Innholdsfortegnelse for September 2016 i CROWN

Ong Weisheng Stylist Formerly an in-house stylist for a high-society magazine, Weisheng brings eight years of experience to his freelance work. Fond of constructing mini sets for his shoots, Weisheng believes in tailoring his style to suit the subject matter; an approach evident in his evocative watch and jewellery spreads. Brian Jones Writer Brian is a freelance writer and editor who was born in the outskirts of Washington, D.C. and currently based in the outskirts of Seoul. Along with writing on all things horological, he’s been known to pen pieces on men’s fashion, sports and popular culture. When he’s not writing, he can be found travelling the continent, fumbling in his attempts to speak the local tongues. Charmian Leong Writer After seven years of full-time employment, four of them spent…

Don’t be fooled by this self-proclaimed ‘bad boy’. HYT’s Skull Bad Boy, the brand’s latest iteration of the Skull series may front devil-may-care swag in its all-black guise, but there is a lot of fastidious artistry that goes into the watch. Besides its famed hybrid hydro-mechanical movement, which most are privy to by now, the Skull Bad Boy features a dial made of a new composite material created to look just like Damascus steel – a type of steel produced over 2,000 years ago that is known for its strength and recognised by its wavy texture. HYT enlisted a foundry in Neuchatel to recreate the ancient metal, using a process that includes folding numerous layers of steel and carbon into themselves up to 256 times. As a result of the…

Don’t worry, we understand. Just like Google’s self-drive cars, or patronising a Chinese restaurant in Geneva, the idea of having a renowned jeweller better known for enamouring female celebrities make hyper-masculine complications for gents may seem unsettling. After all, Harry Winston is hardly the first port of call when red-blooded men go on the hunt for strapping wrist accessories that are, more often than not, perceived as a not-too-subtle expression of testosterone and virility. But that doesn’t mean that the brand isn’t paying attention to what men want – or for that matter, too confused about its horological identity to impose its own take on men’s watches. Take this issue’s cover watch, the Project Z-10. As the name suggests, the watch is the 10th model in a collection, and one…

ROLEX STEEL DAYTONA WITH BLACK CERACHROM BEZEL This year, the steel Daytona received an update for the first time since 2000. Its black bezel is scratchproof, corrosion resistant, and impervious to UV rays, meaning its gorgeous black will never get a patina. It’s sure to be another classic, and probably the most in-demand watch of the year. BREITLING FOR BENTLEY – BENTLEY GMT B04S CARBON BODY A ticker that quite literally goes places with you. This 250-piece limited edition boasts Breitling’s propriety, C.O.S.C-certified automatic movement with dual-time function that tells the home time across 24 world cities in 24-hour mode. Meantime, the carbon case and dial take inspiration with the material commonly used in the chassis of Formula One race cars. BELL & ROSS BR03-94 AERO GT3 There are few…

In the typically sedate world of watch journalism, where CEO soundbites are prepared and polished to a shine before they reach a reporter’s notepad, the excitement surrounding exchanges between LVMH chairman Jean-Claude Biver and Patek Philippe president Thierry Stern earlier this year, as they sparred over TAG Heuer’s new tourbillon watch, was a godsend. In a Bloomberg report, Stern opined that TAG Heuer’s Carrera Heuer-02T, a steel-cased tourbillon watch priced approximately less than US$16,000 – and billed as the world’s most affordable Swiss-made tourbillon – was an affront to the prestige of the horological craft. (A typical tourbillon cost more than five times the amount.) Biver, however, isn’t bothered by the sentiment. Instead, he explains that both TAG Heuer and Patek Philippe each occupy a unique niche that would serve…

CHOPARD L.U.C XPS 1860 Chopard’s L.U.C range melds understated classicism with superlative movements. As the collection celebrates its 20th anniversary, the Swiss manufacture issues reworked versions of the L.U.C XPS 1860, its inaugural model. Judicious embellishments are the order of the day as a railway track minute scale has been added along with a hand-guilloché motif on the dial for the rose gold model (limited to 250 pieces), and a sunburst satin-brushed finishing for the stainless steel one. Inside the watch, the in-house L.U.C Calibre 96.01-L comes with a gold micro-rotor, and twin mainspring barrels offering a 65-hour power reserve. FRÉDÉRIQUE CONSTANT Slimline Auto Heart Beat Letting one enjoy the best of two worlds, this new model from Frédérique Constant embodies the lauded qualities of its popular Slimline and Heart…

I knew I was in trouble when I described a S$10,000 watch as “cheap”. I didn’t realise it at first. Instead I got called out by my friend, a ‘non-watch-guy’, to whom I was trying to explain the lure of high-end timepieces. There will be plenty of fiscally liberal connoisseurs, I’m sure, who will agree that the above is true. In the high-stakes, high-mech world of watches, where owning a S$50,000 ‘entry-level’ tourbillon is not unusual, a S$10,000 mechanical timepiece certainly sounds do-able. That is, before my friend’s look of incredulity jolted me back to reality. The chasm between desire for a timepiece and ability to afford one is usually quite wide for the average watch lover. While it’s not a magazine’s duty to bridge that divide, we cannot afford…

Blue dials are in. No, really, they are IN. Panerai just announced that a fleet of new models sporting the shade that has everyone clamouring after this year has arrived in its stores. Exclusive to Panerai boutiques, two Luminor and two Radiomir offerings are up for grabs. The Luminor models, both available in stainless steel, are the more palatable of the lot. Characterised by their crown guards, the two watches – Luminor 1950 10 Day GMT Automatic Accacio, and Luminor 1950 3 Day GMT Automatic Accacio – come in 44mm and 42mm cases, respectively, ensuring wearability to complement their dual-time functionality. On the other hand, the Radiomir models could prove slightly out of reach for style and fiscal reasons. The Radiomir 1940 10 Day GMT Oro Rosso remains rather sensibly…

“Aye!” says Alvin Wong My soul ought to be scrubbed with an iron brush for saying this, but MATERIAL LUXURY IS JUST NOT FOR EVERYONE. That’s different from saying that everyone deserves to enjoy a bit of luxury now and then – lord knows, we all do. But to believe that luxury goods as things that be acquired without financial inconvenience is a little like telling a kid that he can be Lewis Hamilton if he works at it enough – that kind of advice is just plain misleading and irresponsible. HIGH PRICE TAGS ARE THERE FOR GOOD REASONS. Expensive watches are the way they are due to a combination of factors – brand equity, premium materials and gemstones used in their construction, top-of-the-line artisanship, and so on – all…

Proving you’re never too young to learn about watches, Vacheron Constantin hosted yet another Junior Watch Aficionado Workshop early this month in its Singapore ION Orchard boutique. Similar to the well-received workshop that the brand held last year, Vacheron Constantin invited little ones from the age of four to 12 to learn about watchmaking through a variety of fun activities. Two Vacheron Constantin watchmakers were on hand to guide the children through the basics of mechanical watch functions and movements. Parents were also encouraged to work with their children as they assembled their very own mechanical clocks. Other activities included customising their own Vacheron Constantin timepiece on a bag and visiting the watchmaker’s workspace to view the tools and apparatus used. The children also had an opportunity to look at…

Smart watches have made their waves and the world didn’t end for mechanical watchmakers. The reactionary luxury hybrids that followed were no doubt fun, but it’s time we got back to business: nothing will beat the kind of watchmaking that involves only the most basic mechanical rules and raw human talent. Breitling understands this all too well. And never mind its brief digital dalliance with the B55 Connected, the brand knows where its priorities lie. To demonstrate this unwavering commitment to taking mechanical watchmaking into the future, Breitling unveiled the Chronoworks department this year, a watchmaking division dedicated to pimping up its movement repertoire. Set up two years ago with a team of five, the Chronoworks lab is meant to be the horological equivalent of the automobile world’s engine tuners.…

BREITLING FOR BENTLEY – B06 MIDNIGHT CARBON Limited to 500 pieces, this muscular ticker hails from an exclusive collection that Breitling produces for Bentley, and the automobile allusions are generous and lavish. The bezel, for one, features a knurled motif inspired by a Bentley’s radiator grille, while the transparent caseback showcases a sculpted rotor that recalls a wheel rim. Under the hood, though, Breitling stamps its mark with a proprietary chronograph movement offering 70-hour power reserve. TUDOR – FASTRIDER BLACK SHIELD A horological homage to the Ducati Diavel, the Fastrider Black Shield has a dark and dashing demeanour that recalls the motorbike itself. Sheathed in all black, the 42mm matt ceramic case with tachymeter bezel features a bead-blasted finish that complements the tri-compax dial. Powering the watch is an automatic…

From corn flakes to Velcro, some of the modern world’s most fascinating inventions are the results of happy accidents. And so it is, too, with Corum’s famous Golden Bridge. The movement was conceived – literally by accident – in the 1970s when master watchmaker Vincent Calabrese, then a young, self-taught watch restorer, was presented a Breguet minute repeater that was badly damaged from being run over by a car. In those days, it would have cost between 800 and 1,000 Swiss francs to repair the movement, while the case cost 2,000 Swiss francs. “After quoting him the restoration fees, he decided only on repairing the case,” remembers Calabrese, who was then working in the ski town of Crans-Montana up in the Swiss Alps. “The customer told me, ‘No one sees…

VACHERON CONSTANTIN – OVERSEAS SMALL MODEL The epitome of casual luxe from the world’s longest-running manufacture, the Overseas gets an upgrade this year with slight design tweaks to accentuate its trademark profile, new anti-magnetic movements that boost functionality, and a new ‘easy-fit’ system that allows the user to swap between leather straps and matching metal bracelets in a snap. JAQUET DROZ – LADY 8 Beauties with gravitas – the Jaquet Droz Lady 8 watches demonstrate how women’s watches can be powerful and poetic all at once. These tickers, which look equally at home in office or party getups, belie their mechanical content with capricious lashings of style and symbolism – from the signature figure of ‘8’ cases that connote good fortune, to the exquisite dial decoration and case finishing that…

BELL & ROSS BR-X1 HyperStellar Having built its success largely on the popularity of its aviation-inspired timepieces, Bell & Ross is moving up beyond the stratosphere with its latest offering. Expressly built for space missions, it is packed with features that should serve cosmonauts well. Crafted out of titanium, its 45mm case is lightweight yet tough, and well protected with blue anodised aluminium inserts and rubber bumpers. While the rest of us may not be orbiting the Earth in our lifetime, we can certainly appreciate the ease of use afforded by the chronograph rocker push-buttons, as well as the beauty of the skeletonised automatic movement through a tinted sapphire dial. Limited to 250 pieces. BREITLING Chronomat 44 Blacksteel The trend of all-black watches doesn’t seem to be abating any time…

A. Lange & Sohne #02-05A ION ORCHARD TEL: 6509 1712 Audemars Piguet • #B2-207, THE SHOPPES AT MARINA BAY SANDS TEL: 6688 7595 • #01-03, LIAT TOWERS TEL: 6836 4918 Ball Watch FOR ENQUIRES, PLEASE CALL 6235 1811 Baume & Mericer FOR ENQUIRES, PLEASE CALL 6510 2767 Bell & Ross • #01-15 MANDARIN GALLERY TEL: 6884 6471 Blancpain #B2-237 THE SHOPPES AT MARINA BAY SANDS TEL: 6634 8771 Breguet #B1-119/ 120 THE SHOPPES AT MARINA BAY SANDS TEL: 6638 6006 Breitling FOR ENQUIRES, PLEASE CALL 6732 6347 Bulgari • #B2-200 THE SHOPPES AT MARINA BAY SANDS TEL: 6634 8313 • LEVEL 1, TAKASHIMAYA DEPARTMENT STORE TEL: 6735 6689 Cartier • #B1-39A, #B2-38 THE SHOPPES AT MARINA BAY SANDS TEL: 6688 7388 • #01-20, #02-10 ION ORCHARD TEL: 6235 0295 •…

“You shouldn’t need to explain too much. It all boils down to one thing – having a simple but strong idea.”CARLOS ROSILLO, BELL & ROSS’ CO-FOUNDER, ON MAKING ICONIC WATCHES “THE SPIRIT OF METAMORPHOSIS IS VERY INTEGRAL TO CREATIVITY.”Catherine Cariou, Van Cleef & Arpels’ heritage director, on creative evolution “We are still not transforming water into wine.”Matthias Breschan, Rado’s CEO, on the potential of high-tech ceramics “People confuse technical content with mechanical content.”Yann Gamard, Glashütte Original’s president, defending the quality of well-finished quartz watches “It’s a very narrow path we tread.”CHRISTIAN SELMONI, VACHERON CONSTANTIN’S ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, ON VACHERON CONSTANTIN’S JOURNEY IN MODERN WATCHMAKING “Just remember that you have the right to think, to perceive and to compare.”PASCAL RAFFY, BOVET’S OWNER, ON BUYING WATCHES “I would much rather get a Swiss…

I love to work around limitations. For obvious reasons, it is easier to design a quartz watch than one with mechanical complications, which has a predetermined list of dos and don’ts. But I enjoy this challenge, to transform something that appears hard to decipher into something aesthetically beautiful. There is always freedom to create at Hermès. There is no need to answer marketing briefs or anything of the sort. True creativity is always a priority here and I enjoy this immensely. Curiosity is important. But not in a way that we look at what our peers or competitiors are doing. Travelling, talking and listening to people, discovering art… these are essential to good creative work. To be different, one needs to take risks. But this is not happening much in…

Members of the media were treated to more than just a horological showcase when Jaquet Droz welcomed hosted a culinary class at cooking studio, Culinaryon. Guests enjoyed canapes and glasses of bubbly before being shown the award-winning watch (it picked up the ‘Mechanical Exception Watch Prize’ at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève last year) in its lavish birdcage presentation case. The miniature bird is nestled in its own dome within the 47mm watch case and behaves just like a live bird, turning, flapping its wings, and opening its beak to chirp. Launched in celebration of Jaquet Droz’s 275th anniversary, the Charming Bird is a tribute to the brand’s longstanding association with automata. Following the presentation, guests were guided through a cooking class that culminated in a three-course dinner featuring…

Which would it be? Odysseus’s decade-long journey home from the Trojan War? The same one immortalised in Homer’s epic poem? Or the rites of passage experienced by upper-class European youths from the 15th to 17th century, their grand tours sometimes lasting years? Or how about weekend getaways? The stopgap before the long vacation that has become essential for modern urbanites. Whatever the era or motivation, the idea of travel has always held an inexplicable allure. This romance is unwavering, but our means of and purposes for travel are not. And as a reflection of human culture, our timepieces have traced this evolving relationship – just look at the proliferation of pilot’s watches, those robust wrist instruments created with aviators in mind; or multi-time zone watches that heralded the Jet Age,…

Davide Traxler pretty much hit the ground running at Corum. After joining the company at the tail-end of 2015, his first big task was to front the brand at BaselWorld mere months later. Traxler shares how he gets up to speed with his new brand, changing his opinion about the Bubble watch and his thoughts on price wars. You joined Corum in September 2015. How is the journey so far? I’ve been around the world twice since I joined. It is very important for me to first get to know the people who work for and with Corum. I also try and ensure our staff know exactly what I’m up to, from my plans to my schedule. I had a perception of the brand as an outsider, and it is…

Given China’s unstoppable manufacturing juggernaut, the ‘made in China’ tag is bound to creep into mechanical watchmaking sooner than later. Already, debates on the quality and pervasiveness of China-made movements have proven to be sticking points among collectors and brands. From the chance to acquire a China-made tourbillon watch for a tiny fraction of the price of a Swiss-made one, to the flood of basic movements that powers both entry-level mass market brands (an increasing number of which are also China-based or funded by Chinese corporations) as well as murky counterfeit watches, China-led horological manufacturing can be divisive. However, it also plots an interesting twist to the horological narrative dominated by Swiss watch brands. To the typically insular Swiss watch trade, having the Chinese brandishing low-cost movements on their turf…

Apparently, if you were a woman living in the late 19th century, it was deemed unnecessary for you to know the time. Yes, go right ahead and roll your eyes, please. But if women back then were anything like they are today, an inconvenient social norm wasn’t going to get in their way of wearing a timepiece if they wanted to. Enter the secret watches. Since it was also considered rude then for a woman to check the time, they often had to wear watches disguised as a piece of jewellery. It’s a guess but perhaps this is how the term, ‘fashionably late’ evolved? Fast forward a few decades and secret watches took on a rather different appeal. Rather than pieces borne out of necessity, they became coveted accessories. Popular…

BLANCPAIN Villeret Quantième Annuel GMT Available for the first time in stainless steel, the Villeret Quantième Annuel GMT’s genteel mien belies its technical complexity. Combining two useful complications – GMT and annual calendar – it displays a second time zone with a sub-dial at eight o’clock, while the date, day, and month are shown clearly through three separate apertures. The watch is a joy to use as its day and month indicators can be easily adjusted by hand, even when the watch is worn, via a pair of patented under-lug correctors. A sapphire crystal case back shows off the automatic movement that powers the timepiece. BULGARI Octo Finissimo Minute Repeater Bulgari continues its winning streak in ultra-thin watchmaking by achieving the seemingly impossible – making the world’s thinnest minute repeater,…

BULGARI Serpenti Incantati Jewellery Just as the snake is a symbol of perpetual rebirth, Bulgari’s Serpenti collection has gone through several incarnations since its debut in the 1960s. This year, it sheds the Tubogas bracelet that coils around the wrist, and has the seductive reptile coyly cradling a round watch dial instead. Arguably more discreet and wearable than its predecessors, the Serpenti Incantati comes in a range of gem-set options, including the 18K pink gold version pictured here with 335 brilliant-cut diamonds (totalling nearly 8.0 carats) on its 30mm case, dial, and bracelet, along with approximately 2.22 carats’ worth of rubellites. CARL F. BUCHERER Pathos Swan Emanating feminine glamour, the Pathos Swan is a charmer. It would take some resolve to peel one’s eyes away from the slew of Top…