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

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Ever since Audemars Piguet CEO François-Henry Bennahmias appeared with Don Cheadle in a virtual presentation to tease an upcoming Audemars Piguet x Marvel collaboration, the internet has been ablaze with what this could be. Was it a War Machine-inspired Offshore model? Or an Iron Man? Was it a unique piece? A limited-edition? The secret's finally out and there's much to unpack here.

Unveiled on Saturday, the collaboration watch is revealed to be a Royal Oak Concept "Black Panther", featuring what is quite literally a detailed, hand-painted white gold effigy of the superhero on the dial, with a flying tourbillon complication at 6 o'clock. Beating inside the watch is the manual calibre 2965, ticking at 3hZ with a power reserve of 72 hours. The piece, a limited edition of 250 pieces, is presented in a newly redesigned 42mm titanium case with a black ceramic bezel on a purple rubber strap.

The announcement was made far from the remote valleys of the manufacture in Le Brassus, but instead, in a swanky star-studded event in the heart of L.A., hosted by comedic superstar Kevin Hart and featuring virtual appearances by friends of the brand, real-life superheroes you could say, from Serena Williams to Ian Poulter and even LeBron James.

A live auction even took place, with the highlight lot being the Royal Oak Concept Black Panther unique timepiece in white gold with a hand-engraved bezel and case that hammered for US$5.2 million, over 30 times the retail price of the standard model, setting a new highest record for an AP watch sold at auction. But it was all for a good cause — 100 percent of the proceeds went to charities First Book and Ashoka.

Right off the bat, and rather unsurprisingly (the internet is a harsh critic), the Black Panther watch immediately drew ire online, with people putting in their two cents regarding everything from the design to the delivery.

Design-wise, the watch was never going to appeal to everyone — there's only a small percentage of people who would rock a superhero watch on their wrist. But to those who have seen the watch up close, there's no denying the flawless execution of the engraving and finishing on the watch. Bennahmias had mentioned that his starting point was the Gerald Genta Fantasy watches of 1990s with the painted Mickey Mouse dials. The Black Panther isn't far off in approach, and there's little doubt that the outcome, although not subtle in the least, was probably what AP was going for in the first place.

But more than just a release of a Marvel watch, and possibly setting in motion a series of Marvel-related watches, the launch of the AP Royal Oak Concept Black Panther was significant in more ways than one.

While it's not a complete departure from the brand's core values and seemingly a natural evolution from Bennahmias' own close ties with the entertainment industry, the launch has in a way established Audemars Piguet as the brand to the stars, officially worn by athletes and celebrities alike, now with a comic book franchise and Hollywood's support to boot. It really isn't every day you get to see such a star-studded line-up in a launch of a watch.

But more importantly, the Black Panther watch and the manner of its launch made it quite clear that there's a shift in where Audemars Piguet has set its target demographic — the younger generation. This makes absolute sense as today's buyers view Marvel the same way the last generation of buyers did with Mickey Mouse. There's no doubt Mickey Mouse is an icon, a classic, and Marvel surely has that same enduring appeal.

If you think about it, taking risks has always been what AP does. No one had anything great to say about the Royal Oak when it first debuted in 1972 either and look where it is now. AP has already shown that it can do heritage, and do it justice. The launch of the [Re]master watch, the new museum, and the beautiful tome on all of its complicated wristwatches are some recent examples. But there's also another part of AP, a part of its DNA really, that really just wants to do things differently, take risks, and offer a value proposition that's uniquely their own. And no matter how you slice it, Audemars Piguet is still one hell of a fine watchmaking manufacture.

Which leaves us with this one last thought: is it possible for Audemars Piguet to open its arms to a whole new demographic while still keeping its brand equity with its longtime collectors? We'd like to think so.

More answers as to AP's direction may be on the horizon, as we anticipate the follow-up to the Royal Oak Jumbo Extra-Thin Ref. 15202, now that the iconic reference is announced to be discontinued beyond 2021. If anything, the latest edition of the Ref. 15202 in platinum with the ombré green dial might be a telltale sign of bolder and more disruptive things to come.

The post Audemars Piguet and Marvel Launched a Watch and What This Means appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

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.

During the week of Watches and Wonders 2021, we have seen countless new examples sporting vibrant colors and diamond settings, until now. Chronoswiss decided to follow its own path with a stealth new version of its ever-popular SkelTec model. The new Limited-Edition Chronoswiss SkelTec Pitch Black features a 50 piece release of the science fiction-inspired […]

The post Chronoswiss Goes Stealth With Its New Limited-Edition SkelTec Pitch Black appeared first on duPont REGISTRY Daily.

The head-turning watches we have seen released this week followed a pattern of using vibrant colors, which Zenith is proud to display in its Defy 21 Spectrum Series. The series consists of five colorfully designed timepieces that feature color matching El Primero automatic movements. Each bezel f with 44 VVS color-matched baguette-cut diamonds, as well […]

The post Zenith Launches The New Defy 21 Spectrum Series appeared first on duPont REGISTRY Daily.

Louis Vuitton’s new unisex Tambour Street Diver Watch is set to make its hotly anticipated debut this week.  Offered in four eye-catching color palettes with interchangeable straps, the versatile Tambour Street Diver is the newest incarnation of the fashion house’s iconic Tambour timepiece – Louis Vuitton’s first-ever watch which launched in 2002. The new Tambour... View Article

The post Making a Splash: Louis Vuitton’s New Tambour Street Diver Watch appeared first on Elite Traveler.

Louis Vuitton’s new unisex Tambour Street Diver Watch is set to make its hotly anticipated debut this week.  Offered in four eye-catching color palettes with interchangeable straps, the versatile Tambour Street Diver is the newest incarnation of the fashion house’s iconic Tambour timepiece – Louis Vuitton’s first-ever watch which launched in 2002. The new Tambour... View Article

The post Making a Splash: Louis Vuitton’s New Tambour Street Diver Watch appeared first on Elite Traveler.

Louis Vuitton’s new unisex Tambour Street Diver Watch is set to make its hotly anticipated debut this week.  Offered in four eye-catching color palettes with interchangeable straps, the versatile Tambour Street Diver is the newest incarnation of the fashion house’s iconic Tambour timepiece – Louis Vuitton’s first-ever watch which launched in 2002. The new Tambour... View Article

The post Making a Splash: Louis Vuitton’s New Tambour Street Diver Watch appeared first on Elite Traveler.

Louis Vuitton’s new unisex Tambour Street Diver Watch is set to make its hotly anticipated debut this week.  Offered in four eye-catching color palettes with interchangeable straps, the versatile Tambour Street Diver is the newest incarnation of the fashion house’s iconic Tambour timepiece – Louis Vuitton’s first-ever watch which launched in 2002. The new Tambour... View Article

The post Making a Splash: Louis Vuitton’s New Tambour Street Diver Watch appeared first on Elite Traveler.

When it comes to the luxury timepiece industry, Patek Philippe stands at the top as one of the most iconic watchmakers. Its most popular model is the Nautilus, which most of us in the watch world were excited to see one new example for 2021, instead, we got four. Stepping outside the box from traditional […]

The post Patek Philippe Unveils Four New 2021 Nautilus Models appeared first on duPont REGISTRY Daily.