Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 1 2023 i CROWN

It starts with a plain gold dial, over which Vacheron Constantin’s Master Enameller traces out the outlines of a city – in this case, Sydney – to highlight the streets, gardens, and bodies of water. The dial is then hollowed out by hand and filled in with layer after layer of translucent coloured enamel. With each layer, the dial has to be fired at 850°C to melt the coloured glass and solidify it into vitreous enamel. Using different shades, this creates hues of blue that range from marine for the waters to midnight for the waterfront and dark blue for the streets. Gardens and parks are painted in a deep green. The entire scene depicts the aerial footage of the city, but in an incredibly realistic manner, thanks to Vacheron…

We’re starting 2023 with a focus on ladies’ watches because Bulgari is a jeweller, and the ladies’ segment of our assortment is a very important part of the business. So ladies’ models, in particular jewellery watches such as the Diva’s Dream Cocktail, are our focus for now until the Watches and Wonders Geneva fair. Today, we have events and programmes all year round. It’s different from the past when we only had Baselworld and Watches and Wonders. Each event targets a particular moment, and that means we need different themes to express our range of products. Otherwise, we’ll be talking about the same things throughout the entire year. So, we have a specific moment for jewellery products, for ladies’ and men’s watches. It’s synergised with the other activities of the brand.…

Last month, Omega announced its latest technical innovation: the Spirate System, with a patent-pending balance spring design that offers highly precise adjustments. The new silicon balance spring is fitted in the Co-Axial Master Chronometer Calibre 9920, and its latest watch, the Speedmaster Super Racing, is the first to feature the Spirate System. Omega first started using silicon hairsprings in 2008. Silicon is temperature- and shock-resistant, and amagnetic as well. This minimises after-sales service for one of the most common problems mechanical watches experience today: magnetised escapements that impact isochronism. The brand built on that five years later with a movement that’s highly resistant to magnetism with the Calibre 8508. That then led to an industry-standard certification, developed in conjunction with METAS as the Master Chronometer certificate, one of the most…

Name your favourite dive watch, be it a high-end trophy piece or a daily beater, and chances are it may never have existed if it weren’t for the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms. Launched in 1953 and lauded as the OG modern diver’s watch, the archetypal tool watch practically provided the blueprint for the rest of the industry to follow. As the Fifty Fathoms celebrates its 70th birthday this year, Blancpain is kick-starting the festivities with a limited anniversary edition. Like most important inventions, Fifty Fathoms was born out of necessity. An avid diver, Jean-Jacques Fiechter, CEO of Blancpain from 1950 to 1980, wanted to create a watch that was rugged, reliable, water-resistant, and readable for his underwater adventures. Serendipitously, in the early 1950s, the French Combat diving corps was looking to…

Perhaps no other watch can claim to be the de facto pilot’s chronograph like the Breitling Navitimer, its name a portmanteau of ‘navigation’ and ‘timer’. Originally conceived for the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) in 1952, it is most recognised for its bidirectional bezel with a circular slide rule that pilots could utilise to perform all in-flight calculations. While it has received several updates under the hood and has been offered in various colourways over the decades, its winning form has remained largely unchanged. That said, we reckon that the new Navitimer B01 Chronograph 43 Boeing 747 Limited Edition is one of the most attractive among recent releases, striking a fine balance between nostalgia and modernity. The watch might be a head-scratcher for some as we don’t often see…

Grand Seiko is kicking off 2023 with two limited edition models that celebrate an important milestone this year – the 25th anniversary of its mechanical Calibre 9S. First introduced in 1998 with the reference SBGR001, the precise movement elevated Grand Seiko to new mechanical watchmaking standards. Today, Calibre 9S watches are distinguished by the gold ‘GS’ logo on the dial. The two models – SBGH311 and SBGR325 – revert to the case design of the SBGR001. Featuring stunning dials, they are both sized at 37mm with a 13.3mm thickness. The SBGH311 is powered by the 9S85 Hi-Beat movement, while the SBGR325 uses the Calibre 9S65. The Grand Seiko SBGH311 The SBGH311’s textured silver dial is inspired by the clouds that hover around Mount Iwate’s peak, a sight that’s visible at…

Vintage fans, rejoice! This year is Jaeger-LeCoultre’s 190th, and to celebrate this milestone, the Maison has planned several programmes for 2023. While more will be revealed at the Watches & Wonders Geneva end-March, the watchmaker is launching a capsule collection that captures the horological highlights of its history. The Collectibles (the programme sounds like a superhero franchise) is targeted at collectors and Jaeger-LeCoultre enthusiasts who wish to acquire vintage models in the brand’s history. The collection will become part of the brand’s perennial offerings, with new restored products introduced regularly for those looking for authentic, vintage Jaeger-LeCoultre timepieces. Jaeger-LeCoultre is not the first brand in the Richemont Group to provide a curated, vintage range for its customers. Since 1996, Cartier’s Tradition collection/service has offered up rare gems of its watchmaking…

When we first launched the watch in 2009, we didn’t really know how people would react to the Zeitwerk. We weren’t sure if it would be a one-off project that would end in a year due to public response. But it’s been a success, and 13 years later, we’ve launched the ninth Zeitwerk model. In 2018, we introduced the Zeitwerk Date, and this was the new evolution of the Zeitwerk with double the power reserve, up to 72 hours. So in 2022, we’ve introduced the new Calibre L043.6. It’s a completely new movement with a new construction and design. It does lean on the solutions we developed for the Zeitwerk Date. In order to double the power reserve, we have two barrels on top of each other. They house the…

Piaget’s Polo is the brand’s sports-luxe offering to consumers, a casually stylish option from its dressier watch designs. Its round case and cushion display make it nearly a perfect midway between the Polo Emperador (formerly the Emperador Coussin) and Altiplano. Moreover, the horizontal guilloché pattern on the dial with different colour executions and easy sizing at 42mm make it a great timepiece for daily wear. But it also stands out as a slim sports-chic piece since Piaget’s savoir-faire is in creating ultra-thin movements. The Polo has helped Piaget attract new and younger audiences, and it continues to sell out in stores. So, it’s no surprise that the brand is looking to expand its repertoire of Polo models, the latest of which is the Piaget Polo Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin. The perpetual…

Franck Muller is always a provocateur when it comes to pushing the boundaries of what’s cool in watchmaking. This year, it’s done it again with a special collaboration that celebrates the Year of the Rabbit. The brand has chosen to work with streetwear brand #FR2 for its Lunar New Year limited edition watch. If you don’t know #FR2, it was founded by Ryo Ishikawa, the streetwear legend behind Vanquish and DENIM BY VANQUISH & FRAGMENT. The “FR” stands for Fxxking Rabbits, and it’s a brand where popular culture, artistic illustrations, and fashion clash in unexpected ways. The #FR2NCK MULLER Vanguard The watch combines #FR2’s graphic identity, i.e. its logo, with Franck Muller’s, giving rise to “#FR2NCK MULLER” at the top of the dial and #FR2’s Fxxking Rabbits logo at 7…

Time fleeted by in what seems to be a short span; we are almost a quarter of our way through the century. Yet, it seems like it wasn't that long ago that we entered the 2000 millennium with excitement and curiosity. Of course, there was also anxiety and trepidation as we feared computer glitches would trigger a total reset of cyberspace and everything we stored in it. Nonetheless, we survived it. It was also in the very fateful year of 2000 that Corum re-ignited the world’s interest in the brand with a new watch. True to its DNA, which is making watches with distinctive and unusual aesthetics, Corum unveiled the Bubble. Needless to say, it surprised and shocked the horological world with its bold design; a sizeable bulbous glass dome…

Named for the lady who commissioned one of the earliest multi-complication wristwatches from Breguet himself, the Reine de Naples collection truly celebrates feminine gentility. Consider its design – a rounded oval, slightly wider at the base than the top and curved along its profile. The teardrop form is trailed by a cabochon-style bottom lug and decorated crown at 4 o’clock. The decorative details found on the Reine de Naples watches are often as fascinating as the technical creativity applied to the collection. Dials are often elaborate, ranging from mixing lacquers to mother-of-pearl engraving, cameo, and gold engraving or unique gem-setting. And there are mechanisms represented uniquely for the Reine de Naples collection within Breguet. The Ref. 8998 and 8999 models express day and night times artistically and boldly on the…

A watch movement that’s more of a mechanical calculator and performance machine, the Calibre 1000 is the result of years of development at Audemars Piguet. Fitted in the RD#4 with 23 complications and 40 functions, it sums up the brand’s research and development over the last decade in one single movement. Key among the complications is its Grand Sonnerie Supersonnerie, the loudest chiming mechanism ever heard on a wristwatch movement. Audemars Piguet has further incorporated a rattrapante chronograph, a perpetual calendar that’s backwards-adjustable, and a flying tourbillon into the watch. What’s more impressive is how compact this movement is — at just 34.3mm wide and 8.75mm thick, it’s incredibly wearable. The controls are managed by just three pushers and crowns, and to prevent accidental misuse of the watch, safety controls…

BULGARI The Italian luxury fashion house brings its A-game with several dazzling timepieces for women. For example, the latest additions to the Divas’ Dream collection are fabulous, fun, and flirty. A ring of rose-gold petals set with diamonds and coloured precious stones frames a dainty mother-of-pearl dial with a diamond bezel and blue hands. Making its debut is the Allegra cocktail watch with its decidedly vibrant vibe. A mesmerising mix of faceted and cabochon stones – including diamonds, yellow sapphires, pink tourmalines, citrines, and peridots – is matched with a yellow gold case, a mother-of-pearl dial, and a white iridescent alligator leather bracelet. No Bulgari showcase would be complete without the Serpenti; this year, there is even more reason to celebrate. The Serpenti Tubogas Infinity gets an upgraded bracelet that…

Two years ago, Urwerk launched the UR-112 Aggregat as part of its Special Projects collection. The UR-112 is inspired by Ralph Lauren’s Bugatti Atlantic and recalls the design of Bulova’s Computron, which displays the time at the end of the watch case for convenient reading of time when you’re driving. The top of the watch case, which looks like the grille of a car, lifts to reveal the additional indicators, while the time is shown at the wider end of the watch case. The latest release of the watch presents the UR-112 Aggregat in an all-black DLC-treated titanium-and-steel case in a matte finishing, giving the watch a Batmobile-style appeal. The steel bonnet of the case, which is open-worked, opens up to reveal the power reserve and digital seconds indicator. The…

Over the last few years, the Laureato has been refined by Girard-Perregaux into a design statement that captures the brand’s modern take on watchmaking. The Laureato Absolute is a bolder version of the classic model, with more powerful features that make it a stunning timepiece to wear. The latest models of the Laureato Absolute are the Light & Fire and Light & Shade. Drawing on an innovative case material that’s carefully crafted, the movement of the watches takes centre stage, enhanced by the reflective beauty of the crystalline construction. Rugged, durable, and shining like a vivid gemstone on the wrist, they are incredible to behold. The cases of these watches are made from sapphire crystal or polycrystalline material. Sapphire is first grown from alumina powder into a solid block of…

The early 20th century was an era of discovery and adventure. Across the continents, explorers ventured into the most extreme climates and environments, seeking to learn more about our planet. They were frequently accompanied by a Rolex watch, which the watchmaker used as a way to test the resilience of its timepieces. But to quote oceanographer and Rolex Testimonee Dr Sylvia Earle, “The ocean is the blue heart of the planet.” So as explorers revealed the unknown on Earth, it soon became clear to them that we had to do more to protect natural ecosystems on land, in the air, and especially our waters. Dr Earle has been a global authority on ocean protection for over four decades. She’s worked with National Geographic, Ocean Elders, Google Earth, and governments across…

Designing a jewellery watch requires incredible finesse. Finding the balance between the decorative aspects of gem-setting and the shape of the watch, and the functional purpose of a timekeeper isn’t easy. Chopard is one of the few jeweller-watchmakers who have consistently mastered the art of jewellery watchmaking in the L’Heure du Diamant (‘Diamond Hour’ in English) collection. This line of timepieces has its origins in jewellery watches that were created by Chopard since 1969. Chopard’s acquisition by the Scheufele family in 1963 integrated the family’s expertise in jewellery with the watchmaker. The jewellery watches created by Chopard were emblematic of the era – gold watches adorned with diamond-set bezels bore hardstone dials and mesh bracelets. By 1996, when Chopard had completed the development of its manufacture in Fleurier, it was…

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past decade or so, you’re probably already well-acquainted with Tudor’s wildly popular tool watches, which have dominated the brand’s mindshare among its watch lovers. However, as much as we admire the Black Bay and the Pelagos, we reckon it’s a shame that one collection in Tudor’s current offerings has been unjustifiably overlooked – the Royal. While we cannot claim to be marketing experts, for what it’s worth, we posit that one of the reasons for the Royal’s lacklustre popularity could be its somewhat muddled messaging. Although its name conjures images of imperialism, it’s quite the egalitarian watch collection, offering accessible mid-luxury timepieces of a superior build at attractive prices starting from just above S$3,000. And despite Tudor labelling it as a…