Celebrity Life

As Chaumet's CEO Jean-Marc Mansvelt tells us, bringing the house's 240-year heritage into the modern era is an immense task that amounts to a "daily obsession". But if the new pieces in the Chaumet Joséphine collection are anything to go by, the Place Vendôme stalwart is heading in the right direction.

What kind of woman today does the Joséphine collection appeal to?

First, it’s about a woman with a certain character. Because when you choose to wear a tiara on your finger, you’re making a choice of distinction, a choice of character. You’re sending a message to say you’re not like everyone else and you have a certain strength and a certain personality. But also a sense of virtuosity, grace and beauty, because it’s not for women who want to be too provocative.

It’s a way to set your personality. And then of course, there are two major reasons to become a client of Joséphine. On one side, it remains one of the favourite pieces chosen for a bridal purpose. It’s connected to the initial history of Chaumet, the history of the power and love between Napoleon and Joséphine. And Napoleon is known everywhere, that’s incredible. There’s another type of client on the other side of the connection with the pearls, the coloured stones, something a bit easier and more accessible.

This year, Chaumet's creations have also incorporated sleeker, more modern takes on the tiara. Can you tell us a bit about the new high jewellery?

After many creations that were a bit more tiara-like, a bit more decorative, more visible, more baroque in a certain way, we wanted to enrich the collection with new ways to mix and match, and to go for designs that were slicker, with a more minimalist approach, because that’s also the style of today. We have a feeling that clients today are a little more understated, and we have the capacity to create beauty through a fine line, rather than an accumulation. So one of our high- jewellery pieces, which is sort of a V with a stone in suspension, doesn’t shout about its design. It’s all about balance.

This year is the 10th anniversary of the Joséphine collection...

But we don’t mark it that way for two reasons. I always feel that if you start doing anniversaries for everything, then at the end, what’s the meaning in it? Last year, when we did the 240 years of Chaumet, that was slightly different. For Chaumet, our heritage is much longer than a decade, it’s about centuries. Instead, this year, we’re celebrating our connection with the 200th anniversary of the death of Napoleon, which is significant in Europe and in France. We’ve done an exhibition at 12 Place Vendôme that was open to the public which tells the love story of Napoleon and Josephine through 150 different objects, beautiful loans from museums and private owners.

Which piece proved to be the most challenging piece in the collection?

The most discussed and the most debated one was the watch. Because we’re clearly a jeweller, and we’ve focused all our efforts and attention on jewellery. But since a few years ago, we’ve reassessed and repositioned what watches mean for Chaumet. It’s true that with the business of watches within Chaumet, we’ve really tried to be coherent with what the story of watchmaking for Chaumet is as a jeweller. One of our challenges was to look at the market – in the market, 90 percent of watches are round – and nobody’s waiting for Chaumet to create a round watch, because we already have thousands of beautiful options on the market.

We decided on a shaped watch, and it wasn’t very difficult to settle on the pear shape, like an illusion of a diamond. We also faceted the watch’s dial.

How do you balance 240 years of heritage behind a brand and stay relevant at the same time?

That’s really the obsession every single day. How do we continue the narrative, the link to the story? Since the pandemic, we’ve seen clients choose Chaumet because there’s longevity. And so it becomes a daily obsession of ours to convey this message to our clients through different means, including the digital approach, so we can speak to the needs of our audience today. We also go through the traditional channels and have books and exhibitions. I regularly write down on paper in two columns: on one side, how much do we tell the story of Chaumet, and on the other, how do we take a contemporary approach, either through the narrative or through using different tools? I take a step back and ask myself is there a balance? If we’re going too much in one direction, maybe it’s time to rebalance. It’s in everything we do.

The post The Most Unique Timepieces From the 9th Only Watch Charity Auction appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

Morgan Bourc'his traded free diving for a few months of swimming with whales to shoot a new documentary, The Quest for Nature, which highlights the precarious relationship between man and marine life. The Tudor ambassador reflects on this once-in-a-lifetime experience with Prestige.

The world champion first worked with Tudor in 2014 to film a promotional feature film for the Pelagos watch. Released in 2012, the Pelagos derived its name from the Ancient Greek word for “open sea” and is the more contemporary and advanced of the brand’s two dive collections. Whereas the Black Bay leans towards a more vintage aesthetic, the Pelagos is robust and functional – at the time of its launch it was the only timepiece from either Tudor or Rolex to be encased in titanium; it also features a helium escape valve that enables it to attain a 500-metre depth rating. It was also one of two Tudor watches (the other being the North Flag) to debut Tudor’s first in-house calibre, the MT5612, signifying the importance of this collection to the brand.

Soon after the launch of the Pelagos, Bourc'his was appointed a Tudor ambassador. His values are clearly so closely aligned with the brand’s that he unfailingly wears his blue Pelagos to this day, taking it with him on many of his record-setting dives in some of the most beautiful and untouched locations around the world. But Bourc'his also had a dream – one that had little to do with freediving: he dreamt about swimming with orcas and whales, in frigid waters off the coast of northern Norway, far from the balmy Mediterranean.

Tudor, like its big brother Rolex, has historically supported adventurers who dare to go beyond their own limitations to explore Earth’s uncharted territories, a tradition that’s been passed down from its founder Hans Wilsdorf. Bourc'his’ dream to swim with whales and produce a documentary film called The Quest of Nature, which would chronicle his adventure and draw awareness to the negative impact humanity has had on, is exactly in that pioneering spirit.

Here Bourc’his talks about his ambitions, and how he shot the documentary with friend and director Jean-Charles Granjon, who wrote, directed, and produced the film, as well as the thrill of diving with the giants of the sea.

You were a swimmer first before you discovered freediving. What attracted you to freediving?

I was a swimmer between the ages of 6 and 12. At that time, I used to practice apnea during my holidays by the sea with my parents. A way to explore the seabed and discover this new universe. I was introduced to sport apnea as I practice it today when I was a 21-year-old student in the faculty of sports science. I then discovered a discipline based on gliding, permanent self-control, and at the same time a total letting go, and the possibility of going even further and deeper in the discovery of the marine environment. Of course, the performance also interested me otherwise I would not have participated in all these competitions. But it is really the sensations lived under the water that attracted me. Abandoning the surface, letting yourself be caught in a three-dimensional universe. And it is within everyone’s reach to experience these unique sensations, no need to be a champion!

You first worked with Tudor in 2014 to film a promotional feature film for the Pelagos line. Did you know much about the brand and watchmaking before that?

Before our collaboration for this promotional feature film in 2014, I was completely foreign to the watchmaking world. Of course, I knew the name of certain brands and a few historical facts, especially with the other company from the same group, Rolex: its participation in an expedition on the Everest with Sir Edmund Hillary and in the deep dive at the Mariana Trench for Jacques Picard and Don Walsh aboard the Trieste. But I didn’t imagine such an exciting world and the pioneering role of Tudor. When we started working together, TUDOR opened its doors to me to discover a world of history and prestigious traditions. I learned about the brand’s highlights, technological innovations, historic partnerships. I am very honoured to play a role in this prestigious house.

How was your meeting with David Beckham, and how do you think he did in the freediving challenge?

It was an incredible meeting. Everything was very well thought out, and I was able to have simple and courteous exchanges with one of the biggest icons of the sport. I still can’t believe it and I thank TUDOR again for making it happen. David enjoys the ocean but had no diving experience. After an excellent session of static apnea in the pool, we went to the sea. There were many waves, we navigated long to reach our dive spot. It wasn’t easy, the boat pitched a lot during the crossing. David really took it upon himself to do the session at sea. I really congratulated him because the conditions were really complicated. It was not easy to do our exercises, and he worked on them with courage. I would have liked to have more calm conditions to initiate him, but who knows, we might have another opportunity in the future!

Your documentary The Quest for Nature shows a different kind of diving. What drew you to work on The Quest for Nature?

Jean-Charles made his first trip to Norway in 2016, where he encountered cetaceans for the first time. After that trip we had several discussions about diving and meeting cetaceans in the cold sea. The idea of a documentary came gradually. He’s always kept me on track about his projects, his narratives, his various missions around the world.

Norway is probably the only place in Europe where humans and cetaceans share so clearly their environment. Fishing activities are an economic mainstay, but whale-watching activities are also another one. It’s resulted in a coexistence and a sharing of fishing resources between fisherfolk and cetaceans. We wanted to explore how it works, and we wanted to dive with the giants of the sea.

Which part of the filming was your most memorable one?

The underwater scene with the two humpback whales ascending from the bottom, with gaping jaws, is going to live a long time in my mind. We were above a herring school, which should be avoided as far as possible. I had many thoughts during our session, whether humpback whales could unexpectedly appear. If so, we shouldn’t be in their path!

I felt that something was happening. The fish was quite turbulent, but it must be noted that they thought they were being hunted by killer whales! And then the two humpback whales appeared just below us, with their huge mouths open. We were in their path, and there was nothing we could do. They gently changed direction to avoid us, but they were so close! We just waited, wide-eyed and breathless for 15 amazing seconds.

What does Tudor’s support mean to you on this journey?

The support of my partner was essential. It’s very simple: without Tudor, the film couldn’t have been made. But beyond that, it’s above all a sign of the trust and recognition that the brand has shown me. Since 2014 we’ve been working together on the creation of various projects, activities, and events. I’m a friend of the brand and the Pelagos watch is the greatest companion in my professional life, but also in my daily private life. When I spoke about the film that Jean-Charles wanted to make, the management team was immediately seduced and agreed to be part of this adventure. For me, it means a lot and this perfectly represents the relationship of trust that we’ve had all these years.

How does the brand’s motto, Born to Dare, resonate with you?

To me, it means that people should try to be as creative as possible. In 2019, when I became world champion for the third time, I really applied that slogan, deciding to train exactly as I wanted, innovating and daring things that I didn’t have a clue about. I completed my final preparation for the last two months by dry training and simulating high altitudes with a machine. There are protocols for endurance training for ultra-trail, for example, but no one knows if these are relevant for deep apnea, or how to do it. I tried the experiment, so is that why I became world champion? There are other factors, of course, but I believed in what I was doing.

In the last scene of the movie The Quest for Nature, we went into the water at night among killer whales and beside a fishing boat in action. No one told us how to do it, but we went anyway, believing in our action plan. And it worked! So Tudor’s Born to Dare spirit accompanies me in all my projects.

Could you tell us a bit about the watch that you wear on the adventure?

I was wearing my Tudor Pelagos in blue, the one I received as a present from the brand’s management team in 2014 for the filming of the advertising. It never faltered of course! It was my first real mechanical watch and I felt so proud! Today, even if I own different Tudor models, I have a personal relationship with my Blue Pelagos due to this special gift and moment. I am personally connected with this watch. I wore it every day above and underwater with its rubber strap and extra extension when needed. I am very proud to have been part of that tradition of divers using a Tudor watch to assist them in their adventures on unbeaten tracks. The brand has always been connected with the underwater world. So I feel I am part of a long tradition, that of Tudor diving watch and their fabulous underwater history.

Tudor has traditionally equipped professionals and major navies with watches, and have traditionally taken into account their feedback and comments to develop their watches. Do you share your thoughts with Tudor as well in this regard? What are the things you find the most important in a good diving watch?

The Pelagos is a successful model, it is the fruit of several decades of innovation through the various underwater models of the brand, the famous submariners dating back to the 1950s. This model is 100 percent reliable, I couldn’t have hoped for a better companion. My role is to share feedback on my uses. But I was able to do shock tests at my level like wearing it in apnea at -100m, or using it in water at 1°C, which is not very common!

I think that a good diving watch should be easy to use and especially very reliable. It also has to be robust, because we used heavy equipment sometimes, we are on a boat, it can fall during handling or undergo a shock with the different equipment. And in the case of the Pelagos, you don't have to ask yourself any questions when you dive with it in the water.

(Header image: Tudor ambassador Morgan Bourc'his (Image: Franck Seguin))

This story first appeared in the July issue of Prestige Hong Kong.

The post Freediver Morgan Bourc’his on Swimming with Whales appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

The recent Watches and Wonders shows heralded a renewed confidence in the world of horology, with brands flexing their versatility through a wide range of novelties that span accessible favourites to signature complications. Feast your eyes on the new releases in this first of two reports.

Rolex

The Crown’s 2021 novelties include refreshments to the Oyster Perpetual Explorer range, some over-the-top bejewelled additions to the Day-Date 36 and Lady- Datejust collections, and a number of striking new dial designs for the Datejust 36 and the ever-expanding Day-Date 36. And then there’s the Explorer in two-tone Rolesor, which really does seem to be shaping up as the watch for all seasons and reasons.

However, the Rolexes that are catching our eye this year are the trio of Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytonas, each with a unique dial that’s been sliced from a chunk of meteorite. The new 40mm models are available with a white-gold case, monobloc Cerachrom bezel in black ceramic and a super-comfy and rather discreet Oysterfex bracelet; with a yellow-gold case, bezel and bracelet; or with a case, bezel and bracelet in Everose gold.

Aside from the dials (which also feature contrasting black subdials), the new references are little changed from existing models: the Superlative Chronometer Certified automatic calibre 4130 beats at 4Hz for a power reserve of 72 hours and claims an accuracy of +2/-2 seconds a day.
As to which of these Rolexes we’d actually chose for ourselves (were we, of course, chummy enough with our local Rolex dealer to elbow our way to the front of a very long queue), that’s tough. The meteorite looks especially cool against the Cerachrom bezel, but we reckon the contrast between the grained rock surface and yellow- gold case and markers is so fabulous that we might just go for that one.

Cartier

The Cloche de Cartier watch is the fifth creation in Cartier’s Privé Collection, which revives the maison’s historic models through limited editions. Named after the cloche or bell shape, because its outline resembles that of a service bell found at counters, the first Cartier timepiece to incorporate the quirky silhouette was a 1920 brooch-watch with diamonds and onyx. Although it’s featured in Cartier’s repertoire for decades, it was only ever produced in small quantities, with the last relaunch being in 2007. It still flaunts a dial that’s rotated 90o clockwise from the conventional position, so the wearer can read the time by extending the arm, instead of bringing the wrist towards him or her.

Another unexpected feature of the watch is its ability to be read like a clock when placed upright on a nightstand or table. The rail track and hour markings are adapted to the dial’s asymmetrical shape and the crown is set with a cabochon gem. Two new calibres were made at the Cartier manufacture at La Chaux-de-Fonds to adapt to the unique case shape.

There are six 37.15mm by 28.75mm references for the Cloche de Cartier. Each a numbered limited edition of 100 pieces, the two-hand model is offered in yellow or pink gold, and platinum, and is equipped with the hand-wound 1917 MC movement. Driven by the 9626 MC movement, the Cloche de Cartier Skeleton is available in pink gold and platinum (each in a numbered limited edition of 50 pieces). Lastly, a platinum diamond-set open-worked version is offered in a limited edition of just 20 pieces.

Montblanc

From the raft of newcomers presented by Le Locle-based Montblanc, we’ve decided to focus on a theme first presented at the final SIHH in 2009. Housed in a 40mm rose-gold case, the Heritage Manufacture Perpetual Calendar Limited Edition 100 (Ref MB 128669) is a beautiful timepiece that effortlessly straddles the classic and contemporary, features an especially eye-catching burnt- caramel dial with sunray finish, and - given the complexity of the complication - is a paragon of elegant simplicity.

In addition to time, day, date, month, moon-phase and leap-year functions, the self-winding movement also powers a second time-zone hour hand and a 24-hour display. Since levers have been eliminated from the mechanism (they’re replaced by wheels and cams), the time can be adjusted in either direction. Aside from the colour, this is no different from the white-dial model presented two years ago; however, the rich new tone elevates it to a new level of desirability.

The 77-jewel, 378-component Calibre MB 29.22, which is based around a Richemont three-hand movement, oscillates at 4Hz and provides a reserve of around two days. The watch is supplied on a brown alligator Sfumato strap with rose-gold buckle and comes in a limited edition of 100 pieces.

Patek Philippe

Watch collectors who feared that the Patek Philippe Nautilus in stainless steel had become a thing of the past with the discontinuation earlier this year of the blue-dial 5711/1A-010 need fear no longer. For just as Watches & Wonders kicked off on April 7, Patek revealed a new steel Nautilus - Ref 5711/1A-014 - but this time with its ridged dial in olive-green sunburst.

Whether you’re a “green” or a “blue” person, there’s no doubt that the new colourway suits the Gérald Genta-designed Nautilus perfectly - though perhaps it doesn’t work quite so successfully on the Ref 5711/1300-001, which features a bezel set with baguette-cut diamonds; time will tell. In almost all other respects, though, this is familiar territory for the 5711: the 4Hz 26-330 S C automatic calibre with Gyromax balance and Spiromax silicon balance spring, which offers 35-45 hours of power, has been in use for the past couple of years. The 12-bar water resistance, applied hour markers and hands in white gold, and an eminently wearable 40 x 8.3mm case size are equally par for the course.

Aside from the new dial colour, then, nothing has really changed with the “entry- level” Nautilus. As discreetly classy as the 5711 ever was, it will also be impossibly difficult to get hold of: back in 2019, the New York Times reported an eight-year wait - if, that is, you could even get on to the list. As word has it that, green dial or no, this is the final year of production for the 5711, all we can say is: in your dreams.

Bulgari

It’s undeniable that Bulgari’s Octo Finissimo range has made an indelible mark in the world of haute horlogerie. The maison has racked up seven world records in just seven years, the latest being for the Octo Finissimo Perpetual Calendar - the slimmest watch of its kind in the world. Reinterpreting a classical horological complication in a resolutely contemporary manner, the 40mm timepiece spotlights the brand ’s finesse in rewriting traditional watchmaking codes.

No fewer than 408 components interact within the extremely tight space provided by the ultra-slender 5.8mm case. The development of the 2.75mm calibre BVL 305 required the design engineers to devise new solutions, such as the use of a micro-rotor and the optimal use of the space between the components without reducing their dimensions. A testament to true genius in the realm of miniaturisation, this development powers the hours and minutes hands along with all the perpetual calendar functions: retrograde- display date, day, month and retrograde-display leap years.

They’re adjusted by means of three correctors: one for the date at 2 o’clock, another for the month at 4 o’clock and a third for the day between 8 and 9 o’clock.

The owner will be able to read the time without having to adjust the indications before February 2100, a leap year that will require the adjustment of the functions. The timepiece is offered in titanium with a matching bracelet, as well as in platinum with a blue lacquered dial and accompanied with an alligator leather strap.

Tudor

Among the new Tudor novelties were two Black Bay Fifty-Eight divers in precious metals and with exhibition casebacks, one being the brand’s first ever dive watch in a silver alloy case, and the other - the Fifty-Eight 18k (Ref 79018V) - an even more extravagant version of what’s essentially the same timepiece. As the name suggests, the latter comes in a 39mm solid yellow gold case, which is matched with a dial and rotating bezel in olive green.

Even more interestingly, Tudor has given the case a matte treatment, so that what might have looked blingy instead has the appearance almost of bronze, which is certainly more in keeping with the Black Bay’s classic tool-watch design codes. And though we suspect that most gold dive watches rarely get closer to the waves than the deck of a superyacht, it’s also been endowed with water resistance of up to 20 bar.

A sapphire caseback is an unusual move for Tudor and, to be absolutely honest, there’s nothing especially remarkable-looking about the manufacture calibre MT5400 that it reveals. That’s not to say, however, that it isn’t a worthy mechanism, as it features a non- magnetic silicon hairspring, is COSC-certified with a claimed daily accuracy of +4/-2 seconds, and oscillates at 4Hz for a reserve of around 70 hours.

Wrapping up the package is an alligator strap that gives the 18K a distinctly vintage appeal, and it’s also supplied with one of Tudor’s excellent matching fabric alternatives in green and gold; both come with buckles in the same yellow gold.

Louis Vuitton

Louis Vuitton’s contribution to high watchmaking this year is a flying tourbillon GMT creation peppered with house motifs and the glorious initial “V” - a tribute to Gaston Vuitton. Developed by the maison’s own manufacture, La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton, the Tambour Curve GMT Flying Tourbillon features a case whose shape is an extrapolation of those of the Tambour Curve Flying Tourbillon Poinçon de Genève, launched last year.

Made of shot-blasted grade 5 titanium, the 46mm case middle of this dynamic model draws inspiration from the Möbius strip. Stretched and elongated, it catches the eye with the convex curve of its bezel and crystal.

The watch has two push pieces on its right side of the case in order to simplify the setting of the GMT function. This enables the dedicated indicator, positioned within the open counter at 3 o’clock, to move forward or backward.

At the same time, it also allows Louis Vuitton to maintain the symmetry of the watch and further highlight the case’s soft proportions.
Powered by the in-house calibre LV82, the Tambour Curve GMT Flying Tourbillon is available entirely in titanium; with lugs, push pieces and winding crown in pink gold; or in a full titanium version with a dial carved from the Gibeon meteorite that landed in Namibia and hour markers set with baguette-cut diamonds.

Chanel

Melding brilliant gem-setting techniques with a beautiful skeletonised movement, Chanel’s 2021 interpretation of the J12 X-Ray watch plays with a rainbow of colours. The J12 X-Ray Electro Calibre 3.1 builds upon the same foundation that made the collection a must-have for high-jewellery watch lovers.

As indicated in its name, the watch is powered by the hand-wound Calibre 3.1 with 55 hours of power reserve, whose moving parts are all secured by sapphire bridges, including the minute counter bridge, baseplate and cogwheel bridge. The dial thus exhibits incredible transparency and is also punctuated by 12 baguette-cut rainbow sapphire hour markers of almost 0.48 carats. These are further complemented by 46 baguette-cut rainbow sapphires weighing approximately 6.46 carats and set on the white-gold bezel, while the white-gold non-screw-down crown flaunts a brilliant-cut diamond.

Transparency flows on to the watch’s unique bracelet, in which each link is made of sapphires bound together by white-gold pins. The devil is in the details - and though this picture doesn’t show it, two links on the bracelet are set with an additional 34 baguette-cut diamonds totalling 1.96 carats. The watch is produced in a numbered and limited edition of just 12 pieces.

Corum

The Admiral collection debuted more than 60 years ago, and over the course of its existence the watch has been reinterpreted multiple times. This year is no different. Visually stunning, the Admiral 45 Automatic Openworked Flying Tourbillon Carbon & Gold marks the introduction of an all-new case material by Corum.

Although the watch is limited to 48 pieces, no two of them are aesthetically identical, thanks to a composite of carbon and gold glitter that makes up the dynamic case. As gold flakes seesaw within the carbon/resin mix during the manufacturing process, they begin to settle organically in a random distribution, resulting in a one-of-a-kind appearance. As the material is lighter than steel and titanium, this 45mm timepiece still feels comfortable on the wrist.

At the heart of the watch lies the extravagant open-worded CO 298 automatic flying-tourbillon movement that provides 72 hours of power. Developed in-house and accented with gold, the 3Hz movement pairs well with the gold-flecked case and its black PVD-coated components can be seen from the front and back of the case. A power-reserve indicator is positioned at 9 o’clock, while a felicitous three-minute counter appears at 3 o’clock as a nod to the house emblem, a key with three petals.

Chopard

The manufacture commemorated its 25th anniversary by entering the world of jumping hours with the understated L.U.C Quattro Spirit 25, which features a 40mm ethical rose-gold case and the prestigious Poinçon de Genève hallmark.

A jumping-hour watch is unique in the way it indicates time. By eschewing a customary hour hand, it features a digital display with an hour disc that works with the minute hand. When the minute hand passes the 60-minute mark, it triggers the disc to leap forward to the next hour.

As this motion consumes more energy than a traditional display, Chopard has made the sensible move of equipping the timepiece with the L.U.C 98.06-L manual-wound movement, that’s fitted with four barrels and is based on Chopard’s exclusive Quattro technology. This provides the watch with a power reserve of up to eight days - more generous than many contemporary jumping-hour models - in spite of beating at a relatively brisk 4Hz.

One of few maisons to have mastered the centuries-old art of enamelling, Chopard endows the watch with a gorgeous white grand feu enamel dial in ethical rose gold, made by an enamelling artisan at the Chopard manufacture in Fleurier. Only 100 pieces of the L.U.C Quattro Spirit 25 will be produced.

The post Watches and Wonders 2021: A Triumph of Versatility appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.