Lifestyle

THE YEAR AHEAD The annual Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH) is likely to showcase more women’s novelties as luxury brands push even harder in this segment of the high-end market

BY CHUANG PECK MING

IWC SCHAFFHAUSEN DA VINCI AUTOMATIC MOON PHASE 36

OOKING for new buyers Automatic Moon Phase 36. The former also as sales fell, luxury watch comes in a unisex version with a larger case. brands launched more The third model, the Da Vinci Perpetual timepieces than usual for Calendar Chronograph, is a complication women in 2016. It is likely watch for men. that in 2017 they will push The last time that IWC launched a new even harder in this segment Da Vinci collection was some 10 years ago – Lof the high-end watch market, which the and the then had unusual cases with Swiss have a near monopoly. Visitors to the a shape resembling a barrel in profile. The week-long Salon International de la Haute new timepieces bid farewell to this tonneau Horlogerie (SIHH) in mid-January are likely case and return to the familiar round one. to see more women’s novelties showcased They also sit more comfortably on the wrist, than last year at the annual watch fair, one of thanks to newly designed movable horns with two giant fairs in Switzerland where most of curved lugs which ensure that the strap or the new watches coming into the market in bracelet fits snugly on it. AUDEMARS PIGUET the year are first unveiled. The two new Da Vinci women models ROYAL OAK FROSTED FOLD Months before the event, nine of the 17 are not just smaller and slimmer, they are participating watch brands have already sent also more feminine in design. The crown – out previews of the novelties that they will be which controls the winding and adjustment presenting. Four of them offered samples of of the time – is rounded, and the dial of the only or mainly timepieces for ladies. One had timepieces has a recessed inner circle. a balanced mix of women and men’s watches The models come in gold cases with to show, while the rest of the brands had only -set bezels and alligator leather men’s pieces. straps in many colours. Engraved on Though men’s watches will still dominate their case-back is the “Flower of Life”, a the show at SIHH, more exhibition space geometrical figure which has several regularly has been given to women’s timepieces lately. overlapping circles and was the object of Certainly, the lady customer is becoming intensive study and numerous drawings by more prominent than before. After all, Leonardo da Vinci. women make up a big share of the buyers in Richard Mille, which boasts highly the watch market. expensive timepieces marketed by mega That is probably why IWC Schaffhausen movie and sports stars, presented two women has done something which would have been novelties in its pre-SIHH sample: the RM 07- unthinkable only a few years back. The brand, 01 and RM 037. which has been selling watches “engineered The hallmark of the Richard Mille men’s for men”, shed its masculine image in Hong collection is NTPT carbon, which lends its Kong in November to unveil a pre-SIHH watches “a unique and powerful appearance selection that is tailored primary for women. while simultaneously ensuring an optimal “With the new Da Vinci collection, we are protection for the calibre”. This hard material, consciously trying to anchor the brand in the now set with gems, is also used to make the minds of women, who account for a significant two new feminine watches. proportion of watch lovers,” says Franziska Audemars Piguet also appears to focus only Gsell, IWC’s chief marketing officer. on women in 2017, after spending the past two RICHARD MILLE RM07-01 Three models were presented in Hong years showing off a new super minute repeater. Kong, with two of them for ladies: the For a taste of what it has in store at SIHH, the Da Vinci Automatic 36 and the Da Vinci brand famous for its octagonal-cased Royal

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ROGER DUBUIS EXCALIBUR SPIDER SKELETON AUTOMATIC

OakOa timepieces offered the New Royal Oak the 60th FrostedFro Gold in Florence collection, which anniversary of its marksmar the 40th anniversary of its women signature Altiplano RoyalRoya Oak line. line of ultra-thin timepieces, TheT defining feature of the Frosted Gold unveiled in its pre-SIHH presentation timepiecestimepi – in rhodium or silver-toned two original models – one hand-winding dialdial aandn in 33 or 37 mm case – lies in their and the other self-winding – which are “shimmering“shimm sparkle, which comes from “inspired by the aesthetic codes of the first a surfacsurfacee treatment process rooted in an ultra-thin watches”. ancient gogold hammering technique, also The first model, sporting a smaller called thethe Florentine technique”. 38 mm case, is intended to be a unisex Jaeg Jaeger-LeCoultre,er which in 2016 gave the timepiece. The second has a bigger 43 mm floorfloor to its RReverso line – a line more popular case. These are only the first of the new with womenwomen than with men – is keeping the models in the 60th Anniversary Collection in PIAGETPIAGET spotlight on tthe ladies in 2017 by presenting a a limited edition. Piaget says that it will reveal ALTIPLANOALTIPLANO new Rendez-VousRendez-V feminine collection. Apart the rest in the course of the year. fromfrom offering yyellow and rose gold options Officine ’s pre-SIHH teasers – as well as a bigger case and two editions of the new Radiomir 3 Days new straps, this collection, Acciaio – are also inspired by a past model, a which made its debut in rare Radiomir watch produced in the 1930s 2012, introduced a moon which has a 12-sided bezel with the words phase – the Rendez-Vous “Officine Panerai Brevettato”. The inscription Moon – and a new chiming refers to the patented luminous substance reminder function. The latter, used on the dial. featured in the Rendez-Vous Both the new editions – totally masculine Sonatina Large, chimes at the with the brand still sticking to that image – appointed time. “The delicate have the same 12-sided bezel and engraving, tinkle of a single hammer but the colours of their dials differ. One is strike is audible at the selected black, the colour of the vintage model. The time,” Jaeger-LeCoultre says. other is shaded brown – a totally new colour Roger Dubuis is falling in the Panera collections. back on colours to draw the also offered two crowd. It dedicated 2016 more complicated novelties for preview. exclusively to ladies with One is the Traditionnelle Minute Repeater the brand’s Velvet line. This Tourbillon, which reflects “the technical and JAEGER- year, the focus is on a new aesthetic sophistication pervading every VACHERON CONSTANTIN LECOULTRE TRADITIONNELLE MINUTE RENDEZ- Excalibur collection and Vacheron Constantin model”. It is equipped REPEATER TOURBILLON VOUS MOON Roger Dubuis is letting men’s with a new movement made in-house. timepieces return to the The other new watch is the Patrimony centre stage – though there is also a new Moon Phase and Retrograde Date, which women’s model, the Excalibur 36, among its features a dial where the cycle and age pre-SIHH novelties. of the moon – the number of days which Two new men’s models were offered have elapsed since the last new moon – for the sneak peek: the Excalibur Quatuor are reproduced on a display requiring no Cobalt MicroMelt and the Excalibur Spider corrections for 122 years. Skeleton Automatic. As its name suggests, Ulysses Nardin’s two new pre-SIHH the Quatuor Cobalt MicroMelt is made of models are a showcase of the brand’s the high-performance cobalt chrome alloy, expertise in the fine art of enamelling, produced using “the very exclusive MicroMelt miniature painting and use of Jaquemarts. technology that represents just The first, the Classico Manufacture, displays 0.1 per cent of worldwide metallurgy”. a stunning blue Grand Feu enamel dial. Only But what really stands out are a handful of craftsmen have the the colours of the watch: the necessary skills to master the gleaming cobalt chrome material Grand Feu technique, first is contrasted with colourful used in the 17th century. parts in PVD-coated blue The second new watch, and dynamic red and white, the Hourstriker Pin-Up, OFFICINE PANERAI including a blue alligator has miniature RADIOMIR 3 DAYS ACCIAIO leather strap with red stitching. painting on the dial Cool colour contrasts are also and Jaquemarts to the keynote of the highlight the hour striker Spider Skeleton. function, one of the most ULYSSE NARDIN Piaget, which HOURSTRIKER intricate complication in is celebrating PIN-UP mechanical timekeeping. ■

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