Celebrity Life
Hermes unveils Limited Edition of New York Meteorite Watches
Hermès, the French high fashion luxury goods manufacturer established almost two centuries ago, just released a U.S. exclusive version of the Arceau L’heure de la Lune New York Meteorite Dial limited edition. This unique watch measures 43mm in diameter and 3.7mm in thickness and will be produced in a small run of a 16-piece limited […]
The post Hermes unveils Limited Edition of New York Meteorite Watches appeared first on Upscale Living Magazine.
Hermes unveils Limited Edition of New York Meteorite Watches
Hermès, the French high fashion luxury goods manufacturer established almost two centuries ago, just released a U.S. exclusive version of the Arceau L’heure de la Lune New York Meteorite Dial limited edition. This unique watch measures 43mm in diameter and 3.7mm in thickness and will be produced in a small run of a 16-piece limited […]
The post Hermes unveils Limited Edition of New York Meteorite Watches appeared first on Upscale Living Magazine.
Hermes unveils Limited Edition of New York Meteorite Watches
Hermès, the French high fashion luxury goods manufacturer established almost two centuries ago, just released a U.S. exclusive version of the Arceau L’heure de la Lune New York Meteorite Dial limited edition. This unique watch measures 43mm in diameter and 3.7mm in thickness and will be produced in a small run of a 16-piece limited […]
The post Hermes unveils Limited Edition of New York Meteorite Watches appeared first on Upscale Living Magazine.
Your Guide to the Most Impressive Perpetual and Full Calendar Watches in 2020
A full calendar on the wrist has long been an ideal for both watchmakers and watch lovers.
Here are eight of the year’s best perpetual and full calendar watches that boast one of horology’s most honoured complications.
Patek Philippe
Although the Ref. 5270 Perpetual Calendar Chronograph has been with us for the best part of a decade, 2020 brings the new Ref. 5270J-001, which clothes the timepiece in 18k yellow gold. And frankly, we wonder why it took so long, because the combination of opaline dial, brown alligator strap and yellow precious metal is gorgeous.
If that weren’t sufficient, this grand complication watch packs more into its 41mm by 12.4mm size than seems reasonable: Hours, minutes, small seconds, day of the week, month, day and night, leap year, day of the month and moonphase indications, as well as full chronograph functionality — plus it won’t need adjusting until 2100. It is powered by Patek Philippe’s manually wound column-wheel Calibre CH 29-535 PS Q, which offers a reserve of about 60 hours. Admire it through a rear crystal or show discretion by hiding it beneath the solid gold caseback that is provided as part of the package.
IWC Schaffhausen
The entirely revised Portugieser Perpetual Calendar 42 (Ref. 3442) features a new IWC-manufactured calibre 82650, whose dimensions permit this new, slightly smaller size, and comes in three references: steel with white dial, gold with blue dial or in a gold case with white dial, as pictured here. The 42mm model is the ideal vehicle through which IWC can flaunt its high-complication credentials. Gold-applied Arabic numerals, hour markers and hands match the elegant case, while the moonphase indicator and months are neatly combined in a subdial at 6 o’clock. The automatic movement, which is displayed through a sapphire caseback, boasts a power reserve of 60 hours and its calendar functions won’t need adjusting till the end of the century.
Chopard
For 2020, Chopard introduced two new versions of its 43mm L.U.C Perpetual Twin: one in a stainless- steel case with a blue dial and the other in dressy rose gold with a dial in ruthenium grey, pictured here. Although neither reference features the moonphase complication that is common to many calendar watches, both are powered by the double- barrel COSC-certified L.U.C 96.22-L automatic calibre, which offers a 65-hour reserve. The movement’s Côtes de Genève and perlage finishing, and engraved 22k white gold micro-rotor can be admired through a caseback crystal. On this pink gold version, the faceted gold hour markers (as opposed to Roman numerals on earlier models) contrast beautifully with the ruthenium dial, while the leap year indicator between 2 and 3 o’clock provides a tiny pop of red. Chopard supplies the Perpetual Twin on an alligator strap, which perfectly matches its elegant intent.
Blancpain
A complete rather than a perpetual calendar (meaning it requires adjustment for the five months each year that don’t have 31 days), the new Blancpain Villeret Quantième Complet is one of the most exquisite examples of a calendar timepiece you can buy. With its 40mm case in rich red gold, a deep and lustrous midnight blue dial and delicate hands, Roman numerals and moonphase disc in red gold, this is such a beautiful watch that it will be hard to keep your eyes off it. Its Côtes de Genève-decorated calibre 6654 with engraved gold oscillating weight is equally compelling. It is available on a blue alligator strap – or splash out on the red-gold Mille Mailles bracelet shown here.
Parmigiani Fleurier
Unusual for a maison normally associated with precious metals, the Parmigiani Fleurier Tondagraphe GT Annual Calendar Chronograph comes in a 42mm stainless steel case. In addition to chronograph functionality, you also get a neatly displayed annual calendar that requires manual adjustment only once a year. The limited edition (only 200 pieces are available) is a genuinely luxurious watch. It features a clou triangulaire guilloché dial with rhodium hour markers and a curious running seconds half dial that shares a subdial with a tiny month aperture. Or marvel at the 22k gold skeletonised oscillating weight of the PF043 automatic calibre – which is on full display through the caseback. Equally neat is the seamless integration of bracelet, case and lugs.
MB&F
The Legacy Machine Perpetual Yellow Gold is only the second MB&F Machine to be crafted from 18k yellow gold after 2015’s LM101 Front YG. Limited to 25 pieces, it was developed in collaboration with independent Irish watchmaker, Stephen McDonnell, who reinvented the LM Perpetual movement with a fully integrated perpetual calendar complication that eliminated the usual drawbacks of skipping dates or jamming gears. The secret to a trouble-free, user-friendly calibre: a mechanical processor that uses a default 28-day month (instead of the 31-day month used by traditional perpetual calendars) that adds extra days only when required. The Machine is a vision with its open blue dial revealing the full complication, eye-catching suspended balance wheel and subdials that appear to “float” above the movement on hidden studs. In addition to the hours and minutes, day of the week, month and date on the dial, there are power reserve and retrograde leap year indicators as well.
Vacheron Constantin
The maison whetted appetites hugely at SIHH 2019 by offering blue dial and gold bracelet versions of its Overseas Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin, but dropped the ball somewhat by not offering both on the same watch. Fortunately, it’s redressed matters with the new reference 4300V/120R-B509, which combines the blue dial with 18k 5N pink gold case and bracelet – and for good measure, even throws in a pair of quick-change blue straps, one in alligator and the other in rubber. Blue and pink gold being a killer colour combo, this is a fabulous- looking watch, and as it delivers perpetual-calendar functionality in a 41.5mm by 8.1mm package, it’s a deeply impressive one too. If pushed, we might want a little more juice from its 1120 QP/1 automatic calibre than 40 hours, but as we’d also never want to take it off, we’d probably be able to live with the limited power reserve.
Jaeger-LeCoultre
Esteemed Swiss manufacture Jaeger-LeCoultre really pushed out the boat when it revealed the new Master Control Chronograph Calendar, which combines calendar and chronograph complications within an elegant 40mm by 12.05mm case in steel (pictured) or in Le Grand Rose gold. Although the date needs adjustment every other month or so, the headline model of the new Master Control collection is nonetheless an impressive watch. It is also handsome, classy and verges on dressy, with applied hour markers and numbers, three blued-steel hands, a combined date and moonphase dial at 6 o’clock, and both day of the week and month neatly displayed in separate windows at 12 o’clock. Power is provided by the new Calibre 759 featuring a column-wheel chronograph with a vertical clutch, and a 65-hour power reserve.
This story first appeared in Prestige Singapore
(Images: Prestige Singapore/ Art direction by Aaron Lee)
The post Your Guide to the Most Impressive Perpetual and Full Calendar Watches in 2020 appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.
Hublot introduces The Big Bang Unico Sapphire Harrods
Hublot introduces the Big Bang Unico Sapphire Harrods launch in partnership with one of the world’s leading department stores, Harrods. The timepiece embodies Hublot’s philosophy to “Be First, Different and Unique.” The model of 330 components includes a 45mm polished sapphire crystal case and striking SAXEM bezel, which pays tribute to Harrods by incorporating the […]
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A T-Rex is the Face of the New Hermès Arceau Aaaaargh High-Complication Pocket Watch
Hot on the heels of the gruff bear on the Slim of Hermès Grrrrr! and the howling wolf of the Arceau Awooooo, Hermès’ Arceau Pocket Aaaaargh! joins the bestiary illustrated by Alice Shirley.
The English artist has had an ongoing collaboration with the maison since 2014 by providing her illustrations of flora and fauna for reproduction on its famed silk scarves. This one-of-a-kind pocket watch will be the third Hermès timepiece that bears Shirley’s artwork from a silk carré.
Featuring the classic, distinctive round shape and asymmetrical stirrup-inspired lugs created by Henri d’Origny in 1978, the Arceau watch has been seen in infinite guises showcasing Hermès creativity and expertise. The whimsical Hermès Arceau Pocket Aaaaargh! juxtaposes the timeless white gold silhouette with leather craftsmanship and haute horlogerie in one unique timepiece.
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With jaws half-open and a menacing eye locked on you, it takes in-house watchmakers a month of meticulous craftsmanship – using exclusive techniques developed in the maison’s leather ateliers – to bring the tyrannosaurus rex to life.
A combination of several techniques is employed to create the T-Rex on the pocket watch cover, which looks as if it’s peering through a porthole for its next meal a la Jurassic Park. Its head and scales are crafted in leather mosaic using thousands of finely hand-cut multi-coloured leather fragments that are painstakingly applied individually.
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The dinosaur’s domed eye, visible on both sides of the cover, is made of cabochon-cut Grand Feu enamel. Finally, the jaw and tongue are crafted in leather marquetry, where fine tesserae are cut from various coloured leathers previously thinned to just 0.5mm, before being applied on the enamel base. Adding the final touch to the bold piece is a matte green alligator leather cord-strap, which is secured to the rectangular stirrup and accentuates the overall design.
Boasting a 90-hour power reserve, the 48mm pocket watch beats to the rhythm of the Manufacture H1924 self-winding movement with a minute-repeater and flying tourbillon movement.
(Main and featured image: Claude Joray for Hermès)
The post A T-Rex is the Face of the New Hermès Arceau Aaaaargh High-Complication Pocket Watch appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.
Game, set and match: Rafael Nadal and Richard Mille’s latest triumph
The partnership has lasted for a decade, but the connection between tennis player and watchmaker is still going strong.
The post Game, set and match: Rafael Nadal and Richard Mille’s latest triumph appeared first on The Peak Magazine.
Game, set and match: Rafael Nadal and Richard Mille’s latest triumph

The partnership has lasted for a decade, but the connection between tennis player and watchmaker is still going strong.
For more stories like this, visit www.thepeakmagazine.com.sg.
Rock Stars: Stone-Dial Watches to Make a Statement With
Crafted with intriguing materials spanning meteorite, malachite and black jade, these best stone-dial watches make fabulous statement accessories.
Precious ornamental stone dials are true testaments of a maison’s savoir faire. Here are our favourites.
Hermès
Featuring a simultaneous display of moon phases in both northern and southern hemispheres, the Hermès Arceau L’Heure de La Lune is an invitation to enter another dimension through an offbeat expression of a classic horological complication. The whimsical 43mm model features two mobile counters, displaying the time and date, that turn weightlessly over a dial made from Black Sahara meteorite. A pair of mother-of-pearl moon discs are inlaid here as well.
At 12 o’clock is a Pegasus designed by “dreamer-designer” Dimitri Rybaltchenko to symbolise Hermès’ origins, while a view of the moon from the northern hemisphere lies at 6 o’clock. Doubling up as a lunar crater of sorts is the Arceau case in white gold with its asymmetrical lugs, a 1978 design by Henri d’Origny. Driving the 30-piece limited and numbered creation is the Manufacture Hermès H1837 mechanical self-winding movement.
Omega
For a touch of luxury, the iconic Seamaster 300 is adorned with the most captivating South African malachite. Revered and used widely in the decoration of temples, palaces and churches in ancient times, it boasts a rich array of verdant tones and distinctive band markings.
Cast in yellow gold, the 41mm case also features a green ceramic bezel with an Omega Ceragold diving scale. The hands are also rendered in yellow gold and filled with “vintage” Super-LumiNova. Presented on a matching green leather strap, the watch is driven by the Omega Master Chronometer Calibre 8913, certified at the industry’s highest standard by the Swiss Federal Institute of Metrology (METAS).
Chaumet
The Les Pierres de Rêve de Chaumet (French for “stones of dreams”) collection is inspired by the ancient Chinese tradition of stone symbolism. It comprises 12 unique timepieces showcasing ornamental stone dials with motifs as singular as they are poetic. Once cut and polished, the precious minerals – including rhodonite, pietersite, and azurite, among others – reveal graphic representations of a fantastical nature, evoking landscapes of deserts, forests and lagoons.
A perfect specimen is this chrysocolla dial, which recalls an aerial view of the azure ocean with hidden treasures beneath. Equipped with an automatic winding Swiss mechanical movement, the elegant 38mm timekeeper is further enhanced by a rhodium-plated white gold bezel set with 76 briiliant-cut diamonds.
Dior
The ultra-feminine La D de Dior Satine timepiece showcases an exquisite stone dial of luminous tiger eye, which highlights the poetic universe of Dior Fine Jewellery. Hour markers are stripped away to show off the beautiful natural state of the precious stone in all its glory, while its magnificence is highlighted by an elegant diamond-set yellow gold bezel and crown. The steel bracelet in Milanese mesh on the 25mm quartz watch is so supple and shiny that it looks like the satin ribbon it was designed to resemble.
Jaquet Droz
The maison gives pride of place to one of its most emblematic skills – the masterful use of minerals – for the Grande Seconde Off-Centered Black Jade model. At the heart of the limited 88-piece edition is a dial made from black jade, an extremely hard stone that requires lengthy polishing to reveal tiny hidden silver inclusions. Almost imperceptible to the naked eye, they enrich the stone with a unique reflection that only knowledgeable collectors can distinguish from onyx. Deftly worked by hand as a mineral sheet just 1mm thick, it is paired with a case, two off-centre circles and fine hands in red gold. The intriguing 43mm timepiece is powered by the Jaquet Droz 2663A.P self-winding mechanical movement with a power reserve of 68 hours.
Piaget
The Secret Cenote Cuff Watch from Piaget’s latest nature-inspired high jewellery collection, Wings of Light, echoes the cool blues and greens of tropical foliage. Stealing the spotlight is the majestic black opal that adorns the dial and various parts of the timepiece. Found in Australia, the world’s finest black opal has been cherished as an ornamental stone by Piaget for over 50 years, since it made its first appearance in the maison’s iconic watch designs of the 1960s. While asymmetry was the aesthetic of the time, it is handled with skilled uniformity here. The white gold cuff watch is set with 151 baguette-cut sapphires weighing 25.67 carats, along with baguette- and brilliant-cut diamonds totalling 15.69 carats. The unique creation is equipped with a Piaget manufacture 56P quartz movement.
Chopard
The first ladies’ sports watch to combine steel with loose diamonds that dance across the dial freely, Chopard’s iconic Happy Sport watch has seen over 1,000 iterations since its 1993 launch. Adding to the extensive collection is this 30mm model with a dial of rare pearly nacre – a noble material with aurora-like motifs obtained from the heart of shells.
The stainless steel case and lugs, as well as the diamond- set rose gold bezel accentuate the luminosity and subtle colour nuances of the dial. The watch is equipped with the self-winding 09.01-C movement produced in Chopard’s manufacture and boasts a 42-hour power reserve.
Bulgari
Bringing the Roman jeweller’s touch to watchmaking, the Divas’ Dream watch with an intense blue lapis lazuli dial embodies the maison’s love of colour and use of unexpected materials. The 30mm timepiece, with a Bulgari-personalised quartz movement, showcases one of the most emblematic motifs of the house – the Diva fan shape. A total of 90 diamonds add sparkle around the rose gold bezel and lug edges, and are set as indices on the rare semi-precious stone dial. The matching brilliant blue alligator strap adds the perfect finishing touch.
(All images: Art direction by Aaron Lee; watch images by respective brands)
The post Rock Stars: Stone-Dial Watches to Make a Statement With appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.
Audemars Piguet Teams Up with Ralph & Russo on its Spring/Summer 2021 Collection
Swiss luxury watchmaker Audemars Piguet’s latest women’s timepieces will complement Ralph & Russo’s Spring/Summer 2021 Prêt-à-Porter collection this fall.
The collaboration brings together two family-owned companies driven by a strong spirit of independence, as well as a dedication to age-old craftsmanship, creativity and refinement.
In a powerful play of contrasting materials and textures, the latest inspirational looks by Ralph & Russo breathe life into the new Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Selfwinding models in 34mm. Specially created for smaller wrists, the collection includes four variants in stainless steel and/or 18k pink gold.
The 18k pink gold model is adorned with a diamond-set bezel and a silver-toned guilloché Grande Tapisserie dial. One of the Royal Oak’s hallmarks, the design is achieved through a complex manufacturing process based on a rare in-house know-how that is no longer taught in horology school, but passed down across generations at Audemars Piguet.
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In a process requiring extreme dexterity and precision, little squares are carved out on the dial’s thin metal plate by an engraving machine dating back to the ’70s that reproduces the motif of a stencil. Small lozenges are then simultaneously cut out in the thin grooves, separating the squares in a seamless weave that creates the iconic tapestry-like appearance.
The two steel models are enhanced by a silver-toned or blue-grey Grande Tapisserie dial, with the latter embellished with a diamond-set bezel. The manufacture also presents an elegant dual-tone model with a silver-toned Grande Tapisserie dial, which combines a stainless steel case and bracelet with an 18k pink gold bezel and bracelet links.
All four references are powered by a new selfwinding movement, calibre 5800, which features a dedicated oscillating weight specifically developed for this new 34 mm model.
This story first appeared on Prestige Singapore
(All images: Audemars Piguet/ Ralph Russo)
The post Audemars Piguet Teams Up with Ralph & Russo on its Spring/Summer 2021 Collection appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.
Bulgari has Created the World’s Thinnest Tourbillon Chronograph
Meet the maison’s sixth record-setting marvel.
Featuring a deft blend of chic aesthetics and exceptional technical expertise, Bulgari’s Octo Finissimo watches have set an astounding five world records in watchmaking since debuting in 2014.
In yet another groundbreaking horological feat unveiled at Geneva Watch Days 2020 in August, Bulgari clinched its sixth watch industry record for the world’s thinnest tourbillon chronograph: The Octo Finissimo Tourbillon Chronograph Skeleton Automatic Watch.
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The integrated movement features Bulgari’s record-setting thin chronograph, unveiled last year in the Octo Finissimo Chronograph GMT Automatic. At a remarkable width of just 7.4mm, the case houses the caliber BVL 388 – the ultra-slender 3.5mm openworked single-push chronograph tourbillon movement with a power reserve of 52 hours.
Flaunting a two-counter display in matte grey and weighing just 100 grams, the entire case and bracelet of the limited-edition 50-piece model is crafted in sandblasted Grade 5 titanium with a transparent caseback from which the movement can be admired.
This story first appeared on Prestige Singapore
(All images: Bulgari)
The post Bulgari has Created the World’s Thinnest Tourbillon Chronograph appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.
A Tourbillon in Still Waters
Delicately placed on a mother-of-pearl dial, hand-painted carp and sculpted lotuses surround a flying tourbillon. Arnold & Son presents the Ultrathin Tourbillon Koi, a delicate unique piece that blends fine watchmaking and the artistic crafts. The House showcases its broad spectrum of skills within a red-gold case measuring 8.34 mm thick. Here, the finest craftsmanship builds […]
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