Eight New Watches To Be Unveiled At Geneva Show
Hiren Kumar Bose introduces the eight watches to be unveiled at Geneva during SIHH Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie) 2019
ZENITH Defy Classic Black Ceramic
Defy Classic Black Ceramic is brought to life from its subtly nuanced darkness and the sense of volume it conveys through balanced geometry and unique, visionary architecture – inside and out. Forged from wear-proof black zirconium oxide ceramic, the Defy Classic’s faceted 41mm case features a combination of polished and satin-brushed surfaces, emphasizing its geometric and resolutely contemporary case inspired by the original Zenith Defy collection first launched in the 1970s. The angular, silhouette of the case is softened by the perfectly circular bezel that haloes above it. In broad daylight, the faceted hands and applied markers appear as one with the blackened complex of the open dial and visible portions of the movement, with their polished ruthenium-treated surfaces gleaming through the darkness for surprisingly easy legibility. Come nightfall, they emit a subtle green glow from the Super-LumiNova® SLN C1 coating, recalling the night-lights of a city that never sleeps.
H. MOSER & CIE Nature Watch
This watch is 100% Swiss Made; it was created using plants native to Switzerland, grown in the gardens of its Schaffhausen-based Manufacture. It is a symbol of climate change, standing against the rampant consumerism which is rife among us; equipped with a mechanical movement, the 42mm watch is made to last, to be passed on – like a baton in a relay race – on the sole condition that the owner knows how to take care of it. A unique piece in steel adorned with succulents, moss, mini Echeveria, cress, spiderwort and onion sets, with a dial in natural mineral stone and lichen from the Swiss Alps, and a strap made from grass.
CARTIER Privé
This year Cartier shines the spotlight on one of its oldest wristwatches, the Tonneau watch with redesigned hours and minute’s model and a skeleton dual time zone model, taking watch aesthetics to another level. Two brackets in pink gold or platinum create an oblong, curved shape that follows the contours of the wrist. Roman numerals, a rail track, a cabochon on the winding crown, leather strap, screws on the lugs – the codes of Cartier watchmaking are all there. The watch is undeniably true to the original 1906 model, even though everything has been reworked to fulfil modern-day demands such as ensuring the watch is perfectly water-resistant. The bezel on this Tonneau watch is formed from one block, with no overhang or breaks in the plane. Its contours and lugs melt into the watch case. Polished, rhodium-plated numerals stand out against the dial background – champagne-coloured on the pink gold version, silvered on the platinum model. In pink gold or in platinum with a ruby cabochon and issued as a numbered limited edition of 100 pieces, all models are fitted with the new 1917 MC Manufacture calibre.
PANERAI Submersible Chrono – Guillaume Néry
Guillaume Néry was twice a world champion and he broke four constant weight free-diving world records. This former professional athlete is now an ambassador of the sea, turning his astonishing underwater experiences into images and videos which amaze everyone who sees them. In his honour, Panerai has created a new watch combining technical performance and a remarkably powerful, sporty appearance. A 47mm professional diver’s watch, water-resistant to a depth of about 300 m and fitted with a unidirectional rotating bezel, which accurately displays the duration of the dive. The dial is clearly legible under all lighting conditions and in complete darkness, thanks to the luminous white markers, which stand out strongly against the shark grey, textured background. Engraved on the screw back are the champion’s signature and the depths of his final awe-inspiring record: 126 metres, achieved with a single breath. Its titanium case integrates perfectly with the blue of the ceramic disc applied to the bezel, the blue hands and the blue rubber strap. It is also a precision chronograph, with fly-back function and the device for zeroing the seconds hand to enable perfect synchronisation with a reference signal. It is fitted with a P.9100 automatic calibre with a power reserve of three days.
AUDEMARS PIGUET Royal Oak Offshore Chronograph
The three new 44mm Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Chronographs in camouflage colours combine ceramic bezel, pushpieces and screw-locked crown, Méga-Tapisserie dial and robust rubber straps. While the blue and green ceramic models feature a stainless steel case, the brown ceramic model – a first for Audemars Piguet – is endowed with a pink gold case that nicely sets off the bezel. Harder than steel, ceramic withstands high temperatures, thermal shock, scratches and … the passing years! Colouring ceramic requires a complex research stage to find the right pigments, as well as a long and delicate manufacturing process.
LAURENT FERRIER Galet Annual Calendar School Piece Opaline Black & White
In black and white, the 40mm watches are inspired by the Black and White contrast and purity of the Chess Board. Two opaline dials complement the current collection. With its date and month fast-adjustment by simply turning the crown forward and backwards, these timepieces offer a great experience to the wearer. For its annual calendar complication, Laurent Ferrier decided to pay a tribute to its first manual winding movement: The tourbillon double hairspring. The new calibre features a long “blade” type click ratchet which became a distinctive signature. For the first time, Laurent Ferrier will introduce a “desert sand” 18 ct yellow gold version. The watches display the day of the week, the date and the month under consideration of months with 30 and 31 days, so the only adjustment required is once a year: on March the 1st. The date is clearly indicated by a central hand and the days of the week and the months in two bevelled apertures. This display combines reading comfort and balanced beauty. The days of the week are updated by simply pushing the “easy to grip” button delicately integrated on the left side of the case. All the other adjustments are made by pulling and turning the crown. No tool is required. The gold Assegai hands and baton-type seconds hand retain their characteristic shape. For black dials, a red hand or for white dials a burgundy hand created for the date brings modernity and visibility to the timepiece.
FRANCK MULLER Vanguard Crazy Hours™ Lady
Made for female wrists, this timepiece (32 mm x 42.3 x 9.90 mm) displays numerals in an unconventional order, with an atypical Art Deco pop-art style. Driven by a patented mechanism, the central hours hand jumps from one hour to the next, consistently following the correct sequence of numerals even though they are randomly placed on the dial. Every 60 minutes, the hand jumps to the next correct numeral, while the minutes hand continues its traditional sweep around the dial. Available in many different colours, the timepiece displays the jumping hours, minutes and seconds functions thanks to a self-winding mechanical movement, whose heart beats at a frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour and offers a 40-hour power reserve. Enlivened by a movement structure composed of alternating concave and convex bridges, the tonneau-shaped case undeniably draws the eye in an appealing way.
JAEGER-LECOULTRE Rendez-Vous Moon
In both its pink gold and steel versions, the 34mm watch immerses the wearer at the heart of its new, even more, feminine moon phase. The silvered guilloché dial, the hands, the collection’s signature floral numerals, and the chatons highlight the hours to reveal discreet and sophisticated elegance. Its automatic movement, the Jaeger-LeCoultre calibre 925A, provides a 40-hour power reserve. Its interchangeable bracelets make this a chic, timeless model suited to accompanying women anywhere with unfailing accuracy. The moon phase expressed in a new light. In a disc at 6 o’clock, delicately polished moon cycles through its phases against a lacquered blue starry sky enhanced to stunning effect by the sea of clouds that carry it. When full, the round and radiant moon serve as a light-hearted reminder that the circle still reigns supreme as the predominant geometric shape in the Rendez-Vous collection. They include the bezel, set with 60 brilliant-cut diamonds blended into a seamless border. Meanwhile, the watch’s inner dial is studded with 47 smaller diamonds in perfect symmetry. The textured effect of the guilloché dial completes the harmonious marriage of materials and precious stones.
