Celebrity Life

Our pick of the most notable new timepieces from the biggest watch fair of the year.

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The Carlyle hotel-inspired bolthole -- slated to open on the uppermost floors of Rosewood Hong Kong later this year -- will offer a blueprint for the eponymous group's vision of "a new kind of international members' club". We venture north of the harbour to discover just what that entails...

Hitherto, the Hong Kong ecosystem of private members' clubs has been split broadly between two camps: at one end, you have venerable institutions catered to the needs of the city's professionals (the FCC) and those who surround them (the KCC); at the other, a burgeoning array of social haunts meant to profit from the growing number of Silicon Valley types -- hawkers of crypto, CBD cafes, and other speculative investment opportunities -- who reside here.

Call me Debbie Downer, but neither feels like an especially glam place to visit. After all, such clubs justify their patronage by way of mostly pragmatic considerations: a convenient location; access to business networking opportunities; affordable gym membership; and so forth. This, as Rosewood Hotels CEO Sonia Cheng well knows is where Carlyle & Co. can break the mould -- by conjuring a little glamour into Hong Kong's mostly comatose members' club scene.

Best thought of as a kind of pied-à-terre to the Rosewood Hong Kong (spanning the 54th-56th floor of the hotel) Carlyle & Co. is, in effect, Cheng's answer to the boutique members' clubs that have dominated pop culture these last 20 years. In Hong Kong -- where bureaucratic red tape is frequent; and decent-sized real estate scant -- her hotel group's latest venture feels especially impressive -- if for no other reason than the sheer audacity of it all.

In recent weeks, the first details of the club's leviathan 25,000 sq. ft. premises have begun to emerge, inspired in broad strokes by the "intriguing, inimitable and ultimately indefinable" style of The Carlyle in New York (incidentally also a brand owned by Rosewood Hotels). To orchestrate this vision of Hong Kong-via-Manhattan, Rosewood turned to British designer Ilse Crawford, whose approach has imbued the club's many rooms with a light, playful sensibility -- affording each a healthy dose of individual personality.

For fusty decadents like yours truly, the gentlemen's spaces -- including a barber, shoeshine, and capsule store by an award-winning haberdasher -- hold immense charm -- even though they espouse just one of many eclectic visual styles members will enjoy each time they navigate the club. The aforementioned differ significantly from spaces like the Cabaret Bar and Sitting Room, both of which employ the medium of painting (by artists Jean-Philippe Delhomme and Christina Zimpel respectively) to celebrate The Carlyle hotel's legendary Bemelmans murals.

Supper & Supping

In the spirit of its progenitor, the various dining venues at Carlyle & Co. seem to be accompanied by an august sense of occasion. The crux of the action happens at the brasserie, which (like any decent club restaurant in Hong Kong) serves a medley of Western, Chinese, and all-day delicacies. Here, the focus is on simply cooking the freshest produce the club can source -- various of the small plates are smoked, cured, or otherwise preserved in-house -- yet it's hardly the most theatrical outlet. That honour belongs to Café Carlyle, an intimate supper club intended as the local chapter of the eponymous tippling destination in New York. Members can expect this to be the repository of the club's live musical programming, which (consistent with the historic acts that have taken to the stage at the Carlyle hotel) will include an assortment of uniquely American artforms like jazz, funk, and blues.

Members craving a dose of sunshine can also take a selection of food and drink on the club's 55th-floor terrace, which (much like the Rosewood property at large) enjoys the sort of view that's conducive to sonnet writing or spontaneous tears of joy. Flanking one end of that terrace, you'll find the local chapter of Bemelmans Bar. Like its namesake, the menu here is split roughly equally between fine wines, punchbowls and classic cocktails; though, at the weekend, you can expect a certain frenetic atmosphere to take hold, as the space merges with the terrace for live DJ performances against the backdrop of Victoria Harbour.

Cosy quarters, brimming with personality

Though Carlyle & Co. members can easily book themselves into one of the 400-plus rooms at the surrounding Rosewood property, the entire 54th floor of the club is given over to eight themed suites -- all of which celebrate the history of The Carlyle hotel. More or less equal in size, each offers an inviting and distinctive interior personality. If you're retiring following an evening spent drinking (one too many) Martinis for instance, the 'Tommy' seems an apt choice -- named for and inspired by the legendary Bemelmans bartender Mr. Tommy Rowles. Other known personalities include Dorothy Draper, the original 'modern Baroque' decorator of The Carlyle's interiors; and Eartha Kitt, the renowned actress and Broadway musician. For dedicated students of café society, a stay in every single suite would seem like money well-spent.

A variety of membership packages are available at Carlyle & Co., with or without health club membership. To learn more about rates (or inquire about eligibility) visit Carlyle & Co. online.

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Yes, there is finally a silver dive watch and it also has an exhibition caseback

The post Enter Silver Age with Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight 925 appeared first on LUXUO.

From corsage-like timepieces that sparkle and shine to exceptional timekeepers no thicker than a coin, these watches represent the best of horology for the year.

The post Who Are The Winners Of 2020’s Grand Prix D’Horlogerie De Genève? appeared first on The Peak Magazine.

From corsage-like timepieces that sparkle and shine to exceptional timekeepers no thicker than a coin, these watches represent the best of horology for the year.

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

From corsage-like timepieces that sparkle and shine to exceptional timekeepers no thicker than a coin, these watches represent the best of horology for the year.

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

Express your love in a... timeless way.

The post A Lady’s Gift Guide for a Timeless Valentine’s Day appeared first on LUXUO.

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.

It has to be said: it just isn't as much fun to shop for men. You just never quite know what they need and even more problematic, what they really want.

While their tastes and predilections rarely change over time, shockers creep up that have you scratching your heads. And of course, there's also that usual coyness - telling you that there is nothing they want nor need - which is sweet, yes, but not helpful. Stress not, there are a few more days to go and we've got you covered. Here are 12 items we think will make great Christmas gifts for him, from that audiophile to those who love to entertain, from the smart dresser to the hobbyist. We hope this list will make this task a lot less daunting and even enjoyable! 

Bang & Olufsen

Does he love his sounds? Bang & Olufsen's new Beoplay H95 is the item to give. According to the Danish brand this new wireless headphone has the best sound quality, truly effective noise cancellation and is designed for comfortable, long-term wear, among other things. The Beoplay H95 comes with an oval, over-ear design with soft lambskin ear cushions, as well an innovative and intuitive user interface that offer a combination of touch control and mechanical dials. The headphones are available in black, Grey Mist (pictured here) and released for this season, in Gold Tone, and comes with a 3-year warranty. Price: HK$6,800

Loro Piana

For those chilly months ahead, you can't go wrong with this Loro Piana crewneck jumper made with cashmere Coarsehair. It's elegant and versatile, perfect to pair with either your work trousers, jeans and by all means, cargo shorts. And given its superb quality, you're sure he can wear it for many winter and fall seasons to come. 
Price: HK $18,300

Tiffany & Co

For the hobbyists, there's Tiffany & Co's Everyday Objects amazonite and wood chess and checkers set housed in a Tiffany Blue leather case with a gray synthetic suede interior and a lock and key closure. When not in use, it also makes quite the elegant coffee table centerpiece. Price: HK$ 88,000

Tudor

For the watch lover, consider adding this new Tudor Black Bay Chrono to his collection. For the first time, the Black Bay diver watch is available in yellow gold and steel, and a date function. It's an all-around watch he can wear at work, on a fancy night out and casual weekends. Price: HK$ 52,400 (steel bracelet) and HK $43,300 for a leather and fabric strap

Fizzics

Does he like to entertain? This Fizzics DraftPour Home Beer Dispenser is the bomb. With its Micro-Foam Technology, he can convert his favourite cans or bottles of beer into a nitro-style draft! Ideal for outdoor activities, picnic and camping, the lightweight and durable beer dispenser runs on either USB or battery power. With this he and his buds can enjoy the taste of fresh beer from the tap, at home. Price: HK $999 available at the MOMA Design Store at K11 Musea

Stow

If your man is obsessed with keeping things neat and organised, Stow's Personalised Luxury First Class Leather Tech Case will give him something to smile about. It applies a stylish spin to the traditional writing case, and gives ample room for his documents, pen, stationary and gadgets - big and small. And indeed, there are also handy and secure slots for credit cards, loyalty cards photo IDs and what have you. This practical and conveniently handsome piece is made from butter-soft Spanish leather and Italian goat suede. Price: HK$ 4,725

Ermenegildo Zegna

Fashionable and with a conscience - we're sure he will love that idea. And this Ermenegildo Zegna #UseTheExisting tote bag is the item to give, which is crafted from upcycled fabric from Lanificio Zegna. This black tote features large top handles, a signature horizontal ticket pocket and a flat patch pocket in smooth calfskin. A top zipper closure adds a practical finishing touch and is also available in dark green. HK$ 7,500

Montblanc

More than just functional, Montblanc's writing instruments is just a stunning work of craftsmanship. We may not write nearly as much as we used to, this Meisterstück Le Petit Prince’s tribute would be a delight to have. The polished burgundy-coloured resin on the cap and barrel of the this piece references the prince’s beloved rose, while the handcrafted 14-carat gold nib features a design of the prince weeding his planet. Price: HK$ 6,800

Hermès

Who says only women can accessorise? This Hermès bracelet made in swift calfskin featuring a nice burly buckle will make him think twice.  Price: HK$ 5,400

Becky Broome

This personalised ‘More Whisky’ crystal tumbler by Becky Broome is perfect for the sophisticated whisky drinker in your life. Serve a whisky neat or old fashioned in this beautiful cut-glass tumbler for a fancy experience. Choose between a plain white carton box, which you can wrap easily yourself or select a box with a printed gift sleeve. Each tumbler is hand etched to order in Broome's studio in Liverpool, UK. Price: HK $441 

Louis Vuitton

This Louis Vuitton Pochette Voyage brings an air of relaxed elegance to the the brand's classic materials. Black Épi leather and Damier Graphite canvas are highlighted with white and blue stripes emblazoned with the Louis Vuitton signature, and features cowhide-leather lining. With its large capacity and six card slots, it’s a practical travel companion, easy to carry by hand or slipped into a suitcase. Price: HK$10,100

Ember

For the coffee drinker constantly on the go, et voila, here's the Ember Smart Travel Mug 2.0. It allows you to set your precise drinking temperature for hot beverages and keep it there, from the first sip to the last drop. Featuring an enhanced battery life, the 12oz. Ember Travel Mug 2.0 will maintain your chosen drinking temperature for three hours, or all day when paired with included charging coaster. Use the new touch display on the mug for on-the-go temperature customisation or control by pairing with the Ember app. Price HKD1,428 available at Moma store at K11 Musea

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The vintage watch market has, interestingly enough, proved resilient in spite of market conditions, even thriving in the face of economic downturns. Watch brands are quick to act on this appetite for classic, vintage watches, looking into their archives for pieces with fascinating stories and timeless designs, and bringing them back to the market with a refreshed, more contemporary feel while staying true to the design that's made them such cherished pieces.

Here are 5 watches revived classics from Audemars Piguet, Breitling, Omega, Tudor and IWC, which tug at our nostalgic inclinations.

Audemars Piguet [Re]master01

Audemars Piguet looks to one of its renowned chronograph watches from 1943 and brings us the [Re]master01, a piece while faithful to its original introduces just enough tweaks for practicality and to give it a somewhat contemporary feel. The [Re]master01 keeps to the first version’s overall Art-Deco style, keeping its chamfered crown, round case, olive-shaped pushers and teardrops lugs, but was made bigger at 40mm and its chronograph counters rearranged for improved legibility. Turn the watch over and its sapphire crystal case back – another new feature – shows off its movement with its 22-karat pink gold oscillating weight that matches the bezel  – in all its glory.

Breitling Superocean Heritage ’57 Capsule

Breitling’s Superocean Heritage ’57 Capsule collection pays homage to the live-and-let-live surfer lifestyle of the ‘50s and ‘60s, as well the incredible music, cars, and the upbeat vibe of that permeated that era. The Superocean Heritage ’57 has two dial options: a classic black dial that comes with a black vintage-inspired leather strap and a pin or folding buckle, and a blue dial fitted with a brown vintage-inspired leather strap. Among the distinctive features of the watch is its bidirectional concave stainless-steel bezel that has a scratch- and shock-resistant ceramic bezel ring, and a luminescent dot at 12 o’clock. And at the heart of these watches is an in-house movement that guarantees 42 hours of autonomy.

IWC Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar Spitfire

The design of IWC’s Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar Spitfire is inspired by the functional design of the Mark 11, a navigation watch produced by the brand for the Royal Air Force in 1948, and worn by many of active pilots and navigators at the time. It is arguably one of the most important watches in history. IWC re-imagines this historic piece for its latest Spitfire line, one of which this Perpetual Calendar Spitfire that’s limited to 250 pieces. It comes with a bronze case – which over time develops a special patina that gives it a nice distressed appearance – an olive green dial, gold-plated hands and brown calf leather strap, and is equipped with an in-house calibre with a 7-day power reserve.

Omega 321-powered Moonwatch

Omega has recreated the Calibre 321, the movement that was inside the famous Moonwatch the Apollo 11 astronauts were wearing over 50 years ago as they made their first steps on the moon. We see this historic movement in this year’s Speedmaster Moonwatch 321 Stainless Steel, which comes with a 39.70 mm case in stainless steel that was inspired by a 3^rd generation Speedmaster worn by American astronauts on their first space walk in 1965. Its black ceramic bezel comes with a tachymeter scale in white enamel, and features the iconic “Dot over Ninety”, while the black step dial is matched with the straight away recognisable Moonwatch hands, and of course, the vintage Omega logo.

Tudor Black Bay P01

Tudor’s new Black Bay P01 offers a fresh take on a 1960s prototype of a US-Navy watch. At the time, the US government specification for an issued watch required a 12-hour graduated rotatable bezel, which was used as a navigation tool as well as a monitor for elapsed time during a dive. The Black Bay P01 keeps this design element, incorporating it in a contemporary aesthetic and designed not only for a specific sporting activity and instead for various ones. Case in point, the decision to use hybrid leather and a rubber strap makes it well suited not only for diving but virtually all sports and under any climate conditions.

The post 5 Storied Watches That Have Made Wrist-worthy Revivals appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

Tudor has added yet another permutation to its incredibly – and rightly – popular Black Bay range with the unveiling of the new Fifty Eight Navy Blue.

Based on the existing Fifty Eight, which, with its 39mm case diameter and distinctive black and gilt colours, is one of the most popular watches in the line-up, this new reference comes with a steel bracelet or fabric or synthetic straps – and we’re particularly partial to the fabric, on navy but with a distinctive silver stripe along the centre. With its rich blue rotating bezel and dial, it recalls a line of military Tudor submariners made specially for the French Marine Nationale from the mid-20th century (and which, if you can find one – they came in either blue or black – are worth silly money), a resonant heritage that gives this new model a very decent provenance indeed.

Like the regular Fifty Eight diver, the three-hand, time-only “Navy Blue” (there’s no date window, which will doubtless delight the purists) is powered by Tudor’s own COSC-certified MT5402 calibre, a thoroughly up-to-date, accurate and reliable automatic movement that features a silicon balance spring and a shock-resistant balance bridge, which provides up to 70 hours of juice. It also offers 20 bar of water resistance, which though unexceptional for a dive watch these days is nonetheless perfectly respectable – and is in any case a heck of a lot deeper than most of us are ever likely willingly to find ourselves.

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While the “Navy Blue” is certainly a beauty (and at less than 12mm thick it sits quite snugly on the wrist), one does wonder whether it edges the original Fifty Eight for visual appeal or, moreover, if it might not be just a little too similar in appearance to Tudor’s admittedly larger Pelagos diver in blue. Nonetheless, as it’s a Black Bay we can all expect it to fly out of the stores just as fast as almost every other model in the range – in other words, unless you’ve pre-ordered one or you’re especially chummy with your local dealer, don’t expect to get your mitts on one of these any time soon.

The post Tudor’s Black Bay Joins the Navy appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

When it comes to luxury, you can rest assured that Prestige has it covered. But with the sheer multitude, let alone variety, released regularly on the landscape, it can become rather difficult to figure out the best from the rest or to even pick up the newest and most exciting. As luck would have it, our editors are forever on the look out: discovering on-the-rise labels, picking up new products from cult brands and the finding the most desirable items there are. So for those that are curious what that might be, keep scrolling to discover what made the cut in our weekly Most Coveted list.

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