Here are a few timepieces that celebrate heritage, design and technical advancements
Patek Philippe
Here’s something for every discerning woman, the Twenty~4, the Patek Philippe ladies’ watch that comes with a new face which is a fresh interpretation of the original 1999 “manchette” or cuff-style quartz model in steel. Two new versions the Twenty~4 references 4910/1200A- 001 with a blue sunburst dial and 4910/1200A-010 with a grey sunburst dial feature an elegant white-gold applied Arabic numerals and white-gold applied trapeze-shaped hour markers.
Patek Philippe has been making watches for women since 1839 with pocket watches or pendant watches. The Twenty~4 timepiece was created to meet the demands women face as she takes on more and more responsibilities in life. As the name suggests this timepiece will accompany a woman 24/7 as she goes through her day and night, at work, at home, and during leisure activities.
To note is the two-tier rectangular case this is covered in two rows of 18 Top Wesselton Pure diamonds (approx. 0.42 ct). A Calatrava Cross, emblem of the Patek Philippe manufacture, embellishes the crown. The supple, comfortable bracelet, fitted with a fold-over clasp, is a jewel in its own right.
Omega
Omega Speedmaster pays tribute to Snoopy, a nod to the “Silver Snoopy Award” from the astronauts at NASA. The Silver Snoopy Award depicts the beagle in a spacesuit and wearing his famous Flying Ace scarf. In the 1960s, Charles M. Schulz, the creator of the comic strip Peanuts featured Snoopy on the moon and the images quickly established Snoopy as a symbol of exploration.
In this year’s iteration, the beagle is depicted wearing his spacesuit. The watch dial itself is silver and laser-engraved with Ag925. It includes two more blue subdials, as well as blue PVD angle-shaped hour markers and hands.
On the caseback, you can watch Snoopy in orbit through an animated black and white Command and Service Module (CSM) on a magical hand. This is how it works: When the chronograph seconds hand is in use, Snoopy takes a trip around the mysterious far side of the moon — just like the Apollo 13 crew — with the lunar surface being decorated on the sapphire crystal using a unique micro-structured metallisation.
The attention to detail extends to the blue nylon fabric strap match- es the other blue elements of the watch, and even features the trajectory of the Apollo 13 mission, embossed on the lining.
TAG Heuer
Monaco by TAG Heuer gets a new watchmaker’s Calibre Heuer 02 manufacture movement that continues to celebrate the timepiece’s 50th anniversary last year. The 2020 models feature an in-house manufacture movement, the Calibre Heuer 02 along with a new design. The Calibre can be viewed through the watch’s sapphire crystal caseback and has a power reserve of 80 hours.
The highlight of the collection is the three new models with a bold black dial with a sunray-brushed appearance. Its counterpart features a lustrous blue sunray-brushed dial with a red, white, and blue colour scheme reminiscent of the original Monaco timepieces of 1969. Both models are presented on a stainless-steel bracelet with square counters at 3 and 9 o’clock and a red central chronograph seconds hand.
One unique change to note is the redesigned steel bracelet that draws on the H-shaped bracelet that was used for the Monaco watches in the early 1970s. To create an update the designers looked into the archive pieces at the TAG Heuer Museum in La Chaux-de-Fonds. The changes include the widening of the bracelet at the lugs in order to carry the weight of the watch head. It tapers where it wraps around the wrist for improved comfort.
See also: Making time
Hermès Horloger
In 1966 designer Philippe Mouquet created a timepiece that made the Heure H a symbol. He brilliantly did this by capturing time inside a letter providing a playful frame. Over the years, this powerful signature remained fresh and still as unique as when it was first launched. To begin, the Heure H comes with a metal bracelet that is a natural extension of the case, the links formed by small squares correspond to the geometry of the dial and its graphic numerals. This supple band features an invisible integrated folding clasp embracing the wrist with fluid elegance.
The new timepieces come in three elegant steel variations: one with 114 “feather-set” diamonds and featuring a natural white mother-of-pearl dial bearing Arabic numerals; a second also graced with mother-of-pearl and punctuated with 11 diamond hour-markers; and a third enhanced with a sunburst central square surrounded by black numerals. Vividly expressing the creativity and expertise of the Maison, the case and dial are crafted in the Hermès Horloger workshops.
Bell & Ross
The BR 05 gets a gold treatment with the newly launched BR 05 BLUE GOLD, a timepiece that stands out with its satin-finished and polished 18k rose gold case. This strikingly stands out against the intense navy blue sunray dial. For easy readability, the rose gold gilded applique numerals and indices, as well as the 18k, rose gold gilded skeletonised hour and minute hands are filled with Super-Lumi- Nova. The 18k rose gold sapphire case-back acts as a window for you to view the inner workings of the BR-CAL.321 mechanism with a 360° golden oscillating weight.
Equipped with an ergonomic satin-finished and polished 18k rose gold bracelet, built according to the brand’s codes, this jewel of strength can also be completed with a ribbed blue rubber strap and a satin-finished and polished 18k rose gold folding buckle. The watch’s 40mm size fits almost any size wrist due to the hyper-flexible bracelet, the curve of the watch follows the natural contour of the wrist.
Tissot
The Tissot Seastar 1000 is every divers’ dream come true. For starters, the watch has perfect legibility with the luminescent hands, with a luminous dot on the second hand — features that make telling time easier under murky waters when diving. The timepiece has the usual graduated diving scale: minute by minute through to 20 then every five minutes. This is a useful safety function protected by the screw-down crown and case back.
The Tissot Seastar 1000 design can be traced back to the 1950s with its retro look featuring a Milanese Mesh bracelet. The watch strikes the right design balance with elegance, a sporty look and high performance, as it has been designed for lovers of water sports. The watches are extremely accurate thanks to its Powermatic 80 movement that offers an 80-hour power reserve. Underwater, the watch’s performance is peerless: reassuringly robust, it is water-resistant to 30 bar, a technological feat directly suggested by its name.
Nomos Glashütte
The Nomos Lambda introduces a new stainless steel case, a new size, new dials in enamel white, black, and blue, and regulated according to chronometer standards. These three new timepieces were launched to celebrate 175 years of Glashütte watchmaking. The enamel gloss of the dials offers an unusual optical depth; an effect enhanced by the curve of the dial and sapphire crystal glass. The polished case frames the dial with a slender bezel, while the back of the case is a radio- drome; that is, a curve with a shrinking radius, the lugs take on the curved theme too.
Lambda runs on DUW 1001and is equipped with twin mainspring barrels, 29 jewels within ensuring flawless functioning — with six of them in hand-polished screwed chatons, reflecting traditional watchmaking. All edges are also polished by hand, with black polishing on individual steel parts making these watches suitable for everyday wear. The name Lambda stands for “intrinsic values” in mathematics — in other words, for a value that remains constant.
A look back in time through two exhibitions by IWC
IWC celebrates the Portugieser timepieces through two exhibitions at the boutiques at ION Orchard and Marina Bay Sands. IWC Portugieser — Navigating Through Time, the retrospective exhibition brings together nine creations that have marked defining moments in the lineage of the Portugieser family. Visitors to the exhibition will be treated to an exhibition that takes you back in time, as far back as 80 years where you will view some of the company’s best-known collection.
Some highlights you can look out for is the observation watch IWC built for the British Royal Navy in 1943 (pictured). Found on the decks of warships, submarines or aircraft carriers, the observation watch served as inspiration for the clean and functional look of the iconic Reference 325 — the first IWC Portugieser wristwatch from 1939.
Other timepieces include the Yacht Club Ref. 811 from 1967 which, housing a spring-mounted movement, was lauded for its elegance and durability; the 42.5mm Portugieser Anniversary Edition from 1993 that started a global trend favouring larger watches; and the first Portugieser Chronograph from 1998 which became one of the most recognisable creations in the entire watch industry.
The IWC Portugieser – Navigating Through Time exhibition is open to the public on the following dates and timings:
- Oct17–25,from11amto9pm,attheIWCSchaffhausenIONOrchardboutique(#02-06)
- Oct 26 to Nov 8, from 12pm to 9pm, at the IWC Schaffhausen Marina Bay Sands bou-
tique (#B2-210).
