Text: Lisa Epifanova HOUR VALUES HAVE BEEN ADOPTED TO WHAT THE BASIC PREMIERES OF THE SWISS MANUFACTURES SHOW AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR AT THE MAIN HOUR SALONS. BUT THIS TIME ALL THE MOST INTERESTING AND INTERESTING HOUR HOUSES ARE FOLDED IN AUTUMN.
Glashutte original
Sixties Iconic
For a long time at the Saxon manufactory they preferred not to recall the time when the production in Glashütte belonged to the GDR government. Now they decided that the watches of the “Soviet” period were not completely hopeless, and the design of the 60s in the Democratic Republic was bright and unique enough to reproduce it in the modern version. The Sixties Iconic was based on the Spezimatik model with an automatic caliber and blue dial, released at VEB Glashutter in 1964. The new line features 5 varieties of iridescent dials: blue, red, gray, brown and gold. All models are produced in a steel case of 39 mm and are equipped with a manufactory automatic caliber 39-25 with a power reserve of 40 hours.
Richard Mille
RM 26-02 Evil Eye
Tigers, dragons, skulls and race cars - these sources of inspiration, according to Richard Mil, have become too mundane, so he introduced the new Eye of Evil tourbillon, inspired by the famous image of the Eye of Sauron from the Lord of the Rings trilogy. The design of the dial, engulfed in flames of gold and red enamel, was invented and implemented by the young master Olivier Vaucher. At the “6 o’clock” mark there is a tourbillon, and at the “9 o’clock” mark you can see a realistic red eye, also made of enamel. Caliber RM26-02 is protected from external influences by a shock-absorbing housing made of heavy-duty TZP ceramic. In total, 25 copies of the Oka will be released.
Chanel
Boy friend watch
As you know, when choosing a wardrobe, Coco Chanel herself most often preferred the clothes of her lovers. In the watch department, Chanel remembered this funny fact and decided to interpret it in the new watch collection, created in the style of "I wear my boyfriend's watch." The octagonal case in the form of Vendome Square (and the cover of perfume No. 5) immediately recalls the brand's other line - Premiere, but in accordance with the “talking” name of the new model, it became more courageous, concise, increased in size (26.6x34.6 mm) and complemented by a classic leather strap. However, for fans of jewelry luxury there are also versions with diamond inlay.
Chopard
Happy fish
The Happy Diamonds collection, featuring Chopard's signature movable diamonds, has replenished with a model inspired by the underwater world. A brisk blue fish with golden scales adorns the center of the dial, and at night its contours become especially mesmerizing thanks to the shimmering mother of pearl with engraving. The rounded shapes framed in gold create a hypnotic flickering effect that enhances the iridescent pave surface of blue sapphires of various shades, and the sparkling fish eye of red jasper contrasts with a turquoise background. Seven sparkling moving diamonds “float” in the waves sparkling in the sun. In their fastening there is a luminescent composition, due to which the effect of the glow of stones is achieved.
Bulgari
I giardini di bulgari
This year, the theme of gardening became the main source of inspiration for Bulgari designers. At first, the House released a jewelry collection inspired by Roman gardens, and in the fall presented a line of watches with dials, skillfully decorated with enamel and inlaid on a fashionable floral theme. The collection includes 4 garden variations: Tropical Garden (Il Giardino Tropicale), Lariano Garden (Il Giardino Lariano), Underwater Garden (Il Giardino Marino) and Night Garden (Il Giardino Notturno). To create an image on the dials, Champleve enamel techniques, marquetry and jewelry inlay were used, and a BVL 263 manufactory caliber with a tourbillon and a power reserve of 64 hours was installed inside the Bulgari Roma gold case.
Breitling
Galactic 36 SleekT
One of Breitling's premier Basel premieres is the SleekT model with an innovative welt made of heavy-duty tungsten carbide. Now the manufactory from La Chaux-de-Fonds presents its ladies' version in a 36 mm case, waterproof up to 100 meters. Inside is a SuperQuart mechanism with chronometer certification. The combination of high professional characteristics and glamorous chic, characteristic of Breitling, turned out. The dials are available in black lacquer or mother of pearl finish, with or without diamond watch markers. This elegant and streamlined model is also available in a version with a steel welt encrusted with diamonds.
Backes & strauss
Piccadilly princess royal emerald green
Backes & Strauss London Jewelry House, celebrating its 225th anniversary this year, opened its own watchmaking several years ago. Naturally, the most important thing in his watch is precious stones: selected, designer cut, composed in a chic composition. This fall, the House introduced the first watch, completely covered in emeralds provided by the mining company Gemfields, guaranteeing ethical standards of their origin. The stones were mined at the Kagem mine in Zambia, their total weight is 31.91 carats. In total, the Piccadilly Princess Royal Emerald Green watch is decorated with exactly 245 emeralds in 10 different cut options.
Longines
Column-Wheel Single
Push piece chronograph
Longines president Walter von Kenel says that he makes all models of the brand with accurate commercial calculation and only premieres from the Heritage collection - for his own pleasure. That is why they are so interesting and authentic, because they are based on real prototypes stored at the Longines Museum in Saint-Imier. The new one-button chronograph is based on a similar watch, produced by the brand in the 20s. Through the transparent case back with an engraved Longines logo in a case with a diameter of 41 mm, you can see the operation of the mechanism with a black steel column wheel. The black or white dial is complemented by blued hands, clear Arabic markings and a tachymeter scale.
Vacheron constantin
Reference 57260
All watchmaking experts have been waiting for the premieres of these watches since the beginning of the year, and it took 8 years for Vacheron Constantin to create them. The modest name 57260 stands for simple: the model was created in the year of the 260th anniversary of the brand and includes 57 complications - that is, it is the most complex watch device in the world, surpassing the previous record holder Patek Philippe Caliber 89 by 24 additional functions, including the eternal Jewish, Gregorian and business calendars 52 weeks, dual split chronograph, astronomical indicators, tourbillon and a large battle system. All indicators are quite compactly placed on two dials on both sides of the case made of white gold with a diameter of 98 mm and a height of 50.55 mm. The watches were made to order, but the name of their owner, as well as the price of a unique instance, are kept in the strictest confidence.
Cartier
Cle de Cartier Flying Tourbillon
In January, Cartier introduced the all-new Cle collection with a revolutionary crown system that truly turns into a winding “key” in just one movement. And this fall, at the Watches & Wonders exhibition in Hong Kong, two new calibres with complications were presented in the collection: the “mystical arrows” and the “soaring” tourbillon. Incidentally, the tourbillon in this case is addressed to the fair sex, therefore it is presented in a 35 mm case made of white gold encrusted with 478 traditional-cut diamonds with a total weight of 3.56 carats. Inside, there is the famous 9452 MC manufactory with manual winding, which became the first Cartier caliber to receive the “Geneva brand”.
