Rado Centrix Open Heart
The year is coming to an end and this is often the time for reflection and review of the past 12 months.
It is also an excellent time to show your appreciation to someone whose been there by your side through thick and thin.
Or it can be a present for yourself, as a reward for a year well done and a happy start to the year ahead.
A good watch on your wrist is just the perfect accessory to your life.
It can dress up your attire, embody your personality and provide the timing functionality for your sporting activities.
StarChrono has come up with a small selection of the horological excellence available out there.
Introduced in 2018, the Gears collection is a signature line for ArtyA, embodying the brand’s passion for intricate mechanics and artistic expression.
The collection’s namesake, the exposed gears on the dial have become an integral part of the watch’s aesthetics.
They are also a symphony of vibrant colours, unconventional materials and intricate mechanics – a testament to the brand’s philosophy of “One Design, One Story, One Unique Piece”.
The latest series builds upon this legacy, introducing cases in stainless steel, Damascus steel, TiDamas, forged carbon, and even sapphire crystal, offering a diverse palette of textures and finishes.
Each watch comes fitted with rubber strap that is both comfortable and durable, complementing the watch’s sporty aesthetic.
ArtyA also offers handmade calf leather straps for a more traditional look.
At the heart and soul of the Gears Chronograph is a Swiss automatic chronograph calibre movement, coming in with two options: Valjoux 7750 and Concepto.
Both are renowned for their precision, reliability and refined craftsmanship, providing a 48-hour power reserve.
This limited-edition timepiece of just 10 unique pieces is an exclusive iteration of the award-winning Fabergé Compliquée Watch with a specially bespoke dial.
Inspired by the butterfly – a symbol of transformation, endurance and hope and a powerful beacon of everlasting growth and new beginnings – it also incorporates the orchid.
Every orchid flower has been micro-painted and engraved onto the mother-of-pearl dial.
Set in a 18k rose gold case, these dials pop with colour through the hand-set tsavorites and diamonds, and a blue alligator strap.
The watch also features a unique movement developed exclusively for Fabergé by independent watch movement manufacturing company Agenhor.
Hours are read at the winding crown at three o’clock, as a numbered mother-of-pearl ring rotates counter-clockwise.
The minutes are read by the position of the butterfly’s wings as they unfurl each hour, returning to zero when the lead wing reaches 60.
These miniature works of art display an evolving scene, as time unwinds on the wearer’s wrist.
In this manually wound movement, pivoting butterfly “blades” fan out simultaneously indicating the minutes.
This is a masterpiece of horological craftsmanship, combining the mechanical ingenuity of watchmaker Abraham-Louis Breguet with the exquisite artistry of gem-setting and goldsmithing.
It’s the latest addition to the Classique collection, epitomising the maison’s commitment to precision and elegance.
Encased in a 18kt white gold shell, with key dimensions of a diameter of 35mm and a refined thickness of 9.3mm, the watch features a fluted case band, a signature element of Breguet‘s design.
Its bezel and lugs are adorned with 69 brilliant-cut diamonds, creating an opulent frame for the timepiece.
The crown, elegantly fluted, is set with a rose-cut diamond while a sapphire caseback with an inner anti-reflective coating gives a view of the intricate movement inside.
The dial is crafted from 18kt gold and adorned with 281 brilliant-cut diamonds, while an off-centred hour track in extra-white mother-of-pearl bears black Breguet Arabic numerals elegantly swept over by blued steel open-tipped Breguet-style hands.
At the 6 o’clock position, a tourbillon opening, encased in 18kt gold, provides a captivating view of the mechanical dance within.
The manually wound, in-house calibre 187D is at its heart, operating at a frequency of 2.5 Hz and ensures precision with a 50-hour power reserve.
The Swiss brand has launched a new timepiece for its 2024 High Jewellery, featuring a perfect marriage between fine jewellery and haute horlogerie.
The new Round Skeleton Baguette comes in 31mm − set with baguette diamonds and precious gems − the latest addition to the repertoire of Round Skeletons, available in 39mm and 42mm.
For the Asia-Pacific Exclusive collection, diamonds are set on the sides of the bezel and case.
The collection integrates seamlessly with the prestigious Round line, celebrating Franck Muller’s craftsmanship in the art of watchmaking.
The Round Skeleton Baguette, with its sleek profile and understated design, embodies the fundamental principles of the collection.
Baguette-cut diamonds or precious stones are meticulously set by hand using the channel setting technique, featuring gem stones set inside the bezel and securely held in place within the ring.
Crafted in precious metals, the bezel’s channel walls hold in place the crown that encircles the skeletonised dial, enhancing its optimal transparency.
The in-house movement within, blending aesthetics and technicality, reveals a highly technical mechanism and balanced style.
For this new size, the open-worked movement has been minimised to fit into a 31mm case, while still affording a generous four-day power reserve.
Parts of the movement, such as the mainplate and bridges, have been pared down further to make the watch components visible and a captivating visual experience.
The skeletonised movement allows a detailed observation of the timepiece’s inner workings.
The new Round Skeleton Baguette in 31mm is available in white and rose gold, set with various combinations of diamonds and precious stones. — PATSY KAM
A special limited edition of the watchmaker’s earlier Grand Planetarium Eccentric Manufacture, this features a miniature painted dial by artist Gaël Colon and brings to life the orbits of all eight planets in our solar system.
As such, the real-time orbits of Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune around the Sun are featured on the dial!
The watch is powered by a new in-house movement incorporating a variable-inertia balance wheel, a free-sprung hairspring and custom star-shaped bridges.
This watch has a 60-hour power reserve and a uniquely designed skeletonised rotor plated in rose gold.
This movement features a variable-inertia balance wheel, a free-sprung hairspring and intricately crafted star-shaped bridges with hand-applied circular finishing, all meticulously designed to optimise the watch’s accuracy.
Meanwhile, the frosted star motif is beautifully complemented by rhodium-plated detailing on the main plate.
The skeletonised rotor is crafted in the shape of the CVDK logo and plated in rose gold, adding to the overall allure of this refined piece.
In celebration of the Surrealist movement from 1924, Exaequo has launched the new melting watch models to captivate with updated stylistic elements that are both aesthetic and functional.
These include cases with asymmetrical and sinuous lines, available in versions with satin-finished 316L steel and PVD gold treatment.
The oval shape of the watch appears flattened in the central part, and is approximately 47mm in length with a maximum width of 28mm, presenting a rounded crown on the right side for quick time adjustment.
On its two-level dial, protected by domed glass, five dial shades – blue, black, white, green and gold – are available in both steel and gold case options.
Featuring Roman numerals and contrasting indices, they harmonise with the lines of the case, completing the decidedly surrealist mood.
The caseback, customised on request, is secured by four screws ensuring water resistance up to 30m depth and allows easy changing of the battery, and if necessary, the entire electromechanical Ronda 751 movement.
The design of the Melting Watch is complemented by a smooth leather strap for the steel version and a crocodile print for the golden version, both in harmony with the dial colours, and comes complete with tone-on-tone stitching.
If you have a penchant for skeleton watches, look to Rado’s Captain Cook Skeleton series trimmed in warm, soulful rose-gold PVD on crown and bezel.
The iconic box-shaped sapphire crystal opens onto a stylish, smoke-tinted dial that adds character to the skeleton movement and its finely detailed, see-through plate and exquisite geometry.
The proven and reliable 25-jewel R808 automatic calibre, tested in a full five positions and equipped with an anti-magnetic Nivachron hairspring, provides exceptional precision and an impressive 80 hours of power reserve.
Thanks to a second sapphire crystal in the black PVD-coated titanium caseback, the movement and its components, intricate layers and details can be observed in operation from the top or the underside of the watch.
The bezel is enhanced by a laser-etched anti-fingerprint high-tech ceramic insert in the same masculine matte black as the case and bracelet.
The special insert carries markers and numerals also in rose-gold colour, a lovely contrast against the darker ceramic elements.
As with all Captain Cook models, the visual composition is rhythmic and virile, underscored by bold and large bezel markers, numerals, hands and indices.
For something more feminine, Rado’s Centrix Open Heart provides hints of the eternal − a bridge between worlds, the now and the beyond − symbolised by two gentle curves, with the upper one punctuated by the centre of the timepiece and watch hands.
The design flows outward over to the dial’s edge, beautifully framing a state-of-the-art R734 automatic movement with 80 hours of power reserve and a Nivachron hairspring.
It also has a rippled-sunlight “ondulé soleil” motif on chosen component surfaces.
The dial’s background shade matches the bracelet’s central links in Rado high-tech ceramic, while the case and outer bracelet come in shades of rose-gold-coloured PVD-finished stainless steel.
A gently convex sapphire crystal with a rounded edge, bonded to the case, closes the design while a second sapphire crystal equips the stainless-steel caseback to allow an insightful glance into the Open Heart’s workings.
Variant models are also available to suit the occasion and personality of the wearer. — PATSY KAM
Founded by American watch enthusiasts Barry Cohen and Richard Timbo 35 years ago, the brand became the official supplier to the US military, and enjoys support from adventure lovers and divers alike.
This anniversary, there’s a new design based on its 1992 Master Carbon Seal watch.
This brings all of the performance qualities Luminox offers within the brand’s Carbonox+ case – made of a carbon compound – exclusive to the brand.
Featuring excellent strength-to-durability ratio, and is corrosion-resistant and bio-friendly, it can also be easily shaped into anything; both the case middle and bezel can also be made with Carbonox+.
The Wave Crest also has an automatic mechanical movement that can be seen through the exhibition caseback.
Powered by a Sellita movement and featuring a 200m water-resistance, it has a 20-minute diving countdown marked on the bezel with the words “Every Second Counts” in white and red on the dial.
Best of all, the Luminox Light Technology (LLT) illuminator that uses self-powered micro gas tubes keeps the dial lit for up to 25 years!
The iconic Swiss brand has unveiled new expressions of the Aikon Automatic 42mm and the Aikon Automatic Chronograph 44mm, all executed in titanium, a highly desirable material that confers an array of wearer benefits.
Titanium is widely used in motorsport and aerospace industries due to its rare blend of notable strength and featherweight properties, as well as marine environments owing to its resistance to saltwater corrosion.
Maurice Lacroix has combined two grades of titanium, Grade 2 titanium and Grade 5 titanium, accentuating the visual contrast of each metal to glorious affect.
This nuanced contrast imbues each model with an air of sophistication and style, ensuring they always stand out from the crowd.
Paired with titanium cases, the feature-rich dials are endowed with a complex blend of high-contrast sand-brushed and polished surfaces.
Water-resistant to 200m, both the Aikon Automatic and the Aikon Automatic Chronograph are compatible with an active lifestyle and equipped with the ML Easy Strap Exchange system.
This allows the wearer to adapt the look of their watch to their outfit, swapping the strap for an alternative with just a few user-friendly clicks.
A new generation of the Polo Watch collection has been launched, featuring two new models that are bolder, brighter and more colourful than ever before.
The two new watches – in orange and in red – have a simpler dial and bezel than its predecessors, but are more colourful than the previous collection.
Measuring 42mm, the new Polo timepieces are powered by Ralph Lauren’s own automatic movement, offering 38 hours of power reserve and 10 bar water-resistance.
The watch also features hours, minutes and central seconds hands, a curved sapphire crystal and closed caseback, and are decorated with sporty accents.
The orange version has a matte blue and black dial and green rotating bezel.
For even more colour, the sword-shaped hands are two-toned with black lacquered and white SuperLuminova, and the seconds hand features red lacquered with white.
The most prominent feature is the orange rubber strap with the POLO word printed on it.
The red version, the subtler model of the two, has a matte blue-and-black dial and a blue bezel, with a red rubber POLO-printed strap.
Belgian horology house Ressence’s latest offering is its contribution to The Indigo Project, led by Shellman, the brand’s Tokyo-based Japanese retail partner.
The design of the watch’s dial incorporates a single indigo-dyed silk thread placed in a spiral pattern by a skilled artisan.
Because of the dye and the nature of the thread itself, a range of blue tones are visible on the dial.
The total length of the thread is 2.5m and it measures just 0.2mm in diameter, underscoring the intricacy of the craft process.
The watch is also the Ressence reference that distils the brand’s unique time-telling method, displaying just hours and minutes via a small rotating interior dial for the hours and a large rotating hand indicating minutes at the dial’s perimeter.
Equipped with 36 hours of power reserve, the watch runs on the patented Ressence Orbital Convex System 8 module with a customised automatic base caliber.
The case is made of grade 5 titanium with a diameter of 42.9mm.
The iconic brand first created the Aéro Trunk in 1906, a state-of-the-art piece that was attached to the basket of a hot air balloon. Light and durable, the trunk is also watertight.
The maison now channels its passion for adventure and travel into creating a horological masterpiece embodying a gorgeous balloon.
A Louis Vuitton monogram flower indicates the hours and minutes, which are displayed on an upper and lower disc.
The underside of the trunk also features a Louis Vuitton monogram flower lever, which unfolds to wind the clock.
Available in either traditional red and transparent glass or precious wood, this Swiss mechanical clock can be displayed in two ways – either as a table clock or dramatically suspended from the ceiling!
Of course, the balloon rests on a basket fashioned as a miniature Louis Vuitton trunk, handcrafted using the same centuries-old trunk-making savoir-faire.
Sculpted on this are two special gems: a 9,06ct briolette citrine with a vivid orange-brown colour reminiscent of the flame of a hot air balloon, and a square-cut citrine, which signals the passage of time.
Finally, the whole structure is adorned with no less than 1.200 diamonds, while the trunk is finished with diamond studs.
