Saturday October 13, 2012
Masterpieces on display
The El Toro watch from Ulysse Nardin. HERE is a quick look at some of the Ulysse Nardin timepieces on display at The Art Of Time exhibition in Pavilion Kuala Lumpur.
The Freak Diavolo (Diavolo is devil in Italian) is every bit what its name says it is. Cloaked in a black backdrop with red “horns” on its dial, it is set to astound watch enthusiasts with not only its inner workings, but also its appearance.
When Ulysse Nardin presented its first Freak, a minimalist and rather unconventional timepiece, it took the world by storm. The tourbillon carrousel had no true dial, crown or hands, and it was the first timepiece to have escapement wheels made out of silicium, at that time a revolutionary material for use in mechanical watches.
In much the same spirit of innovation, the Freak Diavolo takes it a notch higher with a flying tourbillon that indicates the seconds, as well as two new ball-bearing systems and a balance-wheel concept and design.
With its solid black and charcoal tones, complemented with contrasting red and blue accents, it is truly a symbol of unusual style and imagination.
Another category of timepieces, chiming watches, have a certain charm about them; there is something almost magical about a watch that chimes the time in clear melodic notes.
One of such timepieces is the Safari Jaquemarts Minute Repeater, which comes in a limited edition of 50 pieces. It owes its three-dimensional appearance to two cloisonné dials that are mounted on top of each other with space in between to reveal a crocodile’s jaw snapping at a little fish.
Upon activation of the minute repeater, the lion’s paw stretches out towards the monkey swinging merrily from its branch.
Ulysse Nardin also has its version of a practical, everyday watch, the El Toro, a high-tech perpetual calendar with a dual time function. Interestingly, it is said to be one of the most consumer-friendly perpetual calendar ever produced.
Never one to shy away from attention, the brand’s Caprice Butterfly combines a strong blue with delicate enamelling and a generous sprinkle of diamonds. Designed for the ladies, this timepiece is available in a limited edition of 28 pieces.
The Art Of Time exhibition ends tomorrow. Other participating brands are Cartier, Bell & Ross, Girard-Perregaux, Graham, IWC Schaffhausen, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Richard Mille, Tag Heuer and Vertu.
Lifestyle partners for the exhibition include UOB Bank, BMW, The Star and Glen Grant. The watch exhibition is also supported by Tourism Malaysia.
For details, log on to swisswatchgallery.com.my. – Rouwen Lin
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