Latest news with #Watches&Wonders
Business Times
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Times
Hot watches
[SINGAPORE] The Watches & Wonders fair may be over, but it doesn't mean the watch world has gone quiet since. On the contrary, aficionados still have plenty to lay their eyes and hands on, including these three recent models that have kept the market abuzz with excitement. Blancpain: Fifty Fathoms The new Fifty Fathoms comes in 38 mm for the first time, and is designed specifically for women. PHOTO: BLANCPAIN At first glance, you might think this new lady's model is yet another collaboration with Swatch, which had previously teamed up with Blancpain to produce quirky versions of its legendary Fifty Fathoms watches. But look closer and only Blancpain's name is visible on the watch's pink dial made of mother-of-pearl. Its matching pink bezel is not encased in plastic synonymous with most Swatch watches, but high-tech titanium. Blancpain may have celebrated Fifty Fathoms' 70th anniversary two years ago, but this latest model marks two new milestones for the iconic diving watch. Female divers had been the inspiration for the Fifty Fathoms, but the watches that were subsequently produced – at 42 mm and 45 mm – were more suitable for male divers. But finally, the new Fifty Fathoms comes in 38 mm for the first time, and is designed specifically for women. But it's not just a smaller version of the original. The proportions have been redesigned for a balanced, harmonious profile. And the watch is well-equipped for diving, with water resistance up to 300 metres. It is powered by an up-to-date automatic movement fitted with a silicon balance spring and has four days of power reserve. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 2 pm Lifestyle Our picks of the latest dining, travel and leisure options to treat yourself. Sign Up Sign Up Apart from the pink version, which is worn with a white fabric strap, the new Fifty Fathoms for women is also available in black with a smoky black dial encased in polished 18-carat red gold. It is matched with a black rubber strap. Price: CHF 15,500 (S$24,335) to 18,200 for the pink edition; CHF 26,100 to 29,000 for the black edition MeisterSinger: 24H Enamel Edition MeisterSinger's 2H Enamel Single-Hand encourages a more relaxed approach to time. PHOTO: MEISTERSINGER Big names may have an edge over others in business, but it isn't necessarily a bad thing for smaller brands. Take the case of stalwart Breguet, which recently revived the old one-hand pocket watch, and produced a wristwatch version that became an instant hit. Suddenly, the market is now rife with such single-hand timepieces. Of course, many are just jumping on the bandwagon, but not MeisterSinger. The German mechanical watchmaker has been making single-hand models – and only such watches – since 2001. They show the time without any of the rushed minute and second hands of conventional watches, advocating a relaxed approach to time in a fast-moving world. 'The finely designed tip of the single hand literally points to the current moment in time,' MeisterSinger says in an introduction to the brand. 'Every glance at a MeisterSinger watch reminds the wearer of that one essential thing: The present moment itself.' The 24H Enamel, in a limited edition of 25 pieces, is MeisterSinger's latest offering that features a hand-crafted enamel dial and an unusual 24-hour display, which allows the blue needle-shaped hand to circle the dial just once, not twice, a day. Running on a Swiss self-winding movement with 38 hours' power reserve, the 40 mm watch can also be used as a compass in the day. Price: 5,490 euros (S$8,125) Greubel Forsey: GMT Balancier Convexe The new overhauled GMT Balancier Convexe by Greubel Forsey. PHOTO: GREUBEL FORSEY While still resembling the original GMT Balancier Convexe launched in 2001, Greubel Forsey's latest GMT model has been completely overhauled. The new GMT Balancier Convexe flaunts a redesigned case, an integrated power reserve and enhanced ergonomics. Like the original, it is sculpted in titanium but in a smaller 42.9 mm size – down from 43.5 mm – which is more comfortable on the wrist. More notable is the addition of a power indicator which keeps track of the watch's 72-hour power reserve. The watch is a limited edition of 22 pieces. Price: S$621,300 (rubber strap); S$686,700 (titanium bracelet)
Time Business News
18-06-2025
- Business
- Time Business News
Why Timing Still Shapes Every Rolex Story in 2025
Choosing when to purchase a Rolex is not a trivia question but a leverage point. The brand's share of Swiss watch turnover exceeded 32 % in 2024 and crept toward 33 % in Q1 2025, even while total industry volumes cooled by roughly 4 % (Morgan Stanley & LuxeConsult 2025 Report). That concentration means small shifts in supply or sentiment ripple quickly through price lists. In practical terms, the day you swipe your card can swing the final bill by a month's mortgage payment—something I learned firsthand in Lisbon this March when a dealer shaved €1 500 off a Submariner the moment quarter-end targets loomed. The goal of this guide is to make such moments predictable rather than lucky, combining hard numbers with life-cycle sense. For readers researching alternatives alongside authentic pieces, visit rolex-replicas to explore a curated catalogue. Retail schedules move with the precision of a chronometer. December's gift frenzy, February's Valentine surge, and the mid-June Father's Day spike all leave dealers over-stocked once the ribbons hit the trash. Smart collectors step in when showrooms echo. In 2024, average secondary-market ask prices for steel sports models fell 5.2 % in the first two weeks of January, then rebounded by early February (WatchCharts 2024). The same cadence repeated after Father's Day, suggesting a repeatable pattern rather than coincidence. Adding a simple 'two-week-after-gift-holiday' reminder to your phone can therefore function as a free discount voucher. Modern luxury chains manage to the quarter, not the calendar year. Sales managers risk bonus claw-backs if Q1, Q2, or Q3 ledgers miss plan, so they turn rigid MSRP into negotiable suggestions. Concentrate firepower on four cutoff dates: 31 March – First performance test; unsold Cellini and oyster-quartz references surface. 30 June – Mid-year inventory purge; gold-case dress models often see double-digit markdowns. 30 September – Last stock rotation before holiday allocations freeze. 31 December – Anything not nailed down is fair game. In September 2024, Daytona 116500LN premiums on a leading peer-to-peer platform narrowed from 23 % to 14 % inside 72 hours. Buyers who set alert filters captured the spread without leaving their sofa. Each April, Watches & Wonders detonates a news bomb. When Rolex introduced the titanium Yacht-Master 42 in 2024, trading prices for its white-gold predecessor dipped nearly 11 % within a month before climbing back once novelty faded. Similar dips are expected around the new 1908 complications teased for 2025. Strategy: pre-draft wish lists of discontinued or updated references, fund your escrow account, and pounce in the 30-day window after press day. Price data behave like tides—you can surf the swell or be dragged by it. Three tell-tales signal a market that is exhaling: listings older than 60 days, bid-ask spreads below 2 %, and forum chatter shifting from 'How high?' to 'Should I sell?' During the 2023-24 correction, Explorer II references lost roughly 18 % from January highs before leveling. Collectors who tracked those indicators on WatchCharts and Subdial Index timed entries at multi-year lows, converting patience into thousands saved. Since 2016, Rolex has lifted global list prices every January except pandemic-crippled 2020. The average bump from 2021-2025: 6.1 % on steel, 7.8 % on gold. Buying in December is therefore arithmetically smarter—yet timing is only half the game. Exchange-rate moves, rising material costs, and even U.S. tariff threats (see April 2025 31 % Switzerland import duty chatter) can trigger mid-year surcharges. Keep a watch on macro headlines: when gold breached US$2 400 /oz in January 2025, Rolex tacked an extra 3 % onto precious-metal SKUs weeks later. Economic turbulence shifts negotiating power to buyers. Secondary-market volumes jumped 12 % YoY during the 2023 tech-stock slump as owners liquidated discretionary assets. Deloitte's 2024 Pre-Owned Report shows that 47 % of sellers cited 'raise cash quickly' as the motive, up from 31 % in 2021. Cash-ready collectors exploited that stress, snagging GMT-Master 'Pepsi' pieces at single-digit premiums that would have seemed fantasy in 2022. A Rolex should never outrank your emergency fund. Simple rule: allocate no more than 5 % of net investable assets to a single discretionary watch. That ratio would have protected over-leveraged flippers who dumped hulking chronographs at 20 % losses during 2023's price retreat. Remember, opportunity cost compounds—€12 000 tied in a waitlist deposit is €12 000 not earning 4 % in a money-market fund. Yet when base finances are squared away, the same outlay becomes a luxury that pays dividends in daily enjoyment. Rolex itself markets the watch that 'marks a date.' There is logic beneath the slogan: emotional ROI smooths any modest overpayment. Popular trigger points include: Professional peaks – first partnership vote, Series A close Educational highs – PhD defense, language-fluency certification Family chapters – child's birth, silver anniversary Personal bests – ultra-marathon finish, charity funding goal I bought my Explorer II after completing the Camino de Santiago; every glance at the orange GMT hand recalls that 800-kilometre trek—far more valuable than the €800 price swing I could have saved waiting. High-demand references still command 'hurry-up-and-wait.' Average lead time for a ceramic-bezel Daytona at EU ADs stretched beyond 34 months in early 2025 (WatchPro audit). Building rapport—servicing a Datejust, ordering straps, and simply showing up—nudges your file to the top. Some collectors maintain a digital 'contact cadence' spreadsheet, noting every store visit and staff name. Overkill? Perhaps, but a dozen coffees can shave a year off a hot-model queue. The pre-owned segment is forecast to eclipse US$50 billion by 2030, and Rolex Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) outlets ballooned from 25 pilots in early 2024 to 107 doors by January 2025 before plateauing. This abundance improves transparency but also introduces spread: in April 2025, three-year-old Submariners ranged from –6 % to +18 % versus list, depending on provenance. Navigating that band requires structured data and a clear threshold of what 'fair' means for you. Secondary prices soften in tandem with macro wobbles, but they harden the moment equities rebound. Keeping an always-on price alert can reveal fleeting valleys. Example: during the NASDAQ pullback of May 2024, a yellow-gold Sky-Dweller slid 14 % below its six-month average; by July, gains in tech stocks had reversed 80 % of that drop. Acting in the trough demands confidence in your valuation homework. Market Backdrop Pre-Owned Edge Tactical Play Peak retail demand Zero wait time Accept moderate premium Price correction phase Value gap widens Accumulate core models Launch of new references Older models discounted Target discontinued SKUs Tariff / currency shock Sellers seek liquidity Negotiate all-in bundles A watch can be serviced; original papers cannot be re-issued. For vintage or limited references, box and papers can swing price by up to 25 %. Equally decisive is 'full-set originality' on items like bezels or dials. A 1999 A-serial 'Pepsi' GMT with tritium lume and no polish fetched 26 % above comparable pieces at a Geneva auction in November 2024. Ergo, when condition perfection aligns with your desired spec, jump—even if macro conditions feel lukewarm. The piece may not resurface for years. Many dream of catching the exact price bottom, yet spread-betting that point is statistically harder than timing an equity index. While you wait, annual Rolex hikes quietly widen the gap you hoped to close. Better hedge: define a 'value band' (say ±5 % of the six-month median) and commit when a target falls inside it. The mental freedom beats chasing unicorns. Paying February highs for a Submariner without checking waitlist length or currency shifts is like ignoring weather before sailing. In late 2022, offshore demand plus a weak euro pushed EU premiums sky-high; by March 2023, currency normalized and supply upticked, wiping 12 % off prices. Quick research could have flagged the hazard. Regularly cross-check AD wait times, WhatsApp group asking prices, and production rumours before wiring funds. The sweet spot to secure a Rolex forms where three vectors intersect: your financing comfort, observable market slack, and a watch that tugs at your narrative. Get two without the third and something feels off—either regret at overpaying or disappointment in a compromise model. Patience, data, and self-knowledge twine those vectors into a single, unmistakable signal to buy. When that moment arrives, trust your prep work, shake the dealer's hand, and start writing new memories with every tick of the seconds hand. What time of year usually offers the most inventory? January and early July often bring higher listings and more negotiable pricing as retailers unwind post-holiday stock. January and early July often bring higher listings and more negotiable pricing as retailers unwind post-holiday stock. Do Rolex prices ever really fall? Yes, especially in the pre-owned segment; popular sport models slid 10-15 percent during the 2023-24 correction before stabilising. Yes, especially in the pre-owned segment; popular sport models slid 10-15 percent during the 2023-24 correction before stabilising. Is waiting for a retail price increase announcement worth it? Buying before Rolex's typical January uplift can save 3-8 percent, assuming you're already financially prepared. Buying before Rolex's typical January uplift can save 3-8 percent, assuming you're already financially prepared. New vs. pre-owned—which is smarter in 2025? Pre-owned wins on immediate availability and diverse choice, but retail offers the full warranty and dealer relationship that may unlock future allocations. TIME BUSINESS NEWS
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The 8 Coolest New Watches That Dropped in April
This month was largely dominated by the massive wave of timepieces to drop at Watches & Wonders, the world's largest watch fair. But there were plenty of other releases of note that followed. Audemars Piguet dropped some striking navy ceramic watches inspired by the 'Blue Nuit, Nuage 50' hue of the original Royal Oak dial (it's a trend we saw elsewhere…also launched this month were a series of blue ceramic Chanel timepieces in a more matte iteration). Breguet stunned with a wristwatch version of one of its earliest souscription timepieces dating back two centuries. William Massena LAB x Raúl Pagès executed a beautifully done minimalist timepiece combining modern and traditional elements (also punctuated by a deep midnight blue). And Richard Mille was back at it with its colorful sapphire crystal game. Let's dive into what followed the flood of timepieces earlier this month. More from Robb Report How This N.Y.C. Pizza Joint Became a Clubhouse for a New Breed of Watch Collector Inside Miami Music Exec Lex Borrero's Unconventional Watch Collection Tiffany & Co. Debuts High Jewelry with a $3.5 Million Diamond Ring, Insane Rubies, and Rare Paraìbas Best of Robb Report The 25 Greatest Independent Watchmakers in the World The 10 Most Expensive Watches Sold at Auction in the 21st Century (So Far) 11 Stunning Jewelry Moments From the 2020 Oscars Click here to read the full article. Launched last year in red gold, this new Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Automatique in 42 mm now comes in polished stainless steel. The model is a tribute to the original Fifty Fathoms dive watch—the company's most recognizable timekeeper—and houses an automatic caliber 1315 movement with a 5-day power reserve topped off with a sunburst black dial. Offered on a steel bracelet, NATO strap, or tropic rubber strap with a pin buckle or deployant clasp, this is a non-limited model that will now be part of the brand's permanent collection. BUY NOW: $15,500-$18,000 This marks the third collaboration between Massena LAB, founded by horological expert William Massena, and Raúl Pagès, an independent Swiss watchmaker. Its ultra-minimalist, sleek look follows a similar vibe to the RP2 watch released by Pagès in March. Here, however, you have a similar aesthetic but infused with classic and historical influences brought to the timepiece by Massena. A midnight blue mainplate is the striking centerpiece. It is vertically brushed and changes color depending on the light from deep blue to petrol to slate. Surrounding it is a radially-brushed, rhodium-plated chapter ring with a black railroad track to mark the hours and minutes. The seconds are located at 6 o'clock, which sits slightly below the main dial for a touch of added depth. Behind the well-balanced dial is the Swiss-made, hand-finished manual-winding caliber M660 with a power reserve of 60 hours. The movement is decorated with Côtes de Genève finishing on the broad plate and hand-chamfered plates and bridges. The 38.5 mm stainless steel timepiece, accented with an Italian leather dove gray strap is limited to just 99 pieces and with this much crafstmanship under $10,000 it will be quite a steal. BUY NOW: $8,875 Last year, Zenith released the ultra-desirable 38 mm Chronomaster Original Triple Calendar during LVMH watch week in Miami. The steel versions were good look and a great remind of why the El Primero will always be one of watchmaking's legendary movements. Now it comes in a new rose gold version and we'd argue you could easily be convinced to get one of each. And while you may know that the El Primero later powered Ebel and Rolex models that helped relaunch the renaissance of mechanical watches, you might be surprised to know that this was one of the earliest models that movement was used for at the Zenith manufacture. And because you probably won't get your hands on one of the 25 prototypes developed as early as 1970 with the El Primero's A386 movement, you'll likely be just as happy with the modern version equipped with the updated 3160 caliber which has a true 1/10th of a second timing function and 60 hours of power reserve. BUY NOW: $26,300 Inspired by the 'Blue Nuit, Nuage 50' hue of the original Royal Oak's dial from 1972, Audemars Piguet developed a special ceramic using a PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition) to mimic the color and obtain its consistency throughout. The brand released three models using the rich hue: a 41 mm Royal Oak Double Balance Wheel Openworked, a 43 mm Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Chronograph in a two-tone design, and this all-blue 42 mm Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Chronograph. We prefer the latter for its high-impact, but comparatively toned-down look. It's powered by the caliber 4404, which boasts an integrated selfwinding chronograph with a column wheel and flyback function. A bonus: You can see the column wheel in action through the sapphire crystal caseback. BUY NOW: $86,900 Richard Mille is nothing if not colorful and high tech. At the end of last year, the company dropped four new brightly-hued RM-07 sapphire crystal watches in electric lime green variations, fuchsia, and lilac. They're back at it this year with more 'toned down' colors for a trio of RM 75-01 sapphire timepieces with flying tourbillons. There are two combining clear and colored sapphired crystal in baby blue on a white rubber strap and purple on a pink leather strap (limited to 10 in each color) and a clear sapphire crystal version on a mint green leather strap (limited to 15). Aside from its obviously complicated interior mechanics which operate on 65 hours of power reserve, each case requires over 1,000 hours to extract its structure from a block of the material weighing roughly 132 pounds and another 40 days of 'grinding around the clock' according to the company. You might not be able to read the time, but one almost doesn't care with these funky works of art. BUY NOW: Price Upon Request To celebrate its 250th anniversary this year, Breguet is returning to purity with this beautifully executed new 40 mm timepiece. It features a clean white enamel dial with time displayed by a single blued Breguet hand and Arabic numerals. Two centuries ago it was debuted by the godfather of watchmaking, Abraham-Louis Breguet as a pocket watch. Dating to 1797, the pocket watch was one of the earliest Souscription watches from the man who invented the concept now used by modern watchmakers like F.P. Journe and many other independents like him. As much an engineer and an artist as he was a businessman, Breguet created the idea of requiring customers to put a deposit on a watch, which enabled him to buy the supplies needed to make the timepiece without taking on so much risk. The movement is classic Breguet and directly inspired by the original pocket watch. But the VS00 gilded brass caliber is entirely new. Furthermore, it comes with a newly developed guilloche technique called Quai de l'Horloge after Breguet's original manufacture in Paris. The caliber, beating at 3Hz, offers four days of power reserve from a single barrel. Monsieur Breguet would, no doubt, be thrilled. BUY NOW: $48,700 Girard-Perregaux is coming to the table this month with two new gemset Laureato models—one with a white diamond bezel and another with a gradient of diamonds and blue sapphires. Both are cool in tone-on-tone silver—each 38 mm watch is set in steel with a rhodium-plated Clous de Paris-decorated dial. Our favorite is set with 10 brilliant-cut white diamonds and 46 brilliant-cut sapphires. Beneath, the watches are equipped with a self-winding mechanical movement with 46 hours of power reserve. BUY NOW: $20,100 Elevating its watchmaking game, Tiffany & Co. released its first flying tourbillon last year, but its expertise remains in jewelry. Earlier this year, CEO Anthony Ledru told Robb Report jewels will always be its first order of business. Surrounding the flying tourbillon is a perfect example of the house's expertise. The multi-layered dial is crafted from champlevé enamel with 3D appliqué lacquered flowers in Tiffany blue. The hour and minutes dial is offset between 1 o'clock and 2 o'clock and decked in diamond. Meanwhile, naturally, the company's diamond-set avian mascot sits perched atop the tourbillon. More diamonds accent the case, lugs, and crown. Flip it over and even the bridges of the movement have been set with diamonds, while the tourbillon is topped off with a sapphire. Its caliber AFT24T01 is made in Switzerland. The hand-wound movement offers a power reserve of 50 hours. Set in an 18-karat gold case, at 39 mm it's not necessarily relegated to the ladies.
Forbes
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
The Best Men And Women's Skeleton Watches At 2025 Watches And Wonders
The Bell & Ross BR-03 Skeleton Lum Ceramic The skeletonization of a watch is a specialized technique requiring hours of chiseling and metal trimming by a skilled watchmaker to remove non-essential components of the movement. What remains is the 'skeleton' of the movement, such as the intricate gears, bridges and other essential parts. The same person often adds decorative engravings or other embellishments. To view this detailed work of artisan craft, the dial is either significantly reduced or entirely removed. French watch and clock maker, Andre-Charles Caron, who was the resident clockmaker to King Louis XV, is credited with crafting the first skeleton watch in 1760. As already mentioned, skeletonization process is traditionally handcrafted. However, with advancements in computer-aided design and manufacturing (CAD-CAM) this technique can be replicated to produce skeletonized designs that would have been impossible to create by hand. Even in the modern era of watchmaking, it is the unique pieces crafted by hand that are most valued by collectors. The best examples are often presented by the most prestigious brands and independent watchmakers. They are prized not only for for their artisan skill but the artistic representation of the movement. A skeletonized watch can be a thing of beauty. The recently concluded Watches and Wonders horology fair saw many examples of skeletonized timepieces this year for men and women. Below are some of the best. Armin Strom One Week Titanium Skeleton FEATURED | Frase ByForbes™ Unscramble The Anagram To Reveal The Phrase Pinpoint By Linkedin Guess The Category Queens By Linkedin Crown Each Region Crossclimb By Linkedin Unlock A Trivia Ladder What was already an openworked timepiece is now fully skeletonized to reveal all the mechanics. The small seconds dial is skeletonized, revealing the power reserve level and the escapement wheel. The mainplate and the barrels are also skeletonized. Because of this full skeletonization, the seven-day power reserve indicator is highlighted as well as the cone mechanism, 'reminiscent of ancient pocket watches,' the brand said. A sapphire caseback provides a view of the entire Armin Strom Manufacture caliber ARM21-S, a manual-wound movement with a seven-day power reserve. The movement is housed in a 41mm case made of lightweight grade 5 titanium. The watch is limited to 100 pieces. Bell & Ross BR-03 Skeleton Grey Steel Bell & Ross, the brand that specializes in square aviation watches, introduced the BR-03 Skeleton at Watches & Wonders. To reinforce the skeletonized concept, Bell & Ross redesigned the entire watch around a specific X-shaped structure and enhanced the luminescence. The watch is powered by the new BR-CAL.328 caliber, an automatic three-hand movement without a date, with a 54-hour power reserve. The upper bridges form an X with four double arms, each connecting to one of the four bezel screws. The movement is designed by and produced for Bell & Ross. There are three distinct references of this new timepiece. They are: The BR-03 Skeleton Black Ceramic, which has a 41mm black ceramic case constructed from smoked sapphire crystal. The dial has applied black 'baignoire style' indexes filled with green-emitting white Super-LumiNova (SLN). The hour and minute hands are skeletonized and filled with green emitting white SLN, while the seconds hand is black with a white tip. The BR-03 Skeleton Grey Steel with a 41mm satin-polished gray steel case. Everything on the watch is designed to reflect light, including the faceted indexes and the faceted ruthenium treated cut patterns on the open-worked dial. This model is limited to 250 pieces. The BR-03 Skeleton Lum Ceramic that features green luminescence on the edges of the openworked black dial. A green Super-LumiNova outline traces the cutouts of the dial, which is housed in a 41mm black ceramic case. This model is limited to 250 pieces. Chanel J12 Bleu X-Ray Chanel made waves at Watches and Wonders by introducing an entire line of its well-known J12 watch collection in a distinctive blue ceramic. One of the pieces from the collection was further distinguished for a couple of reasons. The J12 Bleu X-Ray features the skeletonized Caliber 3.1 Swiss-made manual winding movement with a 55-hour power reserve. The luxury brand chose colorless sapphire for the plate and the two bridges, which gives the appearance of floating gears. This impression is further enhanced by a bridge in a colorless sapphire, adorned with 12 baguette-cut bright blue natural sapphire indicators. The skeletonized movement is really the secondary innovation of this watch. The first is that the case and bracelet are crafted from a block of blue tinted sapphire that took 1,600 hours of work to create, Chanel said. The links and bezel are made of white gold and set with 196 blue baguette-cut natural sapphires with the edges framed by black trim that creates a contrast with this endless sea of blue. The watch is numbered and limited to 12 pieces. Charriol Navigator Caliber Skeleton 41mm Charriol's Navigator Caliber Skeleton 41mm is an extension of the 36mm version launched last year. Coralie Charriol, CEO and creative director of the brand founded by her father, Philippe Charriol, originally designed this for women when she introduced it in 2024. She says there is demand from men and women for a larger version of the timepiece. Coralie worked with Swiss caliber manufacturer, Soprod, to produce the 'Charriol Skeleton Caliber 41' automatic movement, created from the SOPROD M100 movement 11 ½. It details the hours, minutes, a sweeping seconds hand, and has personalized bridges and oscillating weight, and a 42-hour power reserve. The dial features two brushed steel inner rings with a minute track with 12 super LumiNova index points and 12 faceted indexes in polished steel with a dark blue finish. The dial and movement are housed in a 41mm steel case with a bezel engraved with a double Charriol lettering and decorated with 2 screws. It's limited to 41 pieces. IWC Big Pilot's Watch Shock Absorber Tourbillon Skeleton XPL This watch marks the first time that IWC used its patented 'SPRIN-g PROTECT' shock absorber system to protect the tourbillon in the watch against shocks. The cantilever spring was redesigned and adapted to accommodate the IWC in-house 82915 caliber with a flying minute tourbillon. To reduce the mass of the movement and maximize the system's performance, the plates, bridges and the rotor are skeletonized, which provides a better view of the mechanics and the bulk metallic glass (BMG) shock absorber spring inside. It's housed in IWC-proprietary Ceratanium case and crown. It is fitted with a black patterned rubber strap. Norqain Wild One Skeleton 39mm Mint Norqain, launched in 2018, produces watches primarily for younger watch enthusiasts with active lifestyles. The watch brand is known for its skeleton watches. Among the new releases at Watches and Wonders 2025, are four Wild One timepieces, each with a unique and vibrant color and a smaller 39mm case size that can be worn by men and women. The color scheme for each watch is on the rubber shock absorbers, the crown guards, the inner bezel ring, and on the Super-LumiNova on the hands and hour markers. The rubber straps are in the same color as the rest of the watch. The colors are Hyper Pink, Mint, Ice Blue and Sky Blue. Sapphire crystal on the front and caseback provides a full view of the skeletonized caliber N086 automatic, skeletonized, COSC-certified chronometer movement. Parmigiani Tonda PF Skeleton Slate Green Like all Parmigiani watches, this skeletonized timepiece is an elegant and refined thing of beauty. The green color is inspired by the architectural palette of Swiss-French architect and designer, Le Corbusier. The PF 777 automatic caliber has a total of 187 components, presented in a fine latticework with beveled finishes, and an openworked barrel, where the mainspring can be seen. The white gold oscillating weight bears the Parmigiani logo under a sapphire crystal disc on the caseback. The skeletonized movement is housed in a 40mm platinum case with a knurled bezel. Its thickness is 8.5mm. The watch is limited to 50 pieces. The Ulysse Nardin Diver [AIR] It's impossible not to include the Ulysse Nardin Diver [AIR] among the best skeleton watches released at Watches and Wonders even though I recently wrote about it in a story prior to the fair. The extreme skeletonization of the new UN-374 caliber was one of the techniques used to create the world's lightest dive watch. The movement is made of lightweight and high strength titanium, and uses a triangle design structure that provides the integrity to withstand 200 meters of water resistance and an impact of 5,000 grams.
Times
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Times
All the fun of the Geneva watch fair
At this month's Watches & Wonders shindig in Geneva, the international watch crowd — geek, enthusiast, collector, specialist — gathered for the year's timepiece 'novelties' and innovations. The trends included smaller case sizes and dizzy complications including a clutch of perpetual calendars. The colour blue proliferated, with a smattering of lilac. Platinum stood out amid the precious metals. There were certainly myriad watches, and quite a few wonders too. Patek Philippe unveiled a blockbuster collection in which the handsome square-design Cubitus family expanded with two new pieces at the smaller size of 40mm, in rose gold and white gold. The most impressive of the many Grand Complications on offer has to be the self-winding Ref 5308 Quadruple Complication featuring a minute repeater, split-second chronograph and an instantaneous perpetual calendar. At the less complex end a new dress watch favourite is the manually wound Calatrava Ref 6196P in platinum with rose-gilt opaline dial and faceted anthracite hour markers and hands, exuding refined vintage vibes. • Over at Cartier there was something glamorous for everyone. From a sparkling version of the all-yellow gold baignoire bangle, now decorated with a nonchalant dusting of tiny diamonds, to a Cartier Privé romantic reimagination of a Tank à Guichet watch (a watch with an aperture) from 1928. It also presented the voluminous and sculptural Tressage pieces, braided with gold and lacquer or diamonds, and an abundance of chic jewellery watches. More jewellery watches, in the form of swishy sautoirs (watches on long necklaces), softened from their original 1969 designs, were sashaying at Piaget. Also echoing their free spirit is the very wearable Sixties line-up, which boldly reimagines the asymmetrical trapeze shape. The Piaget Andy Warhol, in tribute to the artist who adored the brand's original Black Tie watch, had a good reception. Now formally renamed, it features a four-piece collection with stone dials from blue meteorite to tiger eye, in a play of silhouette and style. As well as the impressively designed and sparkling pieces on show, there were also records being broken. For the thinnest (for a tourbillon, or perhaps any watch), there was Bulgari's Octo Finissimo Ultra Tourbillon, which is barely the depth of a sheet of paper. It's so slender it almost disappears when turned sideways. The ones that can go deepest must include Tudor's new Pelagos, with water resistance of up to 1,000 metres. The most complicated watch prize goes to Vacheron Constantin's Les Cabinotiers Solaria Ultra Grand Complication, rightfully called 'the world's most complicated wristwatch', with 41 highly complex functions packed into the 45mm case. • The accolade for lightest watch goes to the independent Swiss watchmaker Ulysse Nardin with its Diver [Air], a marriage of high horology and high tech. Ulysse Nardin decided to partner with start-ups and market leaders to use innovative materials — such as carbon fiber, Nylo foil and 90 per cent recycled titanium — reducing mass without compromising performance. Weighing in at an ultra-light 46g or 52g (less than a tennis ball) with the specially developed composite strap, it's water resistant to 200 metres and can withstand 5,000 g-force. The result is the lightest mechanical dive watch yet made, with interesting and authentic eco credentials. It's arguable that the distinction for best value for money should go to Nomos Glashütte's enduring Club Sport neomatik, now available with a world time complication, powered by the new in-house movement. Sleek and stylish with its Bauhaus-inspired dial design in two classic colours, it's also offered in six limited edition colourways, referencing earth and sea tones. Reverso Tribute Monoface Small Seconds in 18 carat pink gold, £37,600; Just when you think that Jaeger-LeCoultre can't do much more with the very covetable art deco-inspired Reverso, which has been around since the 1930s, along comes the Reverso Tribute Monoface Small Seconds, which, despite its functionally descriptive name, is a thing of beauty and imagination. In pink gold throughout, with a grained gold dial and Milanese gold mesh bracelet, driven by a self-winding mechanical movement, it has a sophisticated allure. Land-Dweller in steel, from £12,250; Finally, Rolex, the most omnipresent of the trophy beasts, pulled out all the stops, introducing the Land-Dweller collection. This is a handsome integrated sports watch in 36mm and 40mm sizes and the company's first new model line in 13 years. Featuring a honeycomb-patterned dial, it's based around the Oysterquartz from the 1960s and 1970s, an angular take on the Oyster, with a 'flat Jubilee' bracelet. It's powered by an innovative movement with a Dynapulse silicon escapement for even greater precision.
