Celebrity Life

Bell & Ross has just introduced a new timepiece that joins their collection of devilishly good-looking BR 01 skull collection. This new piece takes the skull design and brings it into the modern era, hence the name BR 01 Cyber Skull. With sharp edges and flat surfaces, the design of this watch most definitely fits […]

The post Bell & Ross Introduce New BR 01 Cyber Skull appeared first on duPont REGISTRY Daily.

Every luxury timepiece created by Jacob & Co. is viewed as a detailed work of art, including the Twin Turbo Furious model. The company recently took to its Instagram to reveal a new version of the Twin Turbo Furious featuring baguette-cut Green Tsavorites and White Diamonds throughout the entire case. The twin triple-axis tourbillons drive […]

The post Jacob & Co. Reveals Twin Turbo Furious in White Gold with 344 Baguette-Cut Diamonds And Tsavorites appeared first on duPont REGISTRY Daily.

Recently, we covered the release of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Self Winding Flying Tourbillon. The luxury timepiece manufacturer announced the release of the Code 11.59 Self Winding Flying Tourbillon, fitting the traditional style with a state-of-the-art complicated movement. The elegant design of the Code 11.59 features a 24K Pink Gold 41mm case and Black […]

The post Audemars Piguet Introduces The Code 11.59 Self Winding Flying Tourbillon appeared first on duPont REGISTRY Daily.

Although Hublot is a Swiss-based luxury timepiece manufacturer, it still holds strong roots in the United States, more specifically New York City. Hublot’s largest U.S. boutique sits on Fifth Avenue, to which the company is proud to honor the city. The celebration of Hublot’s presence in NYC has resulted in a limited-edition Classic Fusion watch […]

The post Hublot Celebrates Its NYC Roots With A Concrete Jungle Classic Fusion appeared first on duPont REGISTRY Daily.

TAG Heuer recently teamed up with Bamford Watch Co. to create a one-of-a-kind limited-edition timepiece. The TAG Heuer x Bamford Aquaracer features a lightweight titanium 43mm case, driven by a Caliber 5 Automatic movement. The watch presented in sandblasted titanium finish gives off a sleek dark appearance. The Super-LumiNova dial includes a set of unique […]

The post TAG Heuer Partners With Bamford Watch Co. On A New Aquaracer appeared first on duPont REGISTRY Daily.

Many manufacturers within the watch industry hold onto the traditional designs that helped shape the brand, only updating each version with new technology to improve its functionality. Audemars Piguet continues to use the Royal Oak as the test model to fit precious metals and parts, combining timeless design with state-of-the-art equipment. The new Audemars Piguet […]

The post Audemars Piguet Releases A New Black Ceramic Royal Oak appeared first on duPont REGISTRY Daily.

We all wish for that Eureka moment. Having that one brilliant idea that will scoop us out of the pool of mundanity we’ve found ourselves in with our chosen (or not) career, which in all likelihood, has become far less interesting than it used to be.

The thing with such lightbulb moments is that they dawn on you in the unlikeliest places and moments, and are often motivated by simple practicalities. For Adam Brown, founder of British resortwear and lifestyle brand Orlebar Brown, that moment came while he was on holiday in Rajasthan, and was slightly irked about having to change for lunch while wearing swim shorts. “That’s when I got the idea of a tailored swim short – that which I can swim in but also can wear to a restaurant and still look smart,” Brown says.

[caption id="attachment_212501" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Models wear clothing from the Orlebar Brown / IWC resort capsule collection and IWC watches.[/caption]

And Orlebar Brown swim shorts are surely not your run-of-the-mill variety. They’re based on the traditional pattern of a pair of men’s trousers, and designed to be a “transitional item” you can wear in or by the pool, as well as in establishments that require a dress code. As the brand’s collections evolved, so did the variety of its products that eventually extended beyond holiday wear. And now, in light of Brown’s collaboration with IWC, he’s just added watch design to his résumé.

“It started with an email, and went on to a ‘get to know you’ phase with Chris Granger, CEO of IWC, and its creative director Christian Knoop; it snowballed from there. The creative process was really fun. I think the fun factor is an important part of any collaboration, and that both brands share the same values,” Brown says. Numerous meetings, phone calls, emails and hours-long brainstorming sessions later, the Portugieser Yacht Club Chronograph Edition “Orlebar Brown” was born, and alongside it a nine-piece special Orlebar Brown capsule resort collection.

[caption id="attachment_212498" align="aligncenter" width="791"] Adam Brown is the founder of Orlebar Brown.[/caption]

“It was a true collaboration, with both involved in each other’s products – from the colour and design of the case down to the weight of the strap. It was very important to me that we both contributed to the design of the watch and the capsule collection. Obviously, the Portugieser is a watch that’s been around for a long time and IWC was very clear about how it wanted to talk about the watch this year. It was something that absolutely fits with what Orlebar Brown is about,” Brown says.

And the Portugieser Yacht Club Chronograph Edition “Orlebar Brown” indeed has that resort touch to it. Matching its stainless-steel case is a marine-blue dial and a co-branded side-fastener buckle with white and red colour accents, shades often used in Orlebar Brown’s product range. The chronograph is equipped with an in-house calibre, and features a flyback function, a sub dial at 12 o’clock and a 68-hour power reserve. It’s finished off with a blue rubber strap with textile inlay and is, naturally, water-resistant up to 6 bar, making it ideally suited for an action-packed adventure on the deck of a yacht, or a casual lounge at the beach or pool.

[gallery ids="212497,212496"]

As for the capsule collection, it’s not like any that Brown has done before. “It’s high resort. The watch is called the Yacht Club, so it gave us a clear direction as to what the product would look like. That elegance, refinement, the approach to tailoring, the attention to detail. For instance, using towelling fabric in a blazer, the trim details, weight of the jerseys and use of the finest linen, or having gold fasteners on the trousers and other touches like that. It’s different because of the lifestyle it’s epitomising. Although we’ve done ready-to-wear for quite a while, it just needed a bit of a nudge and we made it a little more refined and a bit more grown up and just had that IWC feel about it.

“Just like the Portugieser Yacht Club, our collection combines timeless elegance and a love of adventure. We also drew inspiration from Portugieser family, a model that’s traditionally associated with the world of water, sailing and navigation.”

The collection includes a white towelling blazer with blue piping and a cotton/silk knitted polo. A highlight is a photographic swim short with signature side fasteners, depicting a Solaris 55 sailing yacht in front of Porto Rotondo in Sardinia.

[caption id="attachment_212499" align="alignnone" width="1000"] Bulldog swim shorts with the Solaris 55 sailing yacht.[/caption]

“When you do collaborations, the idea is to take your brand to a place where it doesn’t traditionally exist. So whether it’s the Bond collaboration, an artist or a graphic designer, it’s just interesting to see how something that you know so well and something that’s fundamentally Orlebar Brown can evolve into something that’s slightly different and interesting for the customer.”

In his design process Brown always considers where items will be worn, what the wearers will be doing in them, and the overall lifestyle they convey. “With IWC, there was a true resort style and elegance to it. Maybe a sporting touch, too – a bit more beach-volleyball feel, or playing with the kids in the water. Or there’s the coast/Atlantic kind of holiday, like being on a big cliff, so it’s very different from being in a resort or on a beach, so instead we do wind-blown effects, faded colours and a fabric that’s slightly different.

[caption id="attachment_212500" align="alignnone" width="1024"] A model wears an Orlebar Brown Headley knitted grey sweatshirt with the Portugieser Yacht Club Chronograph Edition "Orlebar Brown" watch.[/caption]

“My approach to design really is that the item needs to have a personality; it has to have a real relationship with the user, taking into consideration how you think the customer would want to wear it. It’s not simply producing clothes. This whole idea of versatility is important, too. You need to look at things from different angles and perspectives, rather than making it about a specific place or activity. All those things come together to form a design philosophy,” Brown says.

And surely wearing a smart linen button-down shirt paired with jacquard swim shorts – and, of course, with this handsome Portugieser strapped on your wrist – you could just as easily be frolicking on the beaches of Saint-Tropez as waiting to get seated at one of New York’s swankiest establishments, yet feeling immaculately dressed for the occasion in both situations.

The post Get Shorty: Orlebar Brown’s Adam Brown Teams Up With IWC on a Special-Edition Portugieser appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

We all wish for that Eureka moment. Having that one brilliant idea that will scoop us out of the pool of mundanity we’ve found ourselves in with our chosen (or not) career, which in all likelihood, has become far less interesting than it used to be.

The thing with such lightbulb moments is that they dawn on you in the unlikeliest places and moments, and are often motivated by simple practicalities. For Adam Brown, founder of British resortwear and lifestyle brand Orlebar Brown, that moment came while he was on holiday in Rajasthan, and was slightly irked about having to change for lunch while wearing swim shorts. “That’s when I got the idea of a tailored swim short – that which I can swim in but also can wear to a restaurant and still look smart,” Brown says.

[caption id="attachment_212501" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Models wear clothing from the Orlebar Brown / IWC resort capsule collection and IWC watches.[/caption]

And Orlebar Brown swim shorts are surely not your run-of-the-mill variety. They’re based on the traditional pattern of a pair of men’s trousers, and designed to be a “transitional item” you can wear in or by the pool, as well as in establishments that require a dress code. As the brand’s collections evolved, so did the variety of its products that eventually extended beyond holiday wear. And now, in light of Brown’s collaboration with IWC, he’s just added watch design to his résumé.

“It started with an email, and went on to a ‘get to know you’ phase with Chris Granger, CEO of IWC, and its creative director Christian Knoop; it snowballed from there. The creative process was really fun. I think the fun factor is an important part of any collaboration, and that both brands share the same values,” Brown says. Numerous meetings, phone calls, emails and hours-long brainstorming sessions later, the Portugieser Yacht Club Chronograph Edition “Orlebar Brown” was born, and alongside it a nine-piece special Orlebar Brown capsule resort collection.

[caption id="attachment_212498" align="aligncenter" width="791"] Adam Brown is the founder of Orlebar Brown.[/caption]

“It was a true collaboration, with both involved in each other’s products – from the colour and design of the case down to the weight of the strap. It was very important to me that we both contributed to the design of the watch and the capsule collection. Obviously, the Portugieser is a watch that’s been around for a long time and IWC was very clear about how it wanted to talk about the watch this year. It was something that absolutely fits with what Orlebar Brown is about,” Brown says.

And the Portugieser Yacht Club Chronograph Edition “Orlebar Brown” indeed has that resort touch to it. Matching its stainless-steel case is a marine-blue dial and a co-branded side-fastener buckle with white and red colour accents, shades often used in Orlebar Brown’s product range. The chronograph is equipped with an in-house calibre, and features a flyback function, a sub dial at 12 o’clock and a 68-hour power reserve. It’s finished off with a blue rubber strap with textile inlay and is, naturally, water-resistant up to 6 bar, making it ideally suited for an action-packed adventure on the deck of a yacht, or a casual lounge at the beach or pool.

[gallery ids="212497,212496"]

As for the capsule collection, it’s not like any that Brown has done before. “It’s high resort. The watch is called the Yacht Club, so it gave us a clear direction as to what the product would look like. That elegance, refinement, the approach to tailoring, the attention to detail. For instance, using towelling fabric in a blazer, the trim details, weight of the jerseys and use of the finest linen, or having gold fasteners on the trousers and other touches like that. It’s different because of the lifestyle it’s epitomising. Although we’ve done ready-to-wear for quite a while, it just needed a bit of a nudge and we made it a little more refined and a bit more grown up and just had that IWC feel about it.

“Just like the Portugieser Yacht Club, our collection combines timeless elegance and a love of adventure. We also drew inspiration from Portugieser family, a model that’s traditionally associated with the world of water, sailing and navigation.”

The collection includes a white towelling blazer with blue piping and a cotton/silk knitted polo. A highlight is a photographic swim short with signature side fasteners, depicting a Solaris 55 sailing yacht in front of Porto Rotondo in Sardinia.

[caption id="attachment_212499" align="alignnone" width="1000"] Bulldog swim shorts with the Solaris 55 sailing yacht.[/caption]

“When you do collaborations, the idea is to take your brand to a place where it doesn’t traditionally exist. So whether it’s the Bond collaboration, an artist or a graphic designer, it’s just interesting to see how something that you know so well and something that’s fundamentally Orlebar Brown can evolve into something that’s slightly different and interesting for the customer.”

In his design process Brown always considers where items will be worn, what the wearers will be doing in them, and the overall lifestyle they convey. “With IWC, there was a true resort style and elegance to it. Maybe a sporting touch, too – a bit more beach-volleyball feel, or playing with the kids in the water. Or there’s the coast/Atlantic kind of holiday, like being on a big cliff, so it’s very different from being in a resort or on a beach, so instead we do wind-blown effects, faded colours and a fabric that’s slightly different.

[caption id="attachment_212500" align="alignnone" width="1024"] A model wears an Orlebar Brown Headley knitted grey sweatshirt with the Portugieser Yacht Club Chronograph Edition "Orlebar Brown" watch.[/caption]

“My approach to design really is that the item needs to have a personality; it has to have a real relationship with the user, taking into consideration how you think the customer would want to wear it. It’s not simply producing clothes. This whole idea of versatility is important, too. You need to look at things from different angles and perspectives, rather than making it about a specific place or activity. All those things come together to form a design philosophy,” Brown says.

And surely wearing a smart linen button-down shirt paired with jacquard swim shorts – and, of course, with this handsome Portugieser strapped on your wrist – you could just as easily be frolicking on the beaches of Saint-Tropez as waiting to get seated at one of New York’s swankiest establishments, yet feeling immaculately dressed for the occasion in both situations.

The post Get Shorty: Orlebar Brown’s Adam Brown Teams Up With IWC on a Special-Edition Portugieser appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

The year may be winding to a close, but our favourite timepiece brands aren't slowing down anytime soon.

Here are the most exciting watch news and releases you need to know about this month.

Omega pays tribute to an iconic timepiece

Fifty years after Omega received the Silver Snoopy Award from NASA Astronauts, the house has unveiled a tribute edition of the famed Speedmaster Chrono, powered by the co-axial Master Chronometer Calibre 3861.

Rado unveils its new unisex, high-tech ceramic watches

Known especially for its use of innovative materials, Rado has introduced a new True Square Open Heart collection in high-tech ceramic. Suitable for men and women and wearing comfortably on the wrist, these skeletonised-dial watches come in 38mm scratch-resistant ceramic cases in “dark” or “light” colours (the latter with diamond hour markers), with 5-bar water resistance. They’re powered by the Calibre C07, which offers a power reserve of up to 80 hours.

Hermès gets complicated with the Arceau Lift Tourbillon Répétition Minutes

Hermès has broadened its impressive range of watch-making capabilities by dipping a toe into the realm of haute horlogerie complications. Available in a 43mm rose- or white-gold case, the Arceau Lift Tourbillon Répétition Minutes features both a flying tourbillon and a double-gong minute-repeater, both of which are visible through a cut-out lacquered dial (the larger aperture representing the profile of a horse’s head).

Tudor's latest sport-luxury watch will have you feeling like royalty

So wildly successful has the Black Bay line of sports/dive watches been that it’s almost come to define the Tudor brand. No wonder, then, that the company is at last turning its attention to other market niches. The result is the recently announced Royal collection, which revives a name from the ’50s in the guise of a sporty luxury dress watch for everyday wear. Available in men’s and women’s sizes, and in steel or two-tone steel and yellow gold, the Royal features a variety of ETA-sourced movements, depending on the case size. Shown here is a 28mm two-tone version with mother-of-pearl dial, which should adorn any woman’s wrist very nicely indeed.

MB&F teams up with Eddy Jaquet on a new limited-edition timepiece

Maximilian Büsser and Friends has drawn on the imagination of a famed Neuchâtel-based engraver for its latest horological creation, the MB&F x Eddy Jaquet LM Split Escapement, an eight-piece limited edition inspired by the writings of the 19th-century French author Jules Verne.

Vaheron Constantin merges Art Nouveau and nature in the Heures Créatives Heure Romantique

Horological and jewellery-making expertise come together with breathtaking results in this new reference of the Heures Créatives Heure Romantique from the 200-year-old maison Vacheron Constantin. Inspired by an Art Nouveau timepiece from 1916, the watch’s white-gold case resembles a flower — the lugs take the form of leaves — and is set with 104 diamonds. On this model, the dial is in lustrous black mother-of-pearl, while the crown is set with a single diamond; fine engraved beads decorate the side of the bezel and case. Powered by the hand-wound Calibre 1055, the Heures Créatives Heure Romantique offers a reserve of 40 hours.

Hublot marks a milestone birthday with the Classic Fusion 40th Anniversary

It’s four decades since Hublot debuted its own and rather unique vision of haute horlogerie, and to mark the occasion, the pioneering Swiss house has just released the Classic Fusion 40th Anniversary, a reinvention of the Classic Original of 1980. The limited-edition 43mm watch, which is available in yellow gold (100 pieces), black ceramic (200 pieces) and titanium (200 pieces), features a polished black-lacquer dial and a specially engraved commemorative caseback. Powered by a Hublot HUB 1112 automatic calibre, it offers a 42-hour reserve. Each version is fitted with a black rubber strap with deployant clasp.

More is more for Dior's opulent Grand Bal Plume

Of the three Dior watches nominated in this year’s Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève is this exquisite Grand Bal Plume, which is competing for top honours in the Métiers d’Art/artistic craft category. The 36mm timepiece, which is powered by an exclusive automatic movement, features a front oscillating weight decorated with wild feathers, which rotates above a white mother-of-pearl dial like a ballgown. The dazzling effect is completed by a gold and diamond-set bezel.

The post Omega Releases Speedmaster Chrono Tribute, Rado’s Skeleton-Dial Ceramic Timepieces, and More Watch News appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

The year may be winding to a close, but our favourite timepiece brands aren't slowing down anytime soon.

Here are the most exciting watch news and releases you need to know about this month.

Omega pays tribute to an iconic timepiece

Fifty years after Omega received the Silver Snoopy Award from NASA Astronauts, the house has unveiled a tribute edition of the famed Speedmaster Chrono, powered by the co-axial Master Chronometer Calibre 3861.

Rado unveils its new unisex, high-tech ceramic watches

Known especially for its use of innovative materials, Rado has introduced a new True Square Open Heart collection in high-tech ceramic. Suitable for men and women and wearing comfortably on the wrist, these skeletonised-dial watches come in 38mm scratch-resistant ceramic cases in “dark” or “light” colours (the latter with diamond hour markers), with 5-bar water resistance. They’re powered by the Calibre C07, which offers a power reserve of up to 80 hours.

Hermès gets complicated with the Arceau Lift Tourbillon Répétition Minutes

Hermès has broadened its impressive range of watch-making capabilities by dipping a toe into the realm of haute horlogerie complications. Available in a 43mm rose- or white-gold case, the Arceau Lift Tourbillon Répétition Minutes features both a flying tourbillon and a double-gong minute-repeater, both of which are visible through a cut-out lacquered dial (the larger aperture representing the profile of a horse’s head).

Tudor's latest sport-luxury watch will have you feeling like royalty

So wildly successful has the Black Bay line of sports/dive watches been that it’s almost come to define the Tudor brand. No wonder, then, that the company is at last turning its attention to other market niches. The result is the recently announced Royal collection, which revives a name from the ’50s in the guise of a sporty luxury dress watch for everyday wear. Available in men’s and women’s sizes, and in steel or two-tone steel and yellow gold, the Royal features a variety of ETA-sourced movements, depending on the case size. Shown here is a 28mm two-tone version with mother-of-pearl dial, which should adorn any woman’s wrist very nicely indeed.

MB&F teams up with Eddy Jaquet on a new limited-edition timepiece

Maximilian Büsser and Friends has drawn on the imagination of a famed Neuchâtel-based engraver for its latest horological creation, the MB&F x Eddy Jaquet LM Split Escapement, an eight-piece limited edition inspired by the writings of the 19th-century French author Jules Verne.

Vaheron Constantin merges Art Nouveau and nature in the Heures Créatives Heure Romantique

Horological and jewellery-making expertise come together with breathtaking results in this new reference of the Heures Créatives Heure Romantique from the 200-year-old maison Vacheron Constantin. Inspired by an Art Nouveau timepiece from 1916, the watch’s white-gold case resembles a flower — the lugs take the form of leaves — and is set with 104 diamonds. On this model, the dial is in lustrous black mother-of-pearl, while the crown is set with a single diamond; fine engraved beads decorate the side of the bezel and case. Powered by the hand-wound Calibre 1055, the Heures Créatives Heure Romantique offers a reserve of 40 hours.

Hublot marks a milestone birthday with the Classic Fusion 40th Anniversary

It’s four decades since Hublot debuted its own and rather unique vision of haute horlogerie, and to mark the occasion, the pioneering Swiss house has just released the Classic Fusion 40th Anniversary, a reinvention of the Classic Original of 1980. The limited-edition 43mm watch, which is available in yellow gold (100 pieces), black ceramic (200 pieces) and titanium (200 pieces), features a polished black-lacquer dial and a specially engraved commemorative caseback. Powered by a Hublot HUB 1112 automatic calibre, it offers a 42-hour reserve. Each version is fitted with a black rubber strap with deployant clasp.

More is more for Dior's opulent Grand Bal Plume

Of the three Dior watches nominated in this year’s Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève is this exquisite Grand Bal Plume, which is competing for top honours in the Métiers d’Art/artistic craft category. The 36mm timepiece, which is powered by an exclusive automatic movement, features a front oscillating weight decorated with wild feathers, which rotates above a white mother-of-pearl dial like a ballgown. The dazzling effect is completed by a gold and diamond-set bezel.

The post Omega Releases Speedmaster Chrono Tribute, Rado’s Skeleton-Dial Ceramic Timepieces, and More Watch News appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

MB&F is celebrating the ten-year anniversary of their HM4 Thunderbolt with the new HM4 ‘Kittyhawk’ timepiece. This new ‘Pièce Unique’ timepiece was inspired by the iconic Curtiss P-40 aircraft, also known as the ‘Kittyhawk’, and it shows. Along the sides of the fuselages on the new HM4 ‘Kittyhawk’ are the same shark mouth and eyes […]

The post MB&F Reveal HM4 ‘Kittyhawk’ Designed After Iconic Aircraft appeared first on duPont REGISTRY Daily.

The timeless Hermès Arceau watch, designed by Henry d’Origny in 1978, is creatively reimagined in Into the Canadian Wild, which captures the spirit of the country’s thriving wild nature.

The watch is available in two limited series of 24 pieces each, with options of snowy owl and polar bear motifs depicted on its dial. The animal subjects were originally designed by British artist Alice Shirley in occasion of Canada’s 150th anniversary in 2017, and were first portrayed on a silk scarf of the same name.

Nature is central to the Hermès Arceau Into the Canadian Wild and its intent to celebrate the North American country’s vast territories, globally known as a one of the few remaining places where flora and fauna still reign supreme without the interference of humankind.

[gallery ids="212423,212424"]

The snowy owl, a symbol of the province of Quebec, and the majestic polar bear are carefully designed and hand-finished through miniature work by Hermès Horloger and are surrounded by different volumes of landscapes and countless details. Following the theme of the animal's surroundings, the owl model also features a moon phase.

The Arceau Into the Canadian Wild, as a matter of fact, is a prime example of the art of miniaturisation. Combining craftsmanship and watchmaking, the piece is powered by a mechanical self-winding movement. The exclusive dials are framed and further elevated by an elegant white gold case with 82 diamonds and completed by a sapphire blue alligator strap.

[gallery ids="212416,212417,212418"]

Through the impressive attention to details and unique craftsmanship of the Hermès Horloger artisans, this limited edition Arceau is a luxurious ode to nature and a reminder of its incalculable value.

(Main image: Studio des fleurs for Hermès)

The post The Hermès Arceau Into the Canadian Wild is an Elegant Tribute to Nature appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.