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Melding sporty elements with everyday elegance, these chronographs are horological multitaskers for a multitude of occasions.

The post Watch spread: versatile timepieces appeared first on The Peak Magazine.

Melding sporty elements with everyday elegance, these chronographs are horological multitaskers for a multitude of occasions.

For more stories like this, visit www.thepeakmagazine.com.sg.

Melding sporty elements with everyday elegance, these chronographs are horological multitaskers for a multitude of occasions.

For more stories like this, visit www.thepeakmagazine.com.sg.

Mechanical watchmaking is one rooted in the past, but this has not stopped maisons and watch manufactures from constantly innovating and improving on their instruments of time-keeping, creating ground-breaking and ultra-complicated timepieces that continue to shock and enchant the modern world. From complications never before seen, to new material breakthroughs and completely unheard of ways of watchmaking, here is our selection of the most innovative timepieces that have just been released at the Watches & Wonders 2021 digital fair.

Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Hybris Mechanica Calibre 185

Jaeger-LeCoultre really pulled out all the stops to celebrate the 90th anniversary of its most iconic (most deservedly used here) watch - the Reverso. The new Reverso Hybris Mechanica Calibre 185 Quadriptyque is the most complicated Reverso yet, boasting 11 different complications and 12 patents. It's an absolute showcase of all the different expertises the Swiss manufacture has to offer, from sound, celestial complications, to precision and craftsmanship.

The Quadriptyque is the world's first wristwatch with four functioning display faces, making use of the swivelling case design of the Reverso to display 11 complications on the double-faced case and cradle of the watch. The watch takes astronomical readings to the next level. Three displays of lunar information are displayed on the interior face of the cradle — the synodic cycle, the draconic cycle and the anomalistic cycle — which makes the Quadriptyque the first watch ever to be able to predict the next global incidences of astronomical events like super moons and eclipses.

The Calibre 185, which took Jaeger-LeCoultre six years of research, is a new movement made entirely in-house. Here's what you'll be able to read from the four faces:

Face 1 - Hour, minute, flying tourbillon (indicating the second), instantaneous perpetual calendar, grade date, day, month, leap year, night & day indicator

Face 2 - Jumping digital hour, minute, minute repeater

Face 3 - Nothern hemisphere moon phase, draconic lunar cycle, anomalistic lunar cycle, month, year

Face 4 - Southern Hemisphere moon phase

Complicated as the watch is, the manufacture has ensured that the watch will be user-friendly for the wearer. The Reverso Hybris Mechanica Calibre 185 comes with a unique presentation box that has a built-in mechanism that allows the wearer to easily set all the calendar and astronomical displays of the watch after a period of being unworn.

Ulysse Nardin UFO

To celebrate its 175th anniversary this year, Ulysse Nardin has reimagined what a marine chronometer would look like in the future, giving us the UFO table/ desk clock that's more than just a time-keeping device. It's a modern tribute to Ulysse Nardin, encapsulating all of the brand's horological history in one single object, an homage to the marine chronometers of the 19th and 20th centuries, to the Freak of 2001 and the Blast of 2020.

"Reissuing a watch from the past by reusing vintage codes was not part of our creative intentions for this anniversary object. On the contrary, we wanted to reverse the trend and make a leap forward of 175 years, rather than a leap backward. We always look ahead. We wondered what a marine chronometer designed in 2196 would be like," explains CEO Patrick Pruniaux in a statement.

Marine chronometers of the past were housed in wooden boxes and set on gimbals, with the purpose of counteracting the effect of the ship's constant swaying on the stability of the clock while at sea. The modern Ulysse Nardin UFO emulates this, but reverses the process. The clock, which is protected by a glass-blown ovoid bell, sways on its own mechanical waves. Built on an imbalance, the UFO swings up to 60 degrees from its axis when nudged gently, calculated precisely so that it swings neither too fast or too slow and won't affect the operation of the balance. The structure of the UFO gives us a mesmerising view of the six barrels working in plain view, giving the clock a power reserve of an entire year.

The UFO is made up of 675 components and powered by the UN-902 calibre, which features a triple time zone function, deadbeat seconds, hours and minutes. Only 75 pieces are made.

IWC Big Pilot’s Watch Shock Absorber XPL

In an unexpected move but one that clearly resonates with the brand's identity as an engineer, IWC has presented us with the Big Pilot's Watch Shock Absorber XPL, the brainchild of the brand's new engineering division, IWC Experimental.

It's the first watch to feature the brand's patented new shock absorber system called the SPRIN-g PROTECT, which goes beyond protecting the movement from your everyday impacts that range between 25 Gs to 5,00 Gs, i.e. hitting your watch against a table corner or whacked by a hammer.

At the heart of the system is a cantilever spring that allows the movement to be suspended within the case, protecting it against the g-forces generated by impacts on the watch. The system took eight years to develop, and was done so with fighter pilots in mind, who are constantly subject to high g-forces in cramped spaces, and the watches that they wear are constantly at risk of hitting against hard surfaces in the cockpit. Tests done by IWC at the Cavendish Laboratory at the University of Cambridge has shown that the shock absorber system is capable of protecting the movement from accelerations in excess of 30,000 g in impact tests.

Another key factor is the use of Bulk Metallic Glass, which has an amorphous microstructure, which is significantly more elastic than conventional metals. The case of the watch is also made of ceratanium, IWC's ultra-lightweight high performance material, which allows the watch to come in at less than 100 grams. The unique crown system is another new innovation, allowing the movement to move independently of the case. At 44mm, the watch is extremely cool-looking and wholly original and definitely a refreshing and exciting offering from the Schaffhausen manufacture. The XPL is limited to only 10 pieces per year.

For an in-depth look on the IWC Pilot's Watch Chronograph 41, also released this Watches & Wonders 2021, click here.

Hublot Big Bang Integral Tourbillon Full Sapphire

In recent years, Hublot has really established itself as the ultimate maker of sapphire watches. The journey started in 2016 with the release of the Big Bang Unico Sapphire and in the years since, the brand has developed and matured its expertise in machining sapphire watches in complex shapes and a variety of bold colours. This year's release is almost a culmination of its efforts — the Big Bang Integral Tourbillon Full Sapphire comes with an integrated case and bracelet both of which are made from sapphire.

To achieve the look of pure glass, Hublot opted for the new Automatic Tourbillon calibre with sapphire bridges the HUB6035 automatic manufacture calibre, to maximise the watch's transparency. The challenge lay in the case and bracelet, as all visible screws had to be removed. The case had to be completely reconstructed, the general geometry overhauled to integrate the case with the sapphire bracelet. Everything from the bridges and the main plates in the movement had to be reworked to give the illustration of all the parts being suspended in space.

There are no less than 37 components in the case, five of which are made solely from sapphire. The bracelet comprises of 165 components, 22 of which are made from sapphire. The result is a work of art, like wearing a fragment of light on the wrist, something that's still a rarity in today's haute horology scene.

Bulgari Octo Finissimo Perpetual Calendar

You can't talk about innovation and not mention Bulgari, who since 2014, has stacked up world records one after the other in its Octo Finissimo line, all in the quest for ultra-thinness. There's been the thinnest ever automatic movement at 2.23mm, the thinnest tourbillon movement at 1.95mm, the thinnest minute repeater at 3.12mm, the thinnest chronograph at 6.90mm and last year's thinnest tourbillon chronograph skeleton watch at just 7.40mm. This year the brand's taken on the perpetual calendar with the Octo Finissimo Perpetual Calendar, and at a slender 5.80mm, sets the world record for the slimmest perpetual calendar watch.

The caliber BVL 305 is only 2.75mm thick, a remarkable feat indeed considering that a perpetual calendar is a pretty complex function in itself, being able to correctly adjust itself automatically at the end of 30-day months, and even at the end of February and even in a leap year. To maximise the thinness, the design engineers at the manufacture at Le Sentier utilised a micro-rotor instead of a full-sized rotor, effectively compressing the watch parts into the same level to achieve this ultra-thinness, although the entire movement still consists of a whopping 408 components.

The Octo Finissimo Perpetual Calendar features a retrograde date display, day, month and retrograde-display leap years, capable of telling the correct time and date until February 2100. Perpetual calendar watches are traditionally tricky complications to deal with, but Bulgari takes this into account with three correctors to easily adjust the different indicators: the date at 2pm, the month at 4pm and the day at a third pusher between 8 and 9 o'clock.

One last thing, the Octo Finissimo Perpetual Calendar is being launched in two versions, one in a titanium case, and another in platinum — another first for the brand, who's never made an Octo Finissimo case in platinum before this.

The post Watches & Wonders 2021: The Five Most Innovative Timepieces appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

We often limit ourselves to clothing trends and forget that jewelry is an important part of the fashion industry. But things changed drastically with the COVID completely taking control of our lives in a way that no one anticipated. With Zoom meetings and working from home, culture took precedence over the face-to-face meetings, there has been a substantial transformation in…

The post Top Jewelry Trends to Watch For in 2021 appeared first on The Luxe Insider.

The breadth and depth of Lucia Silvestri’s knowledge of gemstones can only be surpassed by her fierce love for them, a passion that emanates magnificently from Bulgari’s new Baroque-inspired high-jewellery collection, Barocko.

I’ll never forget my first encounter with Lucia Silvestri, the vivacious woman behind Bulgari’s jewellery collections. She walked into the room aptly accessorised, naturally – and, along with her effervescent presence she carried a pouch filled with what I would soon discover to be a heap of beautiful, coloured gemstones. She then carefully poured the precious contents onto a table, shaped them into a magnificent necklace and said: “At the very heart of Bulgari’s jewels are the stones; our jewels begin, evolve and culminate with the stones.”

Silvestri assumes two crucial roles within the Italian luxury brand. As its creative director, she oversees Bulgari’s entire sweep of jewellery collections – fine and high – and as director of gem acquisitions, she’s also responsible for ensuring that the house has the right gemstones to work with. Silvestri was just 18 when she began her career at Bulgari, working at its gemmological department where she fell madly in love with gemstones – with the colours, their multiplicity and the energy they emanate. Quickly earning the company’s trust, she very soon began travelling the world, on buying trips to Geneva, New York, Antwerp, Jaipur and Colombo, to name a few. At that time, the brand had just five shops worldwide, a far cry from the major luxury goods player Bulgari is today, with more than 300 stores spread across 18 countries.

One thing she’s learned over the decades is to select and acquire gems only if she could see the potential in them. “I acquire them only if I could see a possible use for them,” she says, “which means that in the very act of purchasing, even before the design and realisation phases, I’m already envisioning compositions of colours and forms that might suggest the pieces of jewellery they would ultimately become. Which is why I say that at Bulgari, it always will begin with the stone.

“From these stones, I come up with a creative idea, which I then present to the team. For high-jewellery collections, there’s an extra layer of care and consideration, and we start working very far in advance; we’d give two to three years to amass the gemstones we need for any given collection. We then evaluate the proposal, see to it that it’s consistent with the stylistic code and image of the brand, paying particular attention to the choice of materials used, as well as the processes and techniques involved. We then bring to the fold Bulgari’s designers and expert craftsmen to make these exceptional one-of-a-kind pieces.”

While Silvestri’s role has broadened in scope and importance over the years, her passion for gemstones – and finding them, for that matter – has never waned. “My job has evolved over the years, but gemstone acquisition will always hold a special place in my heart. Nowadays, we put a lot of attention into the search process, given that gemstones are as rare as ever and demand is higher than ever. I have a dedicated team that I work with closely on this and our searches take us all over the world.

“Each time I begin a search, I have no idea what kinds of gemstones I’ll find. I’m always discovering different ‘gifts of nature’ and each time is a unique and special surprise! One of the most unforgettable experiences I’ve had as a gem-buying director was reaching the crater of a mine in Mozambique and walking on a carpet of rubies. The soil was so rich in minerals that they surfaced, like shells on the beach. It was the ultimate ‘red carpet’.”

And with that extraordinarily powerful imagery, we arrive at the topic of Bulgari’s new high-jewellery collection, which was unveiled this month. Called Barocko, the collection is inspired by Bulgari’s home city, Rome – it’s a celebration of how the city stands as a monumental triumph of Baroque extravagance, audacity and exceptional design. And Barocko is also an embodiment of Bulgari’s reverence for colour gemstones, and the brand’s incredible pride in its roots and what it’s achieved in the last 130 years – a motivation that could hardly be more apt.

“Now, more than ever, we need to rediscover a sense of wonder in the world,” says Silvestri, “and this is the aim of the Barocko collection. We live in a time when the world desperately needs a sense of re-birth and well being. And because this collection is all about light and colour, we hope the jewels will bring optimism, energy and joy to the person wearing them. "

“I found inspiration in Rome, which has been a muse for the brand’s creations for more than a century. This collection is rooted in the marvel of the Baroque artistic movement, born in Rome in the 1600s, and draws inspiration from great artists of the time, such as Bernini, Caravaggio and Borromini. Most of the pieces are composed of gemstones of incredible colours and cuts, with balance and perfect proportions taken into consideration. The collection’s aesthetic is as much about strength as it is creativity, innovativeness as it is about timelessness.”

And, as expected, the collection is rich in coloured gemstones, including sapphires, emeralds, rubies and diamonds. Silvestri, though, is quick to add that although Bulgari acknowledges the intrinsic value of these so-called precious stones, it doesn’t classify them as such. “To us, both precious and semi-precious stones fall under a very vast category of colour gemstones, and they’re all precious,” she argues. “On the topic of intrinsic value and based on trends, the demand for spinels, rubellites and paraiba tourmalines – stones that in the past didn’t garner much fanfare – has increased and as a consequence they’ve become more difficult to come by and increased in value. But in this regard, Bulgari was always ahead of the curve, because we’ve been setting such stones in our high-jewellery way before other brands started to do so.”

While there are several impressive stones featured in this collection, certainly one of its headliners is the Green Dream necklace, which flaunts five exceptional Colombian emeralds, all vividly coloured and remarkably vibrant. “These five were selected from numerous other gemstones I searched and hunted for around the world for more than a year. Their very ‘elegant’ cut creates a stunning contrast with the delicate diamonds and emeralds that surround them – the way they capture and reflect the light is simply extraordinary,” she says.

One of Silvestri’s favourites in the Barocko collection, however, is the Lady Arabesque necklace, which she describes is “an homage to the baroque aesthetic. The necklace also shows a quintessentially Bulgari colour palette, with an unexpected combination of fancy pink and violet sapphires and paraiba tourmalines and emeralds. It’s a necklace that highlights the femininity of the wearer, and likewise exudes joyfulness and elegance.”

The bold manner with which Bulgari so consistently creates its pieces has come to characterise the brand’s inimitable aesthetic. While other jewellery maisons embrace subtlety, Bulgari exudes the more-is-more philosophy – who could forget the brand’s powerful Mai Troppo (never enough) campaign? – with unexpected colour combinations and, simply put, sensational designs.

I have to say, though, there are nuances to the Barocko collection. While it maintains Bulgari’s distinctly daring stylings, with the utter provocativeness we’ve come to love about the brand, Barocko feels more introspective and, dare I say, deeply inspired. Silvestri expresses her hope that these jewels will stir within those who would come to see and, for those lucky enough, own them, a sense of wonderment, enlightenment and verve. To that I’d say, mission accomplished.

The post Bulgari’s Overseer of Stones Lucia Silvestri on The House’s New Collection Barocko appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

2020 will probably go down as the most dramatic year since the Quartz Revolution shook up the watch industry — from the calamity called Covid that shuttered manufactures for months on end, to the fiasco called Baselworld and more, it's been quite a show. But obstacles aside, our favourite watchmakers have not stopped in their creativity and in their determination to bring us new timepieces that excite and drag us out of our gloom from time to time. Here are the seven watches that defined 2020 for us.

Bulgari Serpenti Seduttori Tourbillon

The question of the future of major Swiss watch fairs has already been a question on everyone's minds for some time — many had already pulled out of Baselworld at this time, and the newly re-christened Watches and Wonders had also been pushed back to mid-year. Bulgari's CEO Jean-Christophe Babin, with contrary views, decided to strike out on his own, along with Bulgari's sister brands within the LVMH Group.

Bulgari kicked off the year with the launch of LVMH Watch Week in Dubai from January 13 to 15. The debut event offered up a variety of spectacular watches from Bulgari, TAG Here, Hublot and Zenith, and would also become the only watch fair to have gone on successfully before Covid hit full force.

In particular, the Serpenti Seduttori Tourbillon launched at this time was remarkable. Bulgari combined both their expertise in jewellery and watchmaking to bring us the world's thinnest tourbillon movement in the beautiful, bejewelled Serpenti Seduttori timepiece. The new Calibre BVL150 is the smallest tourbillon in current production, with an overall dimension of 22mm x 18mm and only 3.65mm thick.

Piaget Altiplano Ultimate Concept

Since the 1960s, Piaget has been a leader in creating ultra-thin movements, with the creations of the automatic calibre 12P and the hand-wound calibre 9P. In 2018, Piaget broke all records by releasing the prototype Altiplano Ultimate Concept that was only 2mm thick. It was so thin, it was thinner than many watch movements on the market. It took two years to make the technical feat an actual production watch and Piaget finally did it this year.

The Altiplano Ultimate Concept is the world's thinnest mechanical watch today in production today. Not only that, Piaget has made the watch fully customisable, with over 10,000 permutations that you could play around with online, from changing the colours of the bridges and wheels, to the colour of the bezel and straps.

MB&F x H. Moser LM101 and H. Moser x MB&F Endeavour Cylndrical Tourbillon

In a heartwarming turn of events, two of the most well-beloved independent manufactures, MB&F and H. Moser & Cie, came together in a mutual display of respect and creativity to bring us two collaboration limited edition watches. From Moser, we have the H. Moser x MB&F Endeavour Cylindrical Tourbillon, inspired by the MB&F FlyingT. And from MB&F, we have the MB&F x H. Moser LM101, which puts Moser's incredible fumé dials and hairspring innovation at the forefront.

Launched in June, the watches were offered in an array of stunning colour — the LM101 was available in 60 examples divided into 15 pieces each in funky blue, cosmic green, red and an exclusive aqua blue for retailer Ahmed Seddiqi & Sons. The Endeavour Cylindrical Tourbillon is offered in five versions, in funky blue, burgundy, cosmic green, off-white and ice blue, with each version available in 15 piece editions as well.

Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight Navy Blue

When Rolex, Patek Philippe and Tudor pulled out of Baselworld in April 2020, we didn't know what to expect next. Could we still expect any of them to release anything this year? And if so, in what format? Tudor was the first to do so, with the release of the Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight Navy Blue. Tudor only released one watch last year, but it was enough to sweep the internet off of its feet.

In the seven years since its launch, the Black Bay has planted itself firmly in the hearts of many. The Black Bay Fifty-Eight in particular, with a black dial and gilt accents, was an instant hit when it arrived on the market in 2018. The 2020 Navy Blue is a beautiful new addition to the collection, inspired by the "Blue Snowflake" Tudor Submariners from the mid-70s.

Omega Speedmaster "Silver Snoppy Award" 50th Anniversary

For the most part of the 2020, Omega had been mum about what they had been up to. But as we edged closer and closer to October, we knew they had something in store for us. The release of the Omega Speedmaster "Silver Snoopy Award" 50th Anniversary coincided with the very anniversary date of the Silver Snoopy Award to Omega — on October 5, 1970 — following the Apollo 13 mission. The Silver Snoopy Award is a special honour awarded to NASA employees and contractors for their outstanding achievements related to flight safety and mission success.

There couldn't have been a more uplifting watch than this latest Silver Snoopy timepiece. The Omega Snoopy watches have always been some of the most desirable Omega watches - a great juxtaposition between the playful comic and the recognition of Omega's efforts during the space exploration years. The 2020 version is presented in the classic 42mm Speedmaster steel case, with a stark white dial and blue accents on the bezel, hands, hour markers, sub-dials and logo. There's also a Snoopy illustration in the small seconds sub-dial.

The ultimate surprise however, lies in the back. On the back of the watch is an animation of the moon, the earth and Snoopy in a white Command and Service Module. When the chronograph is started, Snoopy in his command module will travel to the far side of the moon, hidden from view, and reappear on top of the earth at 14 seconds — an homage to the trip taken by the Apollo 13 crew.

Patek Philippe Grande Sonnerie ref. 6301P

This year has seen many brands return to basics — and Patek Philippe has also done the same. Kind of. If you could call a grand complication basic. There is of course, nothing basic about chiming watches, but Patek Philippe's new ref. 6301P is what they call its "purest manifestation to date" of a grande and petite sonnerie. It's almost unbelievable that this is the first timepiece Patek has created that has placed the focus singularly on its striking complications. Patek's previous grande sonnerie was in the Grandmaster Chime launched in 2014 to celebrate Patek's 175th anniversary. The ref. 5175 featured a second time zone display, a perpetual calendar, an alarm function that sounded the hours, quarters and minutes two minutes before the selected time, a striking date function in decimal format, a minute repeater and a grande and petite sonnerie on four hammers. That watch was also grandiose and almost baroque in its aesthetic execution.

Not the 6301P in comparison. It still comes with six complications (counting the dual power reserve indications, the minute repeater and jumping seconds at 6 o'clock), but its design is so sleek. The 44mm Calatrava-style platinum case, with its grand feu black enamel dial, white printed chemin-de-fer style minute track, Breguet applied numerals in white gold and luminescent leaf-shaped hands - it is all of Patek Philippe's most revered design codes rolled into one. If there was an award for the most understated complication watch of all time, this would be it.

Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Openworked Double Balance Wheel Black Ceramic

AP has continuously rolled out hits this year and it was clear that no pandemic was going to stop it in its tracks. Released in December, the Royal Oak Openworked Double Balance Wheel appears for the first time in a highly polished satin-brushed black ceramic case. The complication has been released in both 37mm and 41mm and various case materials, but this is the first time the watch has been dressed in black ceramic. The scratch-resistant material also perfectly frames the slate grey dial and the rose gold double balance.

In its usual 41mm case sizing, the open-worked timepiece allows you more than just a glimpse into the inner workings of the in-house self-winding calibre 3132 with the pink gold double balance wheel, a patented technology that improves the watch's precision and stability. Audemars Piguet has had a pretty superb 2020 despite the circumstances, and we can't wait to see what this year will bring them.

The post The 7 Watches that Defined 2020 appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.