Panerai’s new Luminor BiTempo watch exudes refinement and ease (Photo: Panerai)
Seiko
Ever since it was created in 1968, the Seiko 5 Sports collection of mechanical watches has been synonymous with durability and reliability. Today, the collection takes another step forward by introducing a GMT calibre. All three new executions offer a dial with different colourways. To ensure maximum readability, the GMT hands are in bright red on the black and blue dials and in black for the orange version. In addition to the international convenience of the GMT function, the watches also feature a rotating bi-colour bezel to separate the night and day hours. The bezel’s ring indicator is made of Seiko’s Hardlex glass to deliver the high level of durability for which the Seiko 5 Sports collection is renowned. The design of the case and dial draws inspiration from one of the brand’s best-loved sports watches, the SKX series. The five-row bracelet offers a look inspired by the original SKX series in which the middle rows are polished to create a contrast with the solid feel of the rows that bind them.
Breguet
An emblematic timepiece of Breguet’s Classique Collection, the new 7337 Calendar features a modern style while retaining the strong codes that have forged the brand’s history. Its off-centred dial is adorned with a Clous de Paris hobnail guilloché pattern, hand-engraved on a rose engine by in-house artisans, while the outer dial features a circular barleycorn motif. Within the moonphase complication, the gold moon is hand-hammered, the surrounding clouds are finely sandblasted and the blue lacquer sky subtly reveals the stars depending on the angle from which the timepiece is viewed. The hours, minutes and seconds are indicated by the traditional blued steel open-tipped Breguet hands, with the day and date respectively placed at 2 and 10 o’clock. The windows feature a broad aperture for enhanced readability. At the heart of its 39mm white or rose case beats Calibre 502, which is one of Breguet’s thinnest movements at just 2.4 mm thick. Available in 18-carat white or rose gold, this new timepiece is fitted with a strap in midnight blue for the white gold model and a mysterious brown for the rose gold version.
H. Moser & Cie.
For this new version of its Streamliner model, H. Moser & Cie. has chosen to adorn all its perfectly rounded curves — from its cushion-shaped case to its integrated bracelet with articulating links — in red gold. But what’s most arresting with this watch is the contrast the red gold strikes with the deep black of the Vantablack dial, the world’s darkest material that the independent watchmaker has made a name for using in its timepieces. The contrast between the two materials is further accentuated by the red gold indices which punctuate the dial, its blacker-than-black surface pierced by these rays of light. H. Moser & Cie. has achieved a real technical feat in fixing these indices from the back so that, depending on the angle, they appear or disappear against the Vantablack. Seemingly floating in the middle of a black hole, the one-minute flying tourbillon positioned at six o’clock comes to life as the driving force behind this exceptional timepiece. A marvel of ingenuity, this automatic HMC 804 calibre is equipped with a double hairspring designed and produced in-house by the brand’s sister company, Precision Engineering AG.
Panerai
The rare Italian stallion in a stable of Swiss thoroughbreds, Panerai’s new Luminor BiTempo watch exudes refinement and ease and, through its GMT feature, can simultaneously track the time in two different time zones, near or distant. It has been interpreted in two distinct colour palettes, each with a compelling, assured presence and built on the foundation of a 44mm steel case. The first centres on a lively blue sun-brushed dial with an alligator strap in the same rich hue (PAM01361); the second has a matte black dial and matching alligator strap (PAM01360). In both colours, Luminor BiTempo features a GMT function that indicates the time in a second time zone with a hand in vivid cerulean blue to ensure visibility at a glance. A subdial at 5 o’clock with a bright blue hand provides a measure of the remaining power reserve, which extends to 72 hours when fully wound. The date window at 3 o’clock is larger than preceding iterations, and its new bevelled aperture will appear in future models.
Franck Muller
In this special capsule collection to commemorate luxury timepiece retailer Cortina’s 50th anniversary, Franck Muller has brought its Vanguard Revolution 3 Skeleton to the fore. In this true marvel of engineering, the three tourbillon carriages rotate at intervals of one, eight and 60 minutes respectively, while two retrograde indicators flanking the tourbillon track the progress of the one- and eight-minute tourbillon carriages. It also offers an impressive 10-day power reserve. Technical mastery aside, the Vanguard Revolution 3 Skeleton Cortina Watch 50th Anniversary Special Editions also impress with their design language, which melds contemporary and neoclassical influences. The domed element on the sapphire crystal magnifies the tri-axial tourbillon to create an open airiness, with the effect extending to the rest of the watch given the skeletonised movement. Five unique versions of the Revolution 3 Skeleton were unveiled in celebration of Cortina Watch’s 50th Anniversary, with just one of each being produced. These exquisite creations are festooned with baguette-cut diamonds, rubies and emeralds, paired with either coloured or sleek black dials.
This article first appeared on Sept 5, 2022 in The Edge Malaysia.
