Celebrity Life

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.

We can all agree that the year 2020 was massively horrendous for humanity but if you thought that would have affected the quality of watches that came out during this year's Watches and Wonders, think again. Here are all the watch trends we've picked up from these 2021 novelties.

In 2020, “everything that could go wrong went wrong,” FHH President Emmanuel Perrin tells me over a call. Jaeger-LeCoultre CEO Catherine Renier also tells me in a call that it was indeed a challenging year, but it had only made the brand stronger. Sentiments such as these are echoed by the various CEOs and top management that I’ve spoken to over the duration of the digital watch fair in April.

“It was really difficult at that time – in a way it’s almost scary to be in that situation,” says Renier. “But it turned out for us to also be a very strong moment of learning about our own agility and our capability to adapt to these types of situations. After that, you know, you’re a lot stronger.”

The watch industry is indeed a resilient one – it survived the Quartz Crisis in the ’70s and laughed off the “dangers” posed by the smartwatch revolution just a decade ago. What the global pandemic of 2020 has done was strengthen the industry’s resolve to share only the best of the best watches it could muster, and at this year’s Watches and Wonders, it certainly does seem as if it’s done just that.

It’s a simple formula really. When the going gets tough, keep your head down and do what you do best. The brands that focussed on pure and authentic expressions of their heritage, while embracing change and looking ahead, have only grown stronger. In times of crisis, timelessness, meaning, and reliability are what we look and strive for and we instinctively gravitate towards things that speak to those values.

This year, brands really took the time to reflect on their own portfolios and collections, and what we’re seeing is a more streamlined approach across the board. With decreased capacity, brands are forced to produce only the strongest designs – designs that they truly believe in – and it shows.

And so, it’s almost funny that in a year where you’d least expect to find discernible trends, we’d see so many new releases with green dials, starting with the most coveted, final version of the Patek Philippe Nautilus ref. 5711 that’s been released in a stainless-steel case with a gorgeous olive-green dial.

There’s also the fun and funky Rolex Datejust 36mm with a green palm-motif dial, Tudor’s gold Black Bay Fifty-Eight with a green dial and bezel and a display caseback, Pilot’s Chronographs by IWC in a new 41mm case and green-dial options, as well as TAG Heuer’s new Aquaracer in titanium, which comes with a green ceramic bezel and dial.

From Jaeger-LeCoultre, the Reverso Tribute Small Seconds, available in blue and burgundy, is now also in an elegant dark green. Piaget’s Altiplano Ultimate Concept is given green embellishments for a totally new look.

Props goes to Montblanc, which has even developed a new kind of gold – lime gold – that’s composed of a special alloy of gold, silver and iron for a distinct and appealing tint of jade green, paired with lime green cathedral hands and indexes.

And then there was the other kind of green, the sustainability kind, that in recent years has become an unavoidable topic in the world of luxury. Social responsibility, ethics and the environment are no longer separate departments within a company, but part and parcel of the brand. Leaders in this evolution – Chopard, Panerai, and Cartier – best express this in their offerings. Chopard pioneered this change in the past few years, first with making its collection with 100 percent ethical gold, and then with the launch of Lucent A223 recycled steel.

Panerai, too, has turned to recycled steel in its new trio of eSteel watches. The brand also made waves this year with the Submersible eLab-ID, constructed from EcoTitanium and claimed to be the watch with the highest percentage of recycled-based material ever made. Moreover, Panerai has revealed its list of suppliers for the watch in a bid to make watchmaking practices more circular and sustainable for the future.

Cartier’s relaunched Tank Must collection features the world’s first solar-powered luxury watch, with a movement called SolarBeat that won’t need to be serviced for 16 years. The watch also uses recycled gold and is a clear statement of Cartier’s dedication to making luxury sustainable.

Lastly, where would watchmaking be if it weren’t for innovation? Jaeger-LeCoultre has pulled out all the stops to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the revered Reverso. The new Hybris Mechanica Calibre 185 Quadriptyque is the most complicated Reverso yet, boasting 11 different complications and 12 patents in an absolutely wearable case size.

Celebrating 175 years, Ulysse Nardin designed the UFO, a table clock that’s a modern tribute to the brand, encapsulating all of its horological achievements in one singular object – from the marine chronometers of the 19th and 20th centuries, to complex timepieces such as the Freak of 2001 and the Blast of 2020.

IWC’s Big Pilot’s Watch Shock Absorber XPL comes with the capability of protecting the movement from 30,000Gs in impact tests, Bulgari yet again sets a world record for the thinnest perpetual calendar, while Hublot establishes itself as the ultimate purveyor of sapphire with the Big Bang Integral Tourbillon Full Sapphire, a world-first with its integrated sapphire case and bracelet.

It would be impossible to list here all the amazing pieces we’ve seen during the two weeks of Watches and Wonders 2021, and you'll be able to read more of our watch coverage here. The world of watches has rarely been as exciting as it is now.

The post Watch Trends 2021: A Sign of the Times appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

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.

The post Watches and Wonders 2021: Our 5 Most ‘Aspirational’ Timepieces appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

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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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.

If you're on the market for a pilot's chronograph, my guess is you're looking at an IWC. Since the '90s, IWC has championed the look of the pilot's chronograph. The 3705 Fliegerchronograph has always been a cult favourite — IWC knows this too, having released a limited edition Tribute to 3705 just earlier this year, which paid homage to the legendary Ceramic Fligerchronograph of 1994.

The brand is launching its brand new Pilot's Watch Chronograph 41 at the digital Watches & Wonders exhibition this year, which in its new downsized 41mm (although not quite the original 39mm), and new coloured dial executions, are clear recipes for success. And with a new quick-change system, a choice of straps between calfskin, rubber and stainless steel, here's why we think the 41mm is well worth your consideration.

For 85 years, IWC has been engineering pilot's watches with the functional requirements and specific needs of professional pilots in mind. Conceived as precise and reliable tools for navigation in the war-time period, these modern-day Pilot's Watches still bear that classic war-time Flieger aesthetic: with strong legibility and the iconic cockpit instrument design.

Ahead of its launch date, we were offered the chance to try out the Ref. IW388101 with the blue dial and blue calfskin strap. Here's what we love about the new chronograph — 41mm really is the sweet spot for a Pilot's Watch. It's still a substantial watch, but beautifully proportioned, practical and wearable for slimmer (even ladies) wrists.

The new 41mm chronograph follows on the success of the 2019 Spitfire chronograph, which was also in 41mm. But in stainless steel, and a blue or green dial with all white luminous markings, the new 41mm is your typical modern-day IWC watch. Gone too is the closed caseback on the Spitfire version - the new 41mm shows off the in-house calibre 69385 through its transparent sapphire caseback.

Like any IWC Pilot's Watch, the dial configuration is utilitarian and practical, displaying the time, day, date, and a 12-hour chronograph with central seconds. The running seconds is indicated at the sub-dial at 6 o'clock, which offers a bright pop of red against the intensely coloured dial. The reworked stainless steel case construction also ensures that the chronograph is now water-resistant to 100 metres.

The chronograph movement comes in 231 individual parts and robust-looking as it is, comes with some depth so it's still very much a joy to examine. The stopwatch function is controlled by a column wheel, which you can see clearly when you swing the bi-directional rotor out of the way. Fully wound, the watch ticks at 4Hz and comes with a power reserve of 46 hours.

Here's the fun part: the watch is now more versatile than ever with the new quick-change system and new strap choices — bracelet, calfskin leather and rubber straps — that you can purchase separately and change out on your own without watchmaking tools. I loved the watch on the blue calfskin leather strap, but the steel-on-steel combo would obviously be a crowd favourite, and the rubber strap gives it an even sportier, more casual feel.

One last thing to mention is the box that the watch comes in. Gone are the days when watch boxes are bulky things that you don't dare throw out, but take up valuable space in your homes. The watch box for the new IWC Pilot's Watch Chronograph 41 is cleverly also a travel pouch, yet another proof that functionality, practicality, and versatility are at the forefront for IWC's designs.

IWC Pilot's Watch Chronograph 41

Technical Specifications
Reference Ref. IW388101 (blue dial, blue calfskin strap), Ref. IW388102 (blue dial, stainless steel bracelet), Ref. IW388103 (green dial, brown calfskin strap), Ref. IW388104 (green dial, stainless steel bracelet)
Movement Automatic calibre 69385; hours, minutes, seconds, date and day display, small hacking seconds; 46-hour power reserve
Case 41mm stainless steel; water-resistant to 100m
Strap Calfskin leather, stainless steel bracelet and rubber available with quick-change system

The post Trying On the New and Smaller IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.