautious optimism, so does Bottas’ F1 future. His seat for next season is secure, but one feels that he will have to deliver a more robust challenge for the F1 title to make that seat his own. We wish him all the best. 63

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AN INSPIRED CREATION

In the years following the French Revolution, Abraham-Louis Breguet invented a watch that was offered through a subscription service. It was purposefully simple and highly reliable, with its movement fully visible. He used the calibre from these subscription watches to power the first Montre à Tact pocket watches, sometimes adding a little dial. This pocket watch became the inspiration for the Tradition collection launched in 2005. The Breguet Tradition Quantième Rétrograde 7597 offers an open view of the movement with all its architectural shapes while displaying the hours, minutes and date. The 2020 models are presented in either an 18-carat white or pink gold 40 mm case. The caseband is finely fluted. The reduced dial, displaying the hour and minute, is eccentrically positioned at 12 o’clock and made of gold. It features an hours chapter with Roman numerals, bordered by a delicate engine-turned Clous de Paris pattern, which serves as a backdrop for blued Breguet hands. As the name suggests, it also features a retrograde date display. Breguet was one of the first to develop this complication, which was bestowed on some of his most famous creations. In the interests of balance, the retrograde date section runs along the periphery, between 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock. A skillfully crafted, curved and multi-tiered hand indicates the date as it floats above the movement. At 10 o’clock, the patented mechanism of the screw-in corrector allows users to set the date safely. Beneath the “floating” time and date indicators, the various components of the 505Q self-winding calibre are on display. Positioned in the centre is the large barrel. It is topped by a symmetrically arranged gear train. The centre wheel at 8 o’clock triggers the oscillating mechanism of the same size at 4 o’clock. This is equipped with the famous parechute. Invented by the master watchmaker, it is the ancestor to today’s anti-shock mechanisms and a signature element of the Tradition collection. The calibre is also equipped with a reverse in-line lever escapement with silicon horns and a Breguet balance spring, also in silicon. The gold rotor visible through the transparent caseback is reminiscent of the Perpetuelles, or first self-winding watches. The Breguet Tradition Quantième Rétrograde 7597 (Reference 7597BR/G1/9WU) has an alligator leather strap with a white or pink gold buckle. It is water-resistant to 3 bar (30 meters).

Breguet’s Tradition Quantième Rétrograde pays homage to a very important watch in the brand’s history

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According to the Chinese calendar, the Year of the Metal Ox began on February 12, 2021, and ends on January 31, 2022. Blancpain has launched a limited series of 50 watches dedicated to the Chinese New Year and its festivities. Housed in a platinum case, the Traditional Chinese Calendar bearing the emblem of the Ox is presented through an exclusive complication appearing on an elegant Grand Feu enamel dial. The Grand Feu enamel dial of this exceptional timepiece reveals the complexity of a display combining Chinese calendar indications with those of the Gregorian calendar and moon phases – all specialities of the Manufacture Blancpain. Unlike the Gregorian calendar, whose unit of measurement is based on the solar day, the traditional lunisolar Chinese calendar is based on the lunar cycle as well as exact astronomical observations of the sun’s longitude. Thus, in addition to the hours and minutes, date and moon phases, Blancpain’s Traditional Chinese Calendar watch offers the main indications of the traditional Chinese calendar: double hours, days, months and leap months, zodiac signs, five elements and ten heavenly stems. The latter, combined with the 12 earthly branches – symbolised by the zodiac animals – produce 60 different pairs forming the sexagesimal cycle of the Chinese time measurement system. These functions are clearly displayed on a dial with Roman gold numerals and hollowed-out sage leaf-shaped hands. The ox, the animal of the year 2021, appears in an aperture at 12 o’clock above the double-hour counter. Positioned at 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock are two subdials that respectively indicate the celestial stems and the five elements, as well as the pointer-type month and date indications and leap months through a round aperture. In a manner typical of Blancpain’s Complete Calendar watches the moon phases that determine the months of the Chinese calendar is displayed at 6 o’clock. A blued serpentine hand sweeps over the date numerals around the dial circumference. This innovative complication was a genuine mechanical challenge whose development required five years to master. The mind-boggling array of complications have all been incorporated into the self-winding 3638 calibre. Endowed with a seven-day power reserve, this Haute Horlogerie movement is housed in a 45 mm case featuring a crown set with a cabochon-cut ruby. It is equipped with Blancpain’s patented under-lug corrector system allowing easy function adjustments. The sapphire crystal case back enables one to admire the finishing of the movement and its white gold oscillating weight, engraved with the Chinese zodiac sign of the year. Blancpain’s Traditional Chinese Calendar is also available in a non-limited version in red gold with a finely guilloché oscillating weight.

HONOURING THE METAL OX Blancpain has unveiled an exceptional limited edition with a mind-boggling array of complications on the occasion of the Chinese New Year.

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AUTOMOTIVE • MINIMALIST ELEGANCE PERFECTED

MINIMALIST ELEGANCE PERFECTED The All-New Rolls-Royce Ghost elevates an already perfect product to greater heights

The second-generation Ghost - “the most technologically advanced Rolls-Royce to date” - made its regional debut on Dubai’s roads last November. Given the Ghost badge’s historical importance to the marque, the designers and engineers at Rolls-Royce had quite a challenge on their hands. The first generation Ghost - named in honour of the legendary Silver Ghost of the early 1900s - was an unmitigated success despite being launched in 2009, shortly after one of the most significant global economic downturn in decades. Over the course of its ten-year production run, it became the most successful product in the company’s 116-year history. In turn, this success enabled the brand to scale up production, invest in its capabilities, and re-establish Rolls-Royce at the pinnacle of the luxury automotive sector. “The first Goodwood Ghost was a response to a whole new generation of clients, both in age and attitude. These men and women asked us for a slightly smaller, less ostentatious means to own a Rolls-Royce. The success of the product we created for them fulfilled our most ambitious expectations... To create a new product that

would resonate with our Ghost clients for the next ten years meant we had to listen carefully to their demands.” says Torsten Müller-Ötvös, CEO, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. He adds: “The only components that we carried over from the first Goodwood Ghost were the Spirit of Ecstasy and umbrellas. Everything else was designed, crafted and engineered from the ground up. The result is the most technologically advanced Rolls-Royce yet. It distils the pillars of our brand into a beautiful, minimalist, yet a highly complex product that is perfectly in harmony with our Ghost clients’ needs and perfectly in tune with the times.” The parade of technological advancements on the new Ghost is headed by the marque’s proprietary aluminium spaceframe architecture. First used on the Phantom and then on the Cullinan, this spaceframe is unique to Rolls-Royce. It enables the brand’s designers and engineers to develop an authentically super-luxury product by eliminating other platforms’ constraints. This foundational architecture incorporates other technological advancements such as all-wheel drive and all-wheel steering while

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AUTOMOTIVE • MINIMALIST ELEGANCE PERFECTED

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being powered by an enhanced and super-smooth 6.75-Litre Twin-Turbocharged V12 engine. The car’s suspension has been completely redesigned to what is called the Planar Suspension System. The result of ten collective years of testing and development creates a sense of “flight on land.” The sum of all these enhancements is the evolution of the marque’s hallmark Magic Carpet Ride into something that has never been experienced in a motor car before. From the very outset, and based on client feedback, the designers made ‘Post Opulence’ the cornerstone of the model’s design philosophy. Characterised by reduction and substance, this aesthetic philosophy demands that exceptional materials be selected and celebrated; while design must be limited, intelligent and unobtrusive. This begins with the car’s first impression. It is framed by sharp bowlines that intersect with an angular light signature, creating an assertive yet beautiful front end. On the flanks, a single straight stroke is used to emphasise the car’s length. The lower’ waft line’ borrows from boat design and uses reflection to lighten the surfacing and create an uncomplicated sense of motion. Both doors seem to share an equally proportioned window graphic. The signature squarish rear-lights of the marque has been modernised with a slight forward tilt. The interior is likewise free of busy details and superficial embellishments to create a more relaxing refuge, but also to maximise the impact of bespoke colour personalisation. The very finest materials; leathers, woods and metals are left unembellished.

The signature aesthetic element of the new Ghost’s interior, and one that aptly demonstrates the Post Opulence philosophy, is the illuminated fascia: a worldfirst innovation that subtly echoes the Starlight Headliner to create an ethereal glowing Ghost nameplate. The Bespoke Collective at Rolls-Royce chose not to use simple screen technology to achieve the effect they desired. Instead, they embarked on creating a highly complex and true luxury innovation. Located on the passenger side of the dashboard, and surrounded by more than 850 “stars,” the constellation and wordmark are entirely invisible when the interior lights are not in operation. The illumination itself comes from 152 LEDs mounted above and beneath the fascia, each meticulously colour matched to the cabin’s clock and instrument dial lighting. To ensure the Ghost wordmark is lit evenly, a 2mm-thick light guide is used, featuring more than 90,000 laser-etched dots across the surface. This not only disperses the light evenly but creates a twinkling effect as the eye moves across the fascia, echoing the subtle sparkle of the Starlight Headliner. All these design and technological innovations featured on the new Ghost come together to create a symbiotic aesthetic, where minimalist elegance finds expression. More importantly, the designers and engineers who worked on the car seem to have delivered a worthy successor to the most important car in Rolls-Royce’s recent history.

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AUTOMOTIVE • A FINGER ON THE PULSE

A FINGER ON THE PULSE Signe has a chat with Victor Dalmau, VW’s regional Managing Director, about his expectation regarding the automotive industry

There are several auto manufacturers who can claim to have several highly successful models in its ranks. However, there is one that has not only produced numerous commercially successful models, but several of them have gone on to become cultural icons and even create new market segments. The automaker, whose name literally means ‘people’s car,’ seems to have had its finger on the automotive pulse of the global public better, and for longer, than anyone else. Volkswagen began life by manufacturing the Beetle, the world’s bestselling car at one time and, arguably, the greatest automotive cultural icon ever. VW’s second model, the Type 2, not only became a cultural icon but created the market segment we know today as vans. The Golf, meant to be a replacement for the Beetle, kick-started the hatchback revolution of the 1980s. The secondgeneration Beetle set off the retro car fad of the last decade after its debut in 1998. In 2017, VW announced that by 2025 it plans to launch at least 30 EV models, with 20 to 25 per cent of its annual sales volume coming from EVs. Given the company’s track record in staying ahead of the curve, we decided to chat with VW’s regional head to get a sense of where things are headed. Victor Dalmau has been the Managing Director for Volkswagen Middle East since mid-2019. He has over 20 years’ experience in the automotive industry, working within the Volkswagen Group

on various strategic and operative positions – sales, marketing, aftersales and dealer networks. Prior to joining VW Middle East, Victor led the successful re-launch of the Volkswagen brand in Latin America. Victor also spent many years based in VW’s headquarters in Wolfsburg, where he held various positions within the business, focusing on both established and developing markets. Since your appointment as Managing Director of Volkswagen Middle East in June 2019, what have you enjoyed most about this role and what do you eagerly anticipate in terms of the company’s present and future endeavours? The part that I am enjoying most since joining the Volkswagen Middle East family is the multicultural aspect of my team. We are comprised of over 34 different nationalities, who I learn from every day. This is one of the reasons why I love living in Dubai, as I’m exposed to so many different cultures and find them fascinating. In terms of upcoming endeavours: we are expecting the pandemic to slowly phase out next year. We will be putting our efforts into launching four new models: T-Roc, Golf GTI and facelifts for the Teramont and Tiguan. Alongside this, we will continue to focus on developing the Volkswagen brand with the key brand attributes

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of human centricity, and authenticity.

simplicity

With your career mainly developed in the automotive sector, can you tell us the most significant development you’ve witnessed thus far? It’s clear that the transition from internal combustion engines to electric vehicles (EVs) is the most substantial transformation that the automotive industry has ever undergone. At Volkswagen, that journey started a few years ago when the new electricvehicle platform, or MEB as we call it, on which our EVs are based was developed and engineered. As we speak, the first Volkswagen EVs, which are part of our ID family, are being sold in several regions, and this is only the beginning. Additionally, I believe a significant development is the link between mobile phones and the automobile, where ultimately the car will become a smartphone on wheels. This is very interesting as we are witnessing the evolution of car manufacturers turning into complete mobility providers by developing these services and capabilities in addition to their core business of producing vehicles. Here again, Volkswagen is a pioneer with various initiatives globally. While this journey has only started, over time, cars will become a part of our own personal digital ecosystem.

Victor Dalmau, Managing Director - Volkswagen Middle East

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AUTOMOTIVE • A FINGER ON THE PULSE

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Victor Dalmau, Managing Director - Volkswagen Middle East

Volkswagen recently announced its first fully electric SUV with the new ID.4, as well as an electric vehicle pilot project with Uber in Berlin. What do you want people to know about VW’s latest venture into the electric vehicle market? The partnership between Uber and Volkswagen is another initiative in supporting this commitment by operating our electric vehicles for “Uber Green”; the sustainable ride-hailing service. The car chosen for use in this project is the e-Golf, which we have very successfully and previously used for our car-sharing service, “We Share”. With this initiative, together with Uber, we are improving air quality in urban areas. Volkswagen globally is fully committed to the Paris Climate Agreement and is, therefore, strongly investing in managing carbon emissions through the development of EVs. What are your views on the trends and future of electric cars? What is your assessment of the market readiness in terms

of consumer acceptance and charging infrastructure? Customers acknowledge the environmental need for EVs and therefore desire to purchase them. However, we are facing a chicken-and-egg situation with the charging infrastructure. I believe the way to ease this is through a combined investment effort from both the private and the public sectors. In the Middle East, the situation is different from market to market, but it is clear that the first movers will be the ones that will have to overcome this initial difficulty. We, at Volkswagen Middle East, are looking for the right time to enter the market. What are the brand’s ambitions for 2021? Our main ambition is to see the four upcoming product launches being very successful! 2021 is an important year for us, as we truly believe we have a stunning and strong model line-up to offer. We will focus on working with our dealers to do the best job possible and SIGNÉ • EDITION 40

successfully roll out our new brand design across the market through our campaigns. We would like to see the demand for cars increase, but this will depend on how fast the pandemic eases over the next year. I am cautiously optimistic about this. What is Volkswagen’s New Brand Design about? The new brand design is all about promoting and solidifying Volkswagen as a people’s brand. We aim to ‘move people forward’ in their lives – in and outside their cars! Our newly developed brand design and the simplicity of our new logo are a reflection of our values: putting people first, being human, authentic and genuine. We consider that we are now starting the third era of the brand. Volkswagen started by offering mobility for everyone with the Beetle, followed by the second era of democratizing car technology with the Golf as its core testimony. We’ve now entered the era of electrification and carbon-neutral mobility. 73