Celebrity Life

In the past, we have seen contemporary examples from the Girard-Perregaux Laureato Collection, featuring the Absolute Crystal Rock. The Swiss watchmaker recently collaborated with Bamford Watch Company to create a first-ever rendition of the Laureato, launched in 1975. The Girard-Perregaux Laureato Ghost is a limited-edition example crafted from contemporary white ceramic, using a circular case […]

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TAG Heuer is celebrating the birthday of Jack Heuer with a limited-edition gold Carrera chronograph. He has been a staple to the company as a true visionary since his start in 1958, and continuing as an appointed Honorary Chairman of the family business. The Carrera was chosen to be the platform as it is Jack’s […]

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Watches have continued to serve a purpose as an aquatic tool since the beginning, blending the luxury aspect with the ability to function under all conditions. Breitling is remaining true to the craft with its 3rd collaboration with Outerknown, a sustainable clothing brand established by pro-surfer Kelly Slater. The platform for the partnership is the […]

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To create a watch a watchmaker must combine a ton of tiny little pieces in such a perfect way that their final product functions properly. From the tourbillon to the gears and jewels, everything needs to be placed perfectly. In a new video from Ulysse Nardin, we see some of the techniques used when their […]

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Panerai is determined to depart from the usual mould of brand communications and is connecting with clients by offering unforgettable experiences. Its first-ever creative director, Alvaro Maggini, is paving the way for that.

There appears to be a reawakening of sorts at Panerai. When Jean-Marc Pontroué, previously CEO of fellow Richemont brand Roger Dubuis, took over the reins at the Italian luxury watch brand in 2018 from the widely loved Angelo Bonati – the only CEO Panerai ever knew – the industry and the Paneristi were sceptical and a touch suspicious. Bonati, after all, was at the helm for 21 years and made the once-small, obscure Florentine company a respected global brand. Those, however, who felt that Panerai could use a little boost and were familiar with Pontroué’s marketing savvy were thrilled.

From the outset, Pontroué’s mandate was to go beyond simply launching products and offer Panerai clients with experiences. Last year, for instance, 15 individuals who bought the Panerai Submersible Chrono Guillaume Néry Edition were invited to join French free-diving champion Néry on a special whale-watching dive in the oceans that surround his home on the South Pacific island of Mo’orea in French Polynesia. And that was Pontroué warming up.

He appointed Panerai’s first creative director, former colleague Alvaro Maggini, to help him realise this vision. Directed to communicate a strong and consistent global image that’s both invigorated yet faithful to the Panerai identity, Maggini brings to the fold his eclectic style and an avant-garde though elegant approach to design.

Maggini started in luxury watchmaking in 2011 as creative director at Roger Dubuis, where he worked with Pontroué and created fantastical digital campaigns and in-boutique installations. He then moved to Jaeger-Le Coultre as the head of creative strategy, a position he held for two years from 2017. And now he’s thrilled to be working alongside Pontroué again at Panerai, a brand that affords him a world of concepts and stories from which he can draw.

“I have a very deep admiration for Jean-Marc – he’s someone I trust and respect a lot who can bring out the best of my abilities,” Maggini says. “We’ve worked together for a decade. As a leader, he creates an environment where everyone can speak freely, and openly bring ideas to the table, no matter how outrageous. Jean-Marc has an obsession and a passion for work that’s infectious; in some way I think that’s what connects us.

“Panerai is such a non-static brand, things change all the time and not necessarily in terms of design but more on elements, materials and shape. And when it comes to technology, Panerai can be really crazy – and I mean that in the best possible way. It’s already managed to establish such an iconic design, and what it does is introduce innovations and materials never used in the watch industry before. And of course, this gives all teams – marketing, creative, production – a lot to work with.”

In spite of Maggini’s oft-fantastical presentations, the message, he argues, is rather straightforward. “Yes they are ‘wow’ presentations, but the intention is actually quite simple. I believe that less complicated means they’re better understood and, as such, much more appreciated,” he says.

“I think this manner of thinking developed during my study of typography, which later led me to be a typeface designer. I’m so used to working with small details. I can spend days, even months, developing just one alphabet. And, quite ironically, the result is usually very simple. The fewer the elements, the better,” he says. He applies this philosophy to his work at Panerai. “I like to be really focused, aligned with a direction – creating messages that can be immediately perceived.”

Maggini builds his stories around three important Panerai pillars: military, being Italian and, of course, water. “With water, mind you, I’m not talking about the calm kind. I weave concepts, stories, around the severity, deepness and precariousness of the ocean, where you can meet real dangers and find the most monstrous creatures. This is an element I worked on with Jean-Marc at Panerai.”

An example of this is an installation Maggini developed last year, which found its way to a Panerai pop-up store in Harbour City, Kowloon. Designed to echo an epic, underwater realm, the multi- sensory installation featured a huge, venomous octopus amid an aquatic habitat of rocks, sand and shells. Visitors could also experience the rarely seen underwater world through Panerai VR glasses.

“The idea is to be able to build a story, working with elements of the water – its colours, such as deep blue, green and black. When we work on something with titanium, for example, we introduce black elements in various textures – matte, polished, high-polish – and this helps me build a story around the product. And Panerai also has this very ecological aspect. Within its R&D departments, it’s always thinking of sustainability and ways to preserve nature. And again, when we claim the tag ‘Panerai is crazy’, we want that to mean so much more than just creating extraordinary products using unconventional materials. We want that also to mean sustainability, we want that to mean thinking of the future.”

Within the Panerai universe, 2020 has been declared the Year of the Luminor, and Maggini could not be more pleased. “I mean the story-telling behind this is crazy. The material used in the Luminor Marina Fibratech, for instance, is just spectacular; it’s a material that’s never been used before, and the opaqueness and uneven texture of the Fibratech just enhance the watch’s appearance. This watch, I feel, encapsulates what the brand is all about.”

It would be remiss not to mention the Submersible EcoPangaea Tourbillon GMT, which uses recycled metal from the 35-metre drive shaft of the Pangea, explorer Mike Horn’s sailing ship. “The Eco Submersible underscores Panerai’s determination not only to use unconventional materials, but also that which connects in a genuine, human level, which goes in line with our desire to give our customers something different.” And certainly, incorporating a part of what’s arguably one of the most grandiose explorers of our era is rather extraordinary.

“We’ve started to adopt this practice of not just selling products but offering a lifelong experience, and a genuine story, and I think we’re on the right track,” says Maggini.

The post Panerai’s Creative Director Alvaro Maggini Discusses Unforgettable Experiences and Compelling Storytelling appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

Watches have always played a key role in the automotive industry. A tool for drivers as well as a platform for manufacturers to collaborate. The uniqueness of design and functions allow for any auto enthusiast to find the perfect watch to represent what they love about motorsports. The difficulty in choosing that kind of timepiece […]

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With 245 years of rich watchmaking heritage, Breguet is one of the world’s oldest continually operating watch brands, but is never content to rest on its laurels; it consistently pushes the innovation envelope as it strives to perpetuate its legacy for centuries to come. Roberta Naas takes a look at the man who may well... View Article

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Each collection by Audemars Piguet features a timeless design matched with state-of-the-art movement technology, all being consistently updated to keep customers ahead of the curve. The luxury Swiss timepiece manufacturer announced that two of its most coveted models are receiving a complicated Self-Winding Flying Tourbillon for the first time ever. The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak […]

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A timepiece can complete an outfit by complimenting the style worn by the individual. The best way to help portray that inspiration is by combining a luxury watch manufacturer with a high-end men’s fashion house. This ideal collaboration is what Hublot is doing with the emblematic designer Berluti on the newest limited-edition Big Bang Unico […]

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Who can resist the call of the wild?

These gorgeous watches draw inspiration from wildlife, and showcase extraordinary decorative and innovative techniques that bring to life the marvels of the natural world.

Cartier

Wizardry is the word that describes how the dial of the Révélation d’Une Panthère magically transforms. Some 650 tiny brilliant-cut diamonds appear to be floating loosely over the blank, black-lacquered dial, but when you tilt the watch ever so gently to read the time, the diamonds begin to glide, ultimately forming the outline of a panther’s head. It took five years for Cartier to develop this innovation, which suspends the diamonds in a patented clear viscous fluid under the sapphire crystal. Upon slight movement, the stones slowly trickle into invisible carved channels on the dial. The EX 37mm white gold mechanical creation flaunts a diamond-set bezel and is equipped with the calibre 430 MC.

Dior

The maison turned to Monsieur Dior‘s beautiful gardens for the inspiration behind its one-of-a-kind timepieces. This Dior Grand Soir Reine des Abeilles 21 white gold watch features a bejewelled bee with en tremblant wings that flutter with the wearer’s movements. The insect is set with sapphires, emeralds, diamonds and rubies, as well as opals and feathers. The dial’s snow-set round diamonds represent the queen bee’s dazzling hive, which is encircled by a diamond-set bezel and lugs. The 36mm statement piece is equipped with a quartz movement and delivered with a black velvet strap that lends a luxurious touch.

Chopard

A highlight of the maison’s 73-piece Red Carpet Collection 2020 that pays tribute to nature, this whimsical Owl jewellery watch was one of the first creations from the range to be unveiled. The gemstone-encrusted bird is set in ethical 18k white gold and adorned with a total of 9.1 carats of brilliant- and trapeze-cut diamonds. They are accented by an array of rainbow-hued sapphires – weighing a combined 4.1 carats – that encircle the twin dials displaying two time zones.

Harry Winston

A year after the debut of a smaller variant, the jeweller unveils the Premier Lotus Automatic in this larger 36mm white gold model. The beauty of the lotus flower – a cherished house motif – is celebrated in a romantic blush palette on the dial. It takes the form of two white gold sculptures adorned with white and pink beaded mother-of-pearl, and set atop a mother-of-pearl dial carved with a ripple pattern. A total of 164 brilliant-, marquise- and emerald-cut diamonds are set on the petals using a proprietary clustering technique, while 57 brilliant-cut diamonds line the bezel. The timepiece is equipped with the HW2014 Swiss-made mechanical movement, which boasts a robust 68-hour power reserve.

Breguet

Living in the depths of the Mediterranean is Neptune grass, an aquatic plant essential to the endemic marine ecosystem. Its graceful form is expressed on the dial of the white gold Marine Haute Joaillerie 9509 Poseidonia through exquisite mother-of-pearl marquetry and precious gems assembled with an invisible setting. Pictured here is the 35.8mm red variant featuring 85 baguette rubies, coloured sapphires and diamonds on the dial. The same gems also embellish the bezel and strap buckle. The transparent sapphire caseback reveals the extra- slim self-winding 591C calibre.

Vacheron Constantin

One of four unique chiming watches from the maison’s La Musique du Temps Les Cabinotiers – The Singing Birds collection, this 40mm pink gold piece showcases a champlevé enamel painting of a blue jay in a bucolic scene. A mastery of volumes and traditional craftsmanship techniques are essential for such pieces with a two-tiered dial. The enamelled section conceals the mechanism driving the hours and minutes, while the guilloche area displays the hour and minute indications. It is powered by the extra-thin self-winding calibre 1120 AT movement, which features an off-centre time display, offering additional space for the incredible artwork on its left.

Jaquet Droz

Inspired by a 1774 sketch by famed watchmaker Henri-Louis Jaquet-Droz, this one-of-a-kind Loving Butterfly Automaton boasts a stunning opal dial as the fiery backdrop to a mesmerising display. Encircled by a 43mm red gold case, a gilded forest towers over gold appliques of a chariot, cherub and harnessed butterfly. A push of the crown button sets the butterfly’s wings aflutter as it pulls the chariot, and the wheels appear to turn, courtesy of an optical illusion created by fixed and moving spokes. A total of 40 hand- engraved parts, including the cherub’s intricate arms, were assembled manually. Powered by the self-winding Jaquet Droz 2653 AT1 movement, this extraordinary watch also showcases an off-centre onyx sub-dial with hour and minute markers.

Hermès

The motif on this 38mm Arceau Harnais Français Remix timepiece is composed of a pair of horses decked in elaborate harnesses. The image is adapted from the design of a vintage Hermès silk scarf by Hugo Grygkar, a prolific in-house designer who worked at the maison from the 1940s to 1959. The bezel is set with 82 diamonds and frames the engraved, hand-painted Limoges porcelain dial. Taking a month to craft, the horses are first hand-engraved, after which enamel paint colours are applied meticulously layer by layer and fired repeatedly. Produced in a limited and numbered series of 24, the watch is driven by the H1912 mechanical self- winding movement.

This story first appeared on Prestige Singapore, with art direction by Aaron Lee.

The post Where the Wild Things are: The Most Striking Watches Inspired by Wildlife appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

TAG Heuer’s Connected watch is getting some new styling options just in time for the Holiday season. First up are the new strap options that join the polished steel and colorful rubber straps that are already available. These new options include the green and brown nubuck and rubber straps that are both sporty and stylish. […]

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