When Officine Panerai announced last year that it would be working with gaming titan Razer, we could not have imagined this 40mm Panerai Luminor Quaranta Razer PAM01353. In hindsight, conservation and sustainability links both Panerai and Razer, with both companies having a strong commitment to conserving nature, for example. Both brands are working with Conservation International to support research on marine species; possibly the most prominent bit of work you might know about here has to do with protecting manta rays.
We think the Luminor Quaranta Razer PAM01353 is amongst the most exciting yet under the radar double-signed contemporary watches. No doubt only time will tell where this Panerai-Razer partnership will go, and that will shape how collectors view this watch. Limited as it is to 500 pieces, the exclusivity factor of PAM01353 is certainly in play; it is available only at Panerai boutiques and on the Panerai website. What is attractive to us is that the hype is absent, with hardly any serious watch content platforms picking up this story, even at this relatively late date. Perhaps, like us, these platforms were expecting something wilder, like a smartwatch or even a dive computer.
That said, the Luminor Quaranta Razer is a visually arresting time-only watch with date that pushes the limits in terms of what watchmaking can do with recycled materials. So yes, the case here is in eSteel, which is the recycled steel that Panerai introduced a couple of years ago (you can hear what Panerai executives say about the firm’s sustainability initiatives here). The watch case is DLC-treated, making it pleasantly dark while adding a dash of tool-like charm. The green of the SuperLuminova is the darker Razer version, which is a nice touch. The same colour tone appears on the stitching of the recycled PET strap, but the Razer THS logo on the traditional sandwich-style dial is virtually invisible.
Collectors should take note that the Razer logo also appears on the closed caseback, while the Razer name appears in Razer’s signature font on the crown-protection bridge. PAM01353 is powered by the automatic calibre P.900 with three days of power reserve from a single barrel, which will be appreciated by the Panerai faithful. Intriguingly, the watch is water-resistant to 100 metres and so it might be relatively slim (height specifications are not available). There are two straps, with the alternative here being rubber. The buckle also has a quick release system, which is notable.
Montblanc reopens its flagship boutique at 152 Avenue des Champs-Élysées after extensive renovation and expansion works. This is to accommodate a new concept aimed at merging retail and hospitality. Called “Montblanc Suite 4810 Paris”, the space calls to mind what a luxurious hotel lobby would be but with the brand’s signature touches.
The Montblanc experience begins even before guests enter the boutique. The Grand Entrance features a magnificent grille that is designed to look like iconic Montblanc nip and a mosaic on the floor forming the name “Montblanc Suite 4810 Paris”. Another significant reference to the brand is the number 4810, which represents the height of Europe’s famous snow-capped mountain when the brand was founded over 115 years ago.
The Grand Entrance.
Inside the concept store, there are about five areas that guests can explore. The first touchpoint is the lobby, where a host will be on standby and be ready to customise the individual’s experience according to preferences and interests. Black lacquered walls surround the lobby and are a nod to Montblanc’s deep black resin of its writing instrument. Riding on the same theme of the Meisterstück pens, there is also an Ink Bar just across the counter where guests can freely try out the Montblanc nib selection and inks.
The concierge area is where Montblanc conceives its creative ideas and guests are welcome to learn more about what makes the soul and the whole universe of the brand across the different product categories and new capsule launches. “At a small desk, an expert “concierge” is on hand to personalise accessories, paint on leather or even advise on writing techniques and calligraphy,” the brand further shares. And just alongside the concierge is the Salon Horlogerie or the Watch Bar, where Montblanc’s timepieces are displayed and guests can also try on.
The leather goods section of the store is located in the back and is modern and lively. The leather pieces are spotlighted in a unique presentation that includes a counter made of beautiful Travertino marble in a chic and friendly setting. Customers can unwind and admire the exquisite craftsmanship of Montblanc’s leather in the seating area, while a mobility section is designated for testing out travel trolleys.
The leather goods showcase area.
Up the elevator from the foyer is the highlight of the boutique, which is the salon of Montblanc Suite 4810. This is where special guests can get a closer look at the exceptional pieces from the brand. For example, rare and highly artistic writing instruments are kept in little chests that are mounted on the walls of the Treasure Room’s bank vault. With one-of-a-kind items from the archive room at Montblanc Haus in Hamburg, guests can experience the brand’s rich history spanning more than a century in this quaint environment.
Speaking more about the reopened boutique store, Nicolas Baretzki, Montblanc CEO, said “Montblanc is enriching its omnichannel offering that perfectly complements our overall retail experience. We are taking luxury customers to the heart of our Brand universe, bringing our stories and products even closer to them in a personalised way. At the intersection of hospitality and retail, Montblanc Suite 4810 Paris has the multi-functional characteristics of a luxury boutique hotel full of unexpected elements to surprise and delight our guests, inspiring them to keep ‘coming home’ to a warm and welcoming destination.”
We last talked about your long history in Swatch Group, and you mentioned that you found the industry was the right one for you. What keeps you coming back for more?
Of course, I am a real watch enthusiast and that is probably one of the strongest factors. Moreover, Tissot is a very strong brand in the watch industry and has been ever since its foundation in 1853 so it’s an honour for me to be at the head of it, to be part of its history, so that definitely helps too!
Tissot has been a major force in watchmaking for more than 150 years. How do you keep the brand fresh yet still true to its roots? And to make the future even better, as you told us last time?
Tissot stands by its motto “Innovators by Tradition”, which is rooted in the brand throughout its history. This is still the case today, as we stay true to these roots, which leads us to offer watches, features and communication that are in touch with our times and that appeal to new audiences, while remaining faithful to our brand identity.
A good example of this is the latest PRX Collection and its campaigns. Like the product, the campaigns take inspiration from the past yet have a modern appeal with an edgy and flamboyant twist; we are using a full 360° activation to roll them out.
On a more general scale, we also continue our innovation strategy and reinforcing digitalisation with major projects on e-commerce, CRM, digital activation of warranties, connected watches development, just to name a few key projects. Our digital departments are still expanding to meet demand and adapt, as best and as quickly as possible, to the needs of the market.
With regards to the popularity of the PRX again, and some other models from a variety of brands, it seems watchmaking is not able to keep pace with demand. Is this related to disruptions over the last two years or is demand really outpacing supply? What can be done about this to avoid frustrating customers and alienating younger buyers who are only now discovering the value of timepieces?
When we launched the PRX Collection, we knew it was going to be a success. For me it was an obvious choice. That said, we underestimated just how much demand it would generate, as our forecasts were massively exceeded. We are selling 20 times more units than we originally planned, which was a very positive surprise. Forecasting is not always an easy exercise but the fact that there is demand and sometimes even the wait, adds value to the pieces and renders them even more appealing to the consumer.
We realise that “value” is a loaded word when discussing watches these days, so let us clarify that we mean the intrinsic and perceived value, not the potential for appreciation or captial protection! What is your perspective on the speculative wave that has descended on watchmaking?
We are one of the very few brands that can offer such quality at that price thanks to the volume we produce. We pay a lot of attention to the details of the product to add perceived value. It is not about adding gold or precious stones but about working on the details of the watch and pushing the boundaries with suppliers so that every element, such as the indices, brushed dials etc. can turn out the way you wanted them to and increase the perceived value of the end product.
Returning to the PRX in general, this collection continues to be one of the most exciting offerings in watchmaking overall. What’s next — another complication like an annual calendar, a GMT, or maybe something entirely different, such as the half-gold model?
The PRX is definitely here to stay. Following the success of the first quartz version, we expanded the collection with automatic models, featuring a Powermatic 80 movement and a chronograph version with a Valjoux movement for our connoisseurs looking for a quality timepiece (reflective of the brand’s history). We have now also just launched the 35mm model that takes the watch one step closer to the original model with the same case size. We have been listening to our consumers and have been responding to their requests. I wouldn’t want to give it all away but what I can say is that we do indeed have some other surprises in the pipeline to come for the PRX Collection so keep an eye out!
Offering exceptional products at accessible prices is part of the Tissot’s identity. Volume and economies of scale are what allow us to do so, and to create and offer products such as the PRX Chronograph or a Telemeter 1938 with a Valjoux movement, for example, for less than CHF2,000.
It is also a way to attract and reach a younger audience, who do not have unlimited budgets but who want to be able to afford a fine Swiss watch. The PRX Collection is, as you say, a perfect example of this.
To build on the above question, the PRX collection seems to have tapped onto what people really want in a watch, and watchmaking brands have always reserved the most fun and exciting creations for the highest prices. What’s Tissot’s position?
We will not change our price positioning. We will always strive to create watches for everyone, which is why our core price ranges between CHF300 and CHF1,000. We want to be able to offer watches that can suit any need with various complications and features, but always paying attention to the fine detail to increase the perceived value. Tissot is the door to the luxury-entry price point.
I think that’s what makes for success; it is the attention to detail. For the PRX, we really worked on every element of the watch in order to achieve the results we did with an extremely qualitative watch that could speak to everyone, whether with a high or more moderate income. The attention to detail is what makes the difference. We also did everything to make it not only look good but feel good on the wrist. This was essential for us.
While we have been reporting on the strong health of the watch business, this seems to be true only in the segment above CHF3,000 (export price as defined by the FH). You have noted that Tissot is defying this. How has the brand accomplished this?
The ability of a company to adapt is the key to success. Even if these last years have not been record years, the fundamentals for the brand are strong and now we can only be better following the pandemic. Despite the hard times, we experienced an increase in our sales and have gained market share. In the end, this period of uncertainty forced us to become even more flexible to continue to satisfy our customers as best as possible, as we always have done.
We will finish with a follow-up on the museum, which we are very excited about! Is it completed yet, and when will we receive more news about it to share with our readers?
We are making progress, but good things take time. As I told you in our last interview, we have a huge amount of archives. First and foremost, we need to sort them out by categorising them all properly. We will then be in a position to choose and set up a museum but it all requires a lot of work and resources. We will keep you posted however, on the progress.
After multiple successful openings in countries across Asia, Maison 21G has finally opened its first boutique in the Middle East. Located in Dubai Hills, the luxury Parisian perfumery house brings its signature brand of scent personalisation, exquisite range of bespoke products, and private atelier experience to those craving a lavish escapade.
Bringing along its best offerings to clients in Dubai, the boutique’s strong design values rooted in sleek minimalism and Parisian chic have also been incorporated within its latest opening. The famous “Carré Galbé (Round Square)”, where the Maison conducts its renowned perfumery workshops, has also been brought over and clients can book an appointment to learn more about creating their own signature scent.
The boutique is split into different zones, and visitors can learn more about the brand as they move along with their scent-making journey. At Maison 21G, there are multiple facets to creating one’s scent. Also unique to the brand is the option to customise home scents, a premiere in the perfumery industry and a fast-growing segment that Maison 21G is excited to be taking the lead in with its collection of products.
Always seeking novel ways to make the customer’s journey an epicurean experience, Maison 21G brings its proprietary “touchless scent bar” to Dubai. Invented as a response to the inconvenience brought forth by the Covid-19 pandemic, this agile approach is a safe, stylish and innovative way for clients to be involved in designing their scent wardrobe from the 35 haute couture essences available.
To help with smoothening the process of creating one’s scent, Maison 21G harnesses the power of AI. Clients can take a survey online, and the results from it will reveal their scent personality, which will aid them in picking out the best scents based on a range of categories like nationality, skin tone, age and others. Thus, making the experience a truly bespoke one to enjoy.
Apart from its mission to launch a perfume revolution centred around its disruptive and multisensory approach, Maison 21G also takes pride in offering a fully-transparent product journey to its clients.
“Sustainability is the new luxury in perfumery. We focus on what’s inside the bottle and aim to make the world of perfume more transparent, clean and educative,” says Johanna Monange, founder and CEO of Maison 21G.
Image: Maison 21G
Beyond just packaging, the scents used are at least 90 per cent biodegradable and are made by IFF, which means renowned noses like Dominique Ropion, Anne Flipo, Carlos Benaim and others are all part of the creation as well. All Maison 21G fragrances are ethically sourced, and its journey can be traced from plant to perfume. Lastly, the brand aims to exclusively utilise recyclable or refillable packaging to achieve its goal of producing zero plastic waste.
With such a unique approach to creating a brand that doubles down on curating a bespoke, greener, and more transparent perfume-making journey, Maison 21G makes a great addition to the vibrant community in Dubai Hills.
In 2017, the Arab world welcomed its first universal museum where famous collections of art and other culturally significant objects from around the world are housed in the Louvre Abu Dhabi. Standing proudly on the United Arab Emirates’ Saadiyat Island, the museum serves as a bridge between Eastern and Western civilisations. For Louvre Abu Dhabi, the institution is set on spotlighting the stories of human creativity. “The museum brings different cultures together to shine fresh light on these common stories of humanity, beyond individual civilisations, times or places,” as mentioned on the museum’s website.
The establishment of the Louvre Abu Dhabi resulted from an intergovernmental agreement between the gulf state and France. As part of the broader US$1.3 billion accord with France’s Agence France-Museum, the name of the Louvre will be loaned to Abu Dhabi for a period of 30.5 years and a fee of US$520 million is also given. In exchange, the UAE museum will get to house artworks from 17 French cultural institutions, from Leonardo da Vinci’s portrait of “La Belle Ferronnière” to Francesco Primaticcio’s bronze statue “Apollo Belvedere”. Guidance by experts is also given to help the museum select pieces to acquire.
The inauguration of the Louvre Abu Dhabi in 2017 was titled “From One Louvre to Another: Opening a Museum for Everyone” and featured 600 masterpieces. At that time, it sought to retrace the Parisian museum’s origins to a time when the public finally got access to these rare collections. But unlike its Western counterpart, Jean-François Charnier, head curator at Louvre Abu Dhabi, has organised the artworks chronologically and thematically and not by place of origin.
Apart from what the Louvre Abu Dhabi holds inside its building, the museum’s exterior is also a marvel in its own right. Designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Jean Nouvel, the visual masterpiece expertly showcased his skills in utilising geometry and light. Before designing the museum, the Frenchman was already known for his works with the Arab World Institute and Foundation Cartier in Paris, and the Culture and Congress Centre in Lucerne. For Louvre Abu Dhabi, Nouvel was inspired by the natural elements of Saadiya Island and the desire to combine it with Arab culture and Abu Dhabi itself.
The result is a dome structure rendered in steel and its complex geometric roof allows for the effect known as “rain of light” to happen as sunlight passes through the eight structural layers. Patterns of light illuminate the museum’s walls and floor giving rise to an illusion of being shaded by the palm trees common in Abu Dhabi as their leaves filter and soften the bright daylight from above. Despite the notion of being weightless as shadows and lights interplay, the structure weighs around 7,000 tonnes and is similar to that of the Eiffel Tower in Paris — another connection to France.
According to an article by The New York Times, Zaki Nusseibeh, Minister of State, said that the government “considers the Louvre Abu Dhabi part of a cultural strategy to counter tensions in the region”. Furthermore, the Emirates’s ultimate goal is “to promote the capital as a tolerant global city, and its flagship museum as a bridge between civilisations.” In addition, Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman, Department of Culture and Tourism, added that the museum seeks to “inspire a new generation of cultural leaders and creative thinkers to contribute to our rapidly-changing and tolerant nation.”
Claude Monet’s “Women in the Garden.
Fast forward to 2022, the museum celebrates its fifth anniversary and a special exhibition is held from 12 October 2022 to 5 February 2023. Titled “Impressionism: Pathway to Modernity”, works from masters such as Cezanne, Degas, Manet, Monet, Pissarro and Renoir will be on display. This showcase is touted to be one of the most significant exhibitions on 19th century art movement ever held outside of France and visitors will stand to see over 150 artworks. This includes Claude Monet’s “Women in the Garden” and “London, Parliament”. The exhibition’s theme also aptly resonates with the happenings in the gulf region where there is a dissonance between modernity and tradition as society transitions into the new world.
With the resumption of international travel, the aviation industry is returning to life again after two years of “break” due to the pandemic. In a survey conducted by Milieu Insight in Singapore, about 81 per cent of respondents have plans to travel on a leisure holiday within the next year, and a quarter had already booked their tickets and accommodation. This uptick in demand for travelling could also be observed in many markets like those in North America, Europe and the Caribbean.
Popular travel destinations for many include countries in Europe and the US for those living in Asia and vice versa. As the colder months approach the Northern hemisphere, travellers can seek comfort in sunny Dubai and enjoy the range of activities the city has to offer. Ahead, we have curated a list of the five things you must do while you are visiting the capital city.
No visit to Dubai is complete without visiting the famous Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building standing at 828 metres. Located on the 148th floor is “At the Top”, an observatory deck that presents an unprecedented opportunity to soak up the unparalleled views of the city and beyond. You can even book a personalised tour and indulge in the signature refreshments from SKY Lounge. Other observatory decks on the 125th and 124th floors are also available and you can look scan the city with the telescopes provided.
Once you are done admiring the breathtaking views, head down to At.mosphere for a meal, which holds the title of being the highest in the world. The restaurant sits on the 122th floor and is lauded for their acclaimed menu of cuisines from all around the world. Some of the ingredients that make up the dishes are even grown exclusive for the restaurant.
Just nestled at the base of the Burj Khalifa is the Dubai Fountain. Known to be the world’s tallest performing fountain, it is over 900ft in length and situated on on the 30-arce Burj Lake. The fountain performs alongside a repertoire of songs from classical music to popular hits with over 1,000 different water expressions using over 50 colour projectors that synchronises with the beats of the songs. There is also a 272-metre boardwalk that connects to the Burj Park and Fountain promenade, giving visitors a new experience to enjoy the captivating performance.
Not only does Dubai claims the title of having the world’s highest building, but it also holds the record for having the deepest indoor diving pool. Deep Dive Dubai has a depth of 60 metres and is the perfect spot for diving enthusiasts, thrill seekers and those looking for an unforgettable experience. Even if you have just started your diving journey or a seasoned diver, there is something for you to do at Deep Dive Dubai. Embark on your scuba diving journey with the lessons conducted by the team of experts or go on to explore the sunken city with your friends.
Dubai Mall
Shopping is a must in Dubai and with numerous luxury brands like Louis Vuitton, Dior, Gucci, Prada and more located in the city’s most well-visited mall, Dubai Mall, you will be spoilt for choices. This shopping paradise is the biggest in the city and boasts over 1 million sqm (equivalent to about 200 football pitches) of area. It has an ice rink and is home to The Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo. You will surely find that bag you have always wanted or that diamond necklace you have had your eyes on back home. With such an impressive offering, it is no wonder that over 100 million visitors make a trip to the Dubai Mall each year.
The Museum of the Future
Opened earlier this year in February is The Museum of the Future, which has since been called “the most beautiful building in the world” by UAE vice president Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. The museum is located in Dubai’s Financial District and stands at 77 metres tall and covers an area of 30,548 sqm. Built for the Dubai Future Foundation, the new cultural hotspot is curated to feature a mix of exhibitions, immersive theatre and themed attractions. Each floor of the building is dedicated to the different facades of mankind from health and well-being to technology and even outer space. The Museum of the Future is branded to be “a beacon of hope” where it is home to optimistic imagination and a place for people to put down their commitment to a more sustainable future.
Luxury fashion house Prada has debuted its first sustainable fine jewellery line, Eternal Gold. It was a momentous launch as the brand is the first to use 100 per cent certified recycled gold to create its jewellery collection. The press release states, “Prada fine jewellery is embedded in sustainable practice that informs 21st century luxury, alongside time-honoured artisanal techniques and precious gems and metals.”
At its core, fine jewellery collections were created with the future in mind where pieces are treated as heirlooms and passed down through generations. Taking the notion a step further, Prada reinterpreted what the word “eternal” meant in today’s context and derived that sustainability should be the cornerstone of its inaugural fine jewellery line.
The brand has been a forerunner in sustainability where it has a “wide-ranging commitment to conscious and responsible practices across every facet of its business”. An example is Prada’s shift from using virgin nylon to regenerated nylon, which it calls “Re-Nylon”, and it is made by recycling unwanted plastics found in landfills and oceans. This innovative material made its way to the mainstream market in 2019 as part of Prada’s capsule collection for its bags before appearing on the brand’s runway, ready-to-wear, accessories and footwear.
Further strengthening Prada’s dedication to sustainability, it ensured that the gold used in Eternal Gold meets the “Chain of Custody” requirements set forth by the Responsible Jewellery Council. Every step to producing the jewellery is verifiable and traceable; this is a feat that no other fine jeweller and luxury brand can confidently profess.
“Prada’s recycled gold is drawn only from eligible recycled material sources, in compliance with due diligence — including industrial gold, and post-consumer precious objects,” said the brand in the accompanying press release. “Prada partners exclusively with those suppliers of precious metal and stones who meet the highest industry standards concerning human rights, labour safety, environmental impact, and business ethics.”
The records of this verification are stored on the Aura Consortium Blockchain platform, which Prada and other luxury conglomerates like LVMH, Richemont, OTB Group and Mercedes-Benz are also members. Leveraging the growing importance and usefulness of blockchain technology as a solution to many of the world’s problems, today’s cognisant consumers can go onto the aforementioned platform to verify jewellery’s authenticity and trace its provenance.
While typically only achievable with stones of 0.5-carat or greater, Prada widens the idea, for the first time, to diamonds of all sizes. Every stage of a diamond’s existence may be traced, from mining through cutting, setting, and polishing. Furthermore, the decrease in new gold mining benefits the environment and human rights.
For the debut collection, Prada continues its focus on creating “objects of luxury” that espouses the highest level of Italian craftsmanship combined with precious materials. Its unique style heritage has since become a timeless fashion statement that now crosses over to the world of fine jewellery in the form of the Prada triangle — “a powerful silhouette and universal shape that has become synonymous with Prada”.
Image: PradaImage: Prada
Appearing as sleek earrings, pendants, clasp closures and as the head and tail of the snake bracelet, the collection is rife with Pradaisms. Elsewhere, the triangle motif takes shape covertly on the chain links of heart pendants. The brand started this project about two years ago after it was announced during the group’s Capital Market Day in November 2021. Moving forward, Prada is also looking to launch its own high jewellery collection in the future.
The collection will be available online in select countries from 17 October 2022.
A chronograph is a watch that tracks and records elapsed time, and it can do so mechanically or digitally, or via some sort of hybrid of the two. A relatively young complication, it depends heavily on mechanisms that are optimised for precision so it could not really get off the starting block before clocks and watches were able to measure time down to the nearest second. On the other hand, the best chronographs also exhibit inimitable character. A great chronograph is at the heart of many brands, and the complication is very desirable.
Tissot has been making great watches since 1853 so we did not have to do a double take when the PRX debuted in 2020. We cannot say that we saw it coming, and we were as surprised as anyone by the unparalleled demand for both the quartz and Powermatic 80 versions. The quartz model was the most unexpected homerun, with Tissot getting the form factor just right. Later, we were gratified to learn that the watch emerged from the conviction of the watchmakers and management at Tissot, not from market research. This is because the first thing that strikes you when you see the PRX, and then feel it on your wrist, is that it is simply beautiful. Why should this watch, the automatic version in particular, feel so like an obvious winner? We cannot tell you that, and we doubt even Tissot CEO Sylvain Dolla can.
On that note, we must hit pause on the narrative here for a few points about the structure of this extensive article. For more details on the cover watch itself, including key differences between the two versions, please see our Cover Watch story on LUXUO here. As usual, this story presents the bigger picture, including the latest chapter in the PRX story. Read on for the tale of the development and reception of the PRX Chronograph, possible new additions to the collection, and the completely new 35mm models.
Building a Collection
Image: Tissot
The gist of this story — our proposition in a way — is that the PRX is a great way to begin building depth in your collection. We have no doubt that the PRX, starting with the quartz model in 2020, introduced large numbers of people to the hobby of collecting watches. There is a critical moment, after you pull the trigger on any one watch from a particular brand, that you will be tempted to go deep into that family of watches. When the model in question is effectively new, you have the chance to follow alongside the brand as it reveals more chapters in the story of that model as it grows into a full collection in the core range. It is history in the making and you only have one shot to get in on the ground floor, so to speak. With that out of the way, our story proceeds apace, with the chronograph leading the way.
What is really exciting about the PRX chronograph is that it is tracking the zeitgeist in watch collecting, with one set of burgeoning collectors having purchased a time-only watch in steel to start themselves off. Now is the time to start thinking about additional functions, or adding some complexity into your life, in other words. It should go without saying that the chronograph is an enormously popular complication in traditional watchmaking (according to the FH), thus such a model from Tissot is only to be expected. Given the price segment that Tissot and the PRX specifically dominates, there was always a question of how exactly Tissot would manage this. This is especially true considering the Powermatic 80 movement that makes the automatic tick, literally.
This is a top-end base movement so a chronograph module would have been nigh impossible, without significantly changing the price proposition. Tissot is quite firm in wanting to continue to offer unbeatable value for money in its segment, which is actually how Swatch Group brands all work. In the case of our watch of the moment, we decided to take Tissot at face value and begin our story with that number: S$2,550.
While not an astonishing leap in pricing, the chronograph is nevertheless almost three times the price of the automatic. This is an odd quirk of the Swiss watch trade because chronographs are frequently priced at between two to three times the price of the standard model in the same collection. Tissot has paid a lot of attention to what the price of the PRX Chronograph says about the watch so you can expect a lot of added value here, which we will certainly get to.
The integrated automatic chronograph movement here is visible via the exhibition caseback, which is an important touch at this level because you do not always get this. It is certainly expected as one climbs up the horological ladder, with one notable and obvious exception, but movements such as the ETA A05.H31 frequently stay hidden behind closed casebacks. Here you can see how this calibre, based on the Valjoux calibre 7753, works, and even admire the perlage and satinated finishing touches. These are machine executed, to be clear, but just seeing these traditional decorations there is heartening. Again, at this sort of price, such aesthetic touches are often absent, with maintaining reasonable prices cited as the reason. Well, Tissot is not having any of it and we are very pleased about that.
There are a few important points to note about this movement, the first of which is the escapement. It sports neither the silicon or Nivachron balance springs, but rather the good old Nivarox spring. Unlike traditional 7750 variants, this movement’s beating heart stays at a steady 4Hz but manages a 60-hour power reserve. Given what we know about the parts here, we surmise that Swatch Group has made some efficiency improvements in the barrel to enable such an impressive power reserve — plenty of chronographs do not go north of 50 hours of running power, and the base 7753 runs for 48 hours, typically. This is yet another way that Tissot is staying ahead of the competition, because plenty of brands use calibre 7753, but only Swatch Group brands use ETA A05.H31. It is worth noting as well that most watches that use calibre 7753, or related variants, are typically priced above S$3,000
In terms of user interaction, most of the details about the chronograph are in the cover watch section, but we will say a word here about the date. The position of the date (the perception of which is highly subjective) between 4 and 5 o’clock aside, it is a bit fussy to use since it can only be directly adjusted via the recessed pusher at 10 o’clock. Tissot provides a tool for this, but you can really use any toothpick or anything softer than steel with a pointy end that is not too long to adjust the date. This is precisely what we did when we shot the watch for this story because we did not have the brand-specified tool on hand. In a pinch, if you are on the go, you could also just advance the time with the crown to get to the right date. As you can guess, the date can only be adjusted forwards with the pusher.
Before we transition to the PRX 35, we will say something for the collection as a whole, particularly when it comes to water-resistance. The chronograph, automatic, quartz and 35mm models are all rated water-resistant to 100 metres, which we think is the final value-add in the collection as it reflects excellent robustness. It also completes the X portion of the PRX, which refers to water-resistance. For completeness, P refers to precision and R is for reliability.
As a watch collector, you may know the name Louis Moinet. He is the watchmaker who invented the chronograph, and the brand that bears his name is an exhibitor at Watches and Wonders Geneva. On the other hand, Moinet is no Abraham-Louis Breguet nor Adrienne Philippe, and no grand workshop called Louis Moinet ever graced Paris or Geneva. A little more than 10 years ago, the talents of this French watchmaker, artist and academic might have been unknown to you. Indeed, with reference to that time period, some of you might instead recall a great deal of fuss being made at the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie in Geneva over another French watchmaker, the relatively famous Nicolas Mathieu Rieussec…
Rieussec was already in the books as the inventor of the chronograph in 1822, and his life was better known than Moinet’s, given that he was in the registry of active watchmakers in Paris as early as 1810. In 2012, no one even knew Moinet’s birthplace, but a change was coming that would forever upend the other prevailing order in watchmaking. “We said, from the Jura where we were, hello, excuse us, but there is a page missing from the history of watchmaking,” said Les Ateliers Louis Moinet SA CEO and Creative Director Jean-Marie Schaller.
The Super Moon watch from Louis Moinet’s Cosmic Art collection.The Mars Mission watch from Louis Moinet’s Cosmic Art collection.
Schaller is referring here to a series of events that confirmed the basic facts of Moinet’s original invention of the chronograph. If you have not heard the story, it is well worth a listen. Even though we know the tale quite well, it was amazing to hear it again from Schaller when he was in Singapore recently to celebrate his brand’s exclusive retail arrangement with Sincere, at the SHH boutique at MBS. In any case, we recall being very shocked that Moinet had created a true stopwatch in 1816 that could track elapsed time down to 1/60th of a second. For some context, Rieussec’s chronograph was accurate to one second, and that was plenty good enough in the early 19th century.
This begs a few questions: what even is Les Ateliers Louis Moinet? Does it have anything to do with the watchmaker Louis Moinet? And who is Jean-Marie Schaller? To begin with, the contemporary firm was founded in 2004 by Schaller, a Swiss man from Delemont in the Jura who is completely unrelated to Moinet. A few other names come into focus before the connection between Moinet and Schaller becomes established. Somehow, it is all tied into Schaller’s love of travel. Now there may be some head scratching here but for those in the know about Swiss watchmaking, there is nothing particularly mysterious here.
It all begins with another grand watchmaker, Breguet, which itself went through many tumultuous episodes. While we mean the watchmaking firm Breguet, there is a place here for Abraham-Louis himself. Okay, we can feel you staring daggers at us but we promise that it all makes sense.
The Louis Moinet Time to Race watch is one of the brand’s best sellers.
To make a long story shorter, when the Chaumet brothers acquired Breguet, they also got their hands on the archives and all manner of historical documents. This is Breguet, a name that evokes watchmaking history, after all. The brothers brought in a watchmaker of no small renown to help them make sense of it all, Daniel Roth. Yes, that Daniel Roth, the watchmaker whose brand was developed in Asia by the Siber Hegner SA trading company. Schaller got his start in the watchmaking trade at Siber Hegner, and was responsible for making growing the Daniel Roth watchmaking brand.
“I began with the Louis Moinet project in 2000. It began as a laboratory, working from home with my wife, next to the kitchen, which definitely seems to be a habit in this industry,” Schaller told Monochrome last year.
“Somehow, I did not look for Louis Moinet. Louis Moinet looked for me. That’s a strange feeling, but it was my destiny. The name was completely forgotten, but people kept talking to me about it, in particular, Daniel Roth.”
“Jean-Marie, you must be interested in this name (Louis Moinet), it is meant for you,” Roth told Schaller.
If all this sounds like magical thinking, bear in mind that the historical achievements of Louis Moinet are all too real. The watchmaker himself penned a book called “Traité d’Horlogerie” (Treatise on Watchmaking), which Elizabeth Doer of QP notes was familiar to prominent scholars such as Dr Ludwig Oeschlin, Arnaud Tellier and Dominique Flechon. This work describes a watch known as the Compteur de Tierces, which was the culmination of Moinet’s ambitions. In fact, Moinet worked on this watch while living with Abraham-Louis Breguet, a fact Roth tumbled to when he worked on the archives. Moinet and Abraham-Louis worked at the same address from 1815 to 1823.
The Compteur de Tierces.
The Compteur de Tierces was started in 1815 and completed a year later, and thus a link between the masters is given physical form. This is how Moinet described it in a letter: “I came to Paris in 1815 with the sole purpose of devising and making a compteur de tierces. The difficult and seldom attempted realisation of this instrument of a new construction, has achieved my purpose most satisfactorily.”
This watch really exists, and was sold at a Christie’s auction in 2012; the hallmarks inside the watch bear out its production history. Curiously, Doer notes that Tellier wrote the lot notes for the watch, which had an underwhelming estimate of CHF5,000. Schaller won it in a fierce bidding war, taking the price to an order of magnitude above the estimate. The Compteur de Tierces was the watch that showed that Louis Moinet was indeed the inventor of the chronograph, as verified by the aforementioned experts but also others who worked in the auction business. This was the big horological news of 2013, and the Compteur de Tierces would figure prominently in the future of Louis Moinet too.
The making of the Louis Moinet Mars Mission watch.
This brings us back to the status of the contemporary brand Louis Moinet, which Schaller has built up from scratch and today produces some 500 exceptional watches annually. Now, 500 watches do not sound very much until you consider the word exceptional; Schaller began his journey wanting to rescue a watchmaker from obscurity, and having succeeded, he does not intend on spoiling things by offering timid and tepid timepieces.
Looking at the contemporary watches here, you will not fail to be impressed. You can examine any Louis Moinet watch at the SHH boutique to find four symbols the brand uses to express its values: uniqueness, creativity, artistic spirit and exclusivity. Louis Moinet today focuses on two pillars: Cosmic Art and Mechanical Wonders. Interestingly, Cosmic Art may seem a far cry from Monet’s own work, but he invented the Compteur de Tierces to time astronomical events or heavenly phenomena, not really anything on earth. The connection with Mechanical Wonders is obvious, but we must pause to note that the Compteur de Tierces was a high-beat watch, with its escapement beating at an incredible 216,000 vph, or 30 Hz. Such dizzying speeds were indeed possible back in the day, for exceptional watchmakers such as Moinet. That is the spirit behind everything at the brand Louis Moinet.
This is not to say that Schaller revels in Louis Moinet’s internal abilities, nor does he elevate himself by association. The brand Louis Moinet lists its suppliers openly, in a manner both refreshing for the Swiss and perhaps surprising. If you ask Schaller why he decided on this, when so many brands (large and small) make a big show of mastering everything in-house, he goes quiet for a moment before saying simply “because it is not true (that brands can do everything in-house).” For Schaller, what is important is to find the right partners to execute his vision because Louis Moinet is a series of workshops, literally (Les Ateliers), and the Swiss tradition of working with specialised suppliers is an important part of watchmaking. He notes that his partners, including movement maker Concepto and casemaker FIMM, are constrained by NDAs from revealing who they work for, but Louis Moinet does not require this. Perhaps the fact that Moinet himself had spent so long obscured by history informs Schaller’s thought process here.
While we do not have the space to get into all the key references for the contemporary brand, you would do well to head down to the SHH boutique in Marina Bay Sands Singapore (Louis Moinet has an exclusive relationship with Sincere Fine Watches in Singapore) and look for the hallmarks mentioned earlier. Imagine yourself in Schaller’s place, looking at the hallmarks within the Compteur de Tierces for clues about its story. This remains key to understanding the emotional power behind Louis Moinet.
Europe is a popular tourist destination for many reasons. There’s something for everyone, be it a cheap backpacker experience interrailing around the central countries, ski resorts, or luxury remote villages. For those where money isn’t much of an issue, there are some of the most charming and historically significant cities in the world. Here are the three most luxurious destinations in Europe.
Monte Monte-Carlo
Monte Monte-Carlo is well-known for its stunning hotels and casinos, even gaining Hollywood recognition numerous times for the likes of James Bond movies and Ocean’s Twelve. There’s enormous wealth in Monaco, even more so when you consider how small and dense it is. For more than a century, it’s become the exclusive destination in Europe, as Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer details.
Besides its cultural richness, Monte Monte-Carlo is actually more than just classy hotels – it’s beside a huge rock cliff face and beautiful seas. There’s an element of natural beauty that often goes overlooked. And, inevitably, many ports are filled with high-end superyachts.
If you’re looking to attend some classy events, you’re in for a treat. Monaco hosts the Grand Prix each year at the end of Spring, and the Casino de Monte Monte-Carlo is perfect for networking and formal entertainment. There are also the biggest music stars who come to perform on intimate stages, great ballets and operas like the Monaco Yacht Show.
Madeira isn’t world-renowned like Monaco, though it is often associated with being the birthplace of Cristiano Ronaldo. But it is in fact quite similar to Monaco in terms of being small (though nowhere near as small as Monaco), with both stunning coastlines and a wealthy culture.
In recent years, Madeira has become more accessible with more frequent flights there. Known for its focus on service, hospitality is very good in Madeira, with many five-star hotels to choose from. You will feel like you’re on a paradise remote island, but it’s big enough to enjoy a wide range of activities — particularly for those who love nature.
Madeira also boasts some impressive food for an island. Of course, seafood is big, but there are a couple of Michelin Star restaurants too. Portugal cuisine is fantastic, but Madeira has its own dishes too.
Considered to be one of the most luxurious ski resorts in the world, Megève is a beautiful resort town in France. With stunning lakes to swim in during the summer and 260km of slopes in the winter, Megève is fantastic for both summer and winter.
There are plenty of five-star hotels despite being a small town, as well as authentic mountain villages. While it’s very much situated in France, it’s close enough to the Swiss and Italian borders that it has a fairly diverse, but high-quality range of culinary options. It’s also just an hour’s drive away from Geneva.
Of course, the Rochebrune cable car is a must to get the best view of the Alps, and the Musée de Megève is a small museum that can help summarise the town’s history. And, for those that want to work up a sweat outside of skiing activity, Palais des Sports is a sports centre with a swimming pool, ice rink, and many other sports to try.
Thailand’s iconic luxury lifestyle brand Jim Thompson is set to expand its universe with the unveiling of Jim Thompson Heritage Quarter. Situated alongside the renowned Jim Thompson House Museum in the heart of central Bangkok are several new additions to the brand’s universe: a “Museum About the Man”, Home Furnishings Exhibition, café and the Iconic Store.
Many of us would know Jim Thompson because of his sudden disappearance that till now remains an unsolved mystery. But equally intriguing is the life that he had led and the legacy he left behind. The American businessman is known in Thailand as the “King of Silk” for his relentless efforts in reviving the Thai silk industry, which during the 1950s and 1960s is a sunset industry. After a successful showcase in New York, the demand for Thai silk grew exponentially and soon he was able to open his first retail shop on Surawong Road in Bangkok.
The Man Himself Exhibition.
After a rewarding business in Thai silk, the astute businessman’s ambition grew and he ventured into other sectors to promote the beauty of Thai culture, traditions and the spirit of innovation inherent in the people. All of the happenings of the visionary man are encapsulated in the ongoing exhibitions in the residence-cum-museum of Jim Thompson.
Despite Jim Thompson’s unfortunate disappearance, his grand plans for the brand continues on with the current leadership. Speaking more about the opening of Jim Thompson Heritage Quarter, CEO Frank Cancelloni said: “We are excited about this new chapter. This is not just any lifestyle brand; it was founded by an iconic man who revived the Thai silk industry. The project will be 100 per cent completed by April 2023 with the opening of a restaurant, a bar and a multifunctional hall, all reflecting the spirit of Jim Thompson.”
Jim Thompson Heritage Quarter.
For visitors, local and international, they will be able to immerse themselves in the rich history and beauteous architecture of Jim Thompson’s former residence. Aside from the highlight which is the “Museum About the Man”, the Iconic Store is a place to pay a visit as it offers over 6,000 products and exciting collaborative projects from menswear to womenswear and other accessories; some of these goods are exclusively available only at this Iconic Store.
For German carmaker Porsche, its IPO debut on 29 September 2022 at the Frankfurt Stock Exchange was a momentous day as it ushered in a “new era with increased entrepreneurial flexibility”, according to the press release by the marque. The day also saw a new record in Europe as the car brand now holds the largest IPO by market capitalisation of around €78 billion.
On the first day of trading, the shares of Porsche were offered at €82.50 per share and by 6 October 2022, prices rose to €93, corresponding to a total market value of €85 billion. Compared to its ex-parent company Volkswagen’s market capitalisation of €77.7 billion, the sportscar maker finishes first to be Europe’s most valuable brand. Further adding to the prestige is the marque retaining its position as the world’s valuable luxury brand, according to Brand Finance, a leading brand valuation consultancy.
From left: Lutz Meschke, Deputy Chairman of the Executive Board and Oliver Blume, Chairman of the Executive Board.
Speaking more about the successful IPO, Oliver Blume, chairman of the executive board of Porsche AG, said, “Making our customers’ dreams come true is what drives us. Today, a big dream comes true for us. With the completion of the IPO, we are beginning a new chapter in the unique history of our company.” He further added, “This is a historic moment for Porsche. Above all, I would like to thank our more than 37,000 dedicated colleagues worldwide and all who have enabled us to announce our successful IPO today.”
Porsche’s spun-off from its former parent company Volkswagen came at a juncture where the sportscar marker was due to end its financial and domination agreement by the end of 2022. Instead, it will be replaced by an industrial cooperation agreement where both entities will “govern their industrial and strategic relationship”. The common thread that holds the two is the aim for a “sustainable and value-creating development of Porsche AG”.
With the fresh funds it raised from the IPO, Porsche has plans to use it and fulfil its commitment towards electrification. By 2030, 80 per cent of the cars made by Porsche will be battery-electric vehicles and accompanying this path towards a greener future, and it is working towards a net-carbon value chain by the same year. This move towards using electric engines aligns with other car manufacturers like Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Ferrari and Lamborghini.
“We aim to redefine the concept of modern luxury by combining luxury with sustainability and social commitment. Porsche wants to grow with its luxury products and services and assume social responsibility,” shared Oliver Blume of Porsche’s aim for the future.
The company is expecting its operating profits to be in the range of 17 to 18 per cent for the year ending 31 December 2022. Porsche is in a strong financial position as its half-year financial results already saw it earning €17.92 billion, so for the year 2022, its predicted revenue is around €38 billion to €39 billion.
On the face of it, the chronograph is easy to understand: it records elapsed time. So, if you are on a road trip and need to ensure that your pit stops do not get out of hand, you could set time limits and use your chronograph to keep things moving as planned. If five minutes is what you give yourself, the chronograph is the instrument to maintain that limit. The quartz and mechanical versions both do the same job, just with different degrees of precision. The travelling friends in the PRX ad could have done just that, if they had more than just the 35mm time-only model.
Of course, you could just use the stopwatch function on your phone, but then again, the mechanical wrist-borne chronograph is much more than merely functional. Beating an actual clock simply feels better, and that is what gives a contemporary mechanical chronograph like the Tissot PRX Chronograph its appeal. Of course, we would argue that using a chronograph, mechanical or quartz, feels better than a palmborne item like a phone, but we are biased.
To begin with though, it is all about how the watch sits on the wrist, how the chronograph calibre goes about its business, and how the registers on the dial deliver information. The PRX Chronograph is a 42mm watch in steel, and wears tall at 14.5mm. This is worth taking into account because it means that not all wrists will be able to accommodate it, nor will it be as versatile as the Automatic. It still wears smaller than it looks, thanks to the design of the lugs and the integrated bracelet. On that note, this is total watch design, as we are calling it, but contemporary thinking means that you are not limited to this one bracelet, nice as it is. This is a reference to the quick-release system for the bracelet, giving it flexibility and adaptability.
As noted, the date function is certainly a head-scratcher, and we look forward to improvements in this area. One easy fix would be a variant that has no date at all, but only time will tell what happens here. Anyway, back to the chronograph then, which features a tricompax layout for its subdials. The 12 hour counter is at 6 o’clock, the 30-minute counter is at 3 o’clock and the running seconds is at 9 o’clock, so there are no surprises here. The chronograph pushers are flat and relatively subtle, but not at all difficult to use.
There are two variants to consider here, a so-called panda and reverse panda, both with vertical brushed finishing. The blue version has silver-coloured subdials with polished steel indices and baton hands, while the silver-coloured dial has black subdials with rose gold-coloured hands and indices. The minute track on the inside of the flange is silver on the blue dial version and black on the silver dial version. Both versions have SuperLuminova on the hands and indices. We trust we do not have to say which one is the panda, and we leave it to you to decide on what appeals to you. Given that the PRX Chronograph is likely to be immensely popular, you should also add that to the points to consider, before pulling the trigger.
“Plastiglomerate” is the name for an unnatural stone that appeared in the south of the island of Hawaii, made up of volcanic rock, sand, shell debris and plastic. Some scientists have identified this rock as a marker of the Anthropocene, a new geological epoch characterised by the irreversible impact of human activity on the planet.
The evidence of this era can be found all around us, from deforested areas to illegal dumps and quarries. These sombre sites provide Romain Langlois with the inspiration for his sculptures: an abandoned beam on a demolition site, a tree trunk found in a wasteland, a chunk of stone used to block off a road… a plethora of “objects” torn from nature and discarded after use.
The artist appropriates this “cultural sediment”, transforms it, and presents it to us in a museum or exhibition space, as if to say: “And now, what do you see?”
Like a true alchemist, he has transmuted the ordinary into something extraordinary. The rock that sits before you is not stone: it’s bronze. That tree trunk is not wood but calcite, created by crystallising calcium carbonate, a process that has been mastered by just a handful of artisans. The resemblance is striking, but the artist does not restrict himself to this trompe l’oeil effect.
His rocks are broken apart to reveal their contents — a radiant liquid resembling magma— while the rafter seems to be lifting itself into a vertical position, with folds forming on its surface much like human skin. The inert materials seem to come alive before your eyes, exposing their latent life force.
“La Belle endormie” (Sleeping Beauty), by Romain Langlois.
According to the artist, “everything is alive, everything is in motion, everything is in a process of transformation. There is life below the surface, just waiting to be unleashed. Through my sculptures, I am able to tap into this innate force and reveal it to the world.” Romain Langlois has drawn on this intuition of an ubiquitous life throughout his career as a sculptor.
The 43-year-old French artist is entirely self-taught, driven by passion, a thirst for knowledge, and a desire to make his own way and become one of the great names in this art. For 12 years, surrounded by anatomy references, he sculpted human faces and bodies, striving to master each technique according to his own high standards. From white bronze to bismuth, crystal, silver and stone, the artist has tried his hand at a whole range of materials, gaining an intimate knowledge of every medium. “Working with a material is the only way to truly understand it,” he explains, “the touch of your hands creates a unique bond.”
In the world of contemporary art, where concepts take precedence over execution and where know-how and craftsmanship are often considered secondary, Romain Langlois chose to put materials at the very heart of his artistic approach. Although he has moved away from depictions of people, his work continues to explore the human condition from an environmental angle, scrutinising humanity’s profound impact on our surroundings.
His sculptures capture a nameless truth about life itself: something that binds us to the wood and the rocks, and raises questions about the place we occupy in this natural order.
“Countainer” by Romain Langlois.
Born in Saint-Etienne (France) in 1977, Romain Langlois turned to sculpture after completing his design studies and spending several years working in an architecture firm. His works have been exhibited at the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art in Saint-Etienne and at the MAD in Paris. They are also found in several prestigious private collections.
What seemed to be an ordinary Chinese vase estimated to fetch €2,000 has been sold for more than €9 million (including all the associated fees) in an auction in France. Nearly 4,000 times its estimated value, a bidding war ensued as interested buyers were convinced that the vase was a rare artefact from the 18th century.
The French auction house Osenat said its experts authenticated the vase and concluded it was from the 20th century. If the vase had been 200 years older, it would have been worth significantly more and hence valued at €2,000.
The tianqiuping-style porcelain vase features a blue and white design of dragons and clouds. On Osenat’s website, it was described as a “porcelain and polychrome enamel vase in the style of the blue-white with globular body and long cylindrical neck, decorated with nine fierce dragons and clouds”. Furthermore, the seller of this artefact had not even seen the 54cm-tall vase and currently resides in a French Overseas Territory. The vase was part of her mother’s estate that she inherited. She asked the auctioneer to sell it as part of a consignment of items taken from her mother’s home in Brittany.
It was further reported that the vase originally belonged to her grandmother, a Parisian collector, who later on passed it to the seller’s mother when she passed.
According to CNN, about 300-400 people indicated their interest in bidding, but Osenat had limited the number of bidders to only 30 and they had to pay a deposit to participate. There were 15 telephone bidders and 15 bidders on site. “From the moment the catalogue was published we saw there was enormous interest, with more and more Chinese people coming to see the vase,” said Cédric Labord, a director at Osenat. “Our expert still thinks it’s not old.”
Eventually, the porcelain vase went to an anonymous Chinese buyer. Despite its run-of-the-mill appearance, the vase was popular among the Chinese bidders as they are known to be passionate about their history and take pride in possessing a part of it. Labord believes the vase would be put on display.
The astronomical sum of the vase overshadowed the previous record of €4.2 million in 2007, which was the amount transacted for a sabre that Napoleon used at the Battle of Marengo in 1800.
Famed for its efforts in marine conservation, Blancpain reveals the winners of the 2022 Ocean Photographer of the Year (OPY), including the Female Fifty Fathoms prize. The winning photographs are on show from now until 27 October along the banks of the Thames in London. Australian photographer Brooke Pyke won the Female Fifty Fathoms award. Now in just its second year, this special award saw submissions more than double since its introduction. The OPY’s grand prix was awarded to Frenchman Ben Thouard, whose image of a surfer riding one of the world’s largest and most famous waves, Teahupo’o, was unanimously selected.
The overall competition was judged by the usual panel of distinguished photographers and videographers, which should go without saying given the calibre of the organiser, Oceanographic Magazine. More than 5,000 people submitted entries (up from 3,000 last year) across all categories, according to the OPY. You might have learned the names of the winners in the Wildlife, Fine Art, Conservation Hope and Conservation Impact. Adventure, Portfolio, Young and Human Connection categories from social media since OPY has been making the names public since 28 September. The winning photographers were, in order, Rafael Fernandez Caballero (Spain), Mike Spencer (UK), Nicolas Remy (France/Australia), Simon Lorenz (Germany), Tom St George (UK/Mexico), Matty Smith (UK/Australia), Ryuta Ogawa (Japan/UK) and Steve Woods (UK/Canada).
As a distinct category, the Female Fifty Fathoms prize is judged not only by the OPY panel but also by a Blancpain delegation led by President and CEO Marc A. Hayek. As we have previously reported, Hayek is quite the diver himself, and has personally led many missions in Blancpain’s Ocean Commitment efforts over the years. While you can see Brooke Pyke’s shot here, here is more of an introduction to her, from Blancpain: “A dedicated diver and photographer, Brooke Pyke misses no opportunity to document the beauty to be found under the waves through her photographs. A fervent defender of the seas, she uses her photographic talent to raise awareness of the need to preserve the treasures of the ocean depths.”
Pyke’s physical prize is a marvellous 38mm Blancpain Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe with blue sunburst dial. Note the traditional unidirectional bezel here comes with a ceramic insert, and the movement is automatic calibre 1150; for this particular unique reference, the rotor is decorated with the inscription “Female Fifty Fathoms 2022”. We have seen the standard watch in the metal and it is a beauty.
Most stories about Swiss watchmaking begin from up high. No surprises there given the importance of the Swiss Jura as one of the hotbeds of this activity, historically and right now. Le Locle, for example, is 945m above sea level, and there is really no Swiss manufacture based at anything like sea level, thanks to the quirk of Swiss geography. This and other local peculiarities often seep into the lore of the various brands, in their marketing if not in the watches themselves. Yes, the watches too because the men and women who work on them frequently have a view of the snowy peaks from their workbenches. Looking out one’s window in a Swiss manufacture is a pleasure anyone here in Singapore will envy. But today, we are not here to learn about the majesty of the Swiss outdoors, although we will be out of doors and maybe tens of metres above the ground.
You might think that being 90 feet, or 27 metres (approximately), above ground is not particularly impressive but everything is relative. This is especially true when you are standing on a platform, fully intent on diving into the river Seine below. Such was the scene at the Red Bull Mido Cliff Diving World Series in Paris, which we attended at the generous invitation of Swiss watchmaker Mido. Paris is certainly a city with its fair share of attractions, but there is not a cliff amongst them, so we were curious about how the cliff diving competition was to be staged. Surely the organisers were not crazy enough to build a platform right next to the Eiffel Tower, for example…
Before we get to that, the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series has made a name for itself with spectacular and unexpected locations in the past. We have interviewed Mido CEO Franz Linder at the Bilbao leg of the competition in 2019, for example; Mido has been the Official Performance Partner of the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series since that year, and the competition itself has been running since 2009. The idea is pretty simple: extraordinarily talented and courageous athletes dive off a platform outdoors that is up to 27m high, with only their skills to keep them safe. In the case of the Paris leg of the series this year, that platform was erected on the banks of the Seine, opposite the Eiffel Tower.
Fortuitous Links
Image: Dean Treml
“This year we are very fortunate because two of the locations on the competition calendar are actually linked to architecture (the Paris and Sydney legs). This is not our influence because the organisers decide the locations,” said Linder, after we had toured the platform where the divers would be doing their thing later that evening. As it happens, there are all sorts of wonderful links to explore here.
Mido has been associated with architecture for 20 years, giving us a special link between Singapore and the brand. The Art Science Museum here is one of several icons related to a specific Mido watch. We shall have more to say on this later, but for now, the Ocean Star collection has an architectural inspiration too, but that is actually a different watch within the same collection. It is one of five special watches honouring the aforementioned 20th anniversary. The reliability of the Ocean Star is a touchstone shared with the architectural link here, the Europa Point Lighthouse that watches over the entrance and exit to the Mediterranean; there is a watch family inspired by the Eiffel Tower, the Commander, but that is a different story — as Linder noted, Mido does not expect the diving competition’s locations to match up with its own thematic flavours. Of course, we look forward to the day that the cliff diving competition comes to Marina Bay Sands so we can reference the Rainflower collection. In any case, the watch of the hour for this story is the Ocean Star 600 DLC, our thoughts on which are elsewhere in this article.
“The Ocean Star has existed since 1944, but when we were preparing (a new chapter) for the watch, we came across cliff diving (and the World Series competition),” said Linder. “We were looking for a theme to connect with, and here there are so many shared values — you need to be hyper-precise in diving; there’s a very strong performance element; the locations are often urban and that’s important for the link to architecture; and last but not least, it is about the water. These are exceptional athletes who are engaged in a dangerous sport and they have to be precise (to avoid injury and achieve the best results).”
Mido Ocean Star 600 Chronometer Black DLC Special Edition
Mido has a unique approach to the idea of a dive watch, thanks to its association with Red Bull Cliff Diving. Starting a dive tens of metres above sea level changes the dynamics of a watch like the Ocean Star 600, which we discovered up close at the Paris leg of the international cliff diving competition. Totally blacked out thanks to a DLC coating, the Ocean Star 600 is nevertheless completely legible in the dark because of the grade X SuperLuminova on the hour markers, hands and technical ceramic bezel. Whether you are watching the action in the shade on the banks of the Seine, or contemplating the plunge on the platform with the magnificent Eiffel Tower to your right, the watch makes for a comforting presence, reassuring you with its superlative water resistance of 600m and the solid structure of the 43.5mm steel case.
Behind the lacquered black dial, the COSC-certified calibre 80 Si provides similarly solid backing, with up to 80 hours of power reserve and advanced silicon balance spring (as indicated by the Si part of the name). This is of course a version of the Swatch Group developed ETA C07.82 base, which explains how Mido manages to offer such an impressive technical chronometer at just S$2,700 (for the special edition with bracelet and additional strap). This value proposition has distinguished Mido in the 21st century, while other brands focus on climbing up the value chain by increasing prices. The Ocean Star also offers one other interesting element, far removed from extreme sports, that builds a link between our location at the Eiffel Tower and the inspiration behind the watch. You can read about this in the main section of this story.
Finally, some of you might be thinking that the gloss bits here must be magnets for fingerprints. The DLC coating takes care of that, with the official specs calling the watch fingerprint-proof. Well, the DLC treated parts anyway. Our own examination, brief though it was, confirms the veracity of the claim.
Shared Values
This view of precision speaks well to Mido’s reputation for offering chronometer-certified (by COSC) timepieces at the most accessible level. It also communicates the need to track time in multiple time zones, which is exactly what the special reveal of this event is: the Ocean Star GMT Special Edition. The Ocean Star has had the GMT model in the collection since 2020, and this version adds a new blue dial variant that comes with an additional NATO strap. It is now the only version of the GMT model with both a stainless steel bracelet and additional fabric strap, which is very handy when you need the watch to wrap comfortably around your wrist, or share it with a partner.
To wrap up the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series experience, we watched the action unfold from a barge across the way on the Seine. The level of public engagement on that blistering summer day was amazing, and it was somewhat unbelievable that the 24 men and women competing in this leg of the World Series were actually able to dive into the river. The field included Alessandro de Rose and Jonathan Paredes, friends and ambassadors of Mido. Later on, we got the chance to mingle with them at the gala dinner, which brought together Mido executives from around the world, as well as journalists. The dinner, held on a Bateaux-Mouches riverboat, was also a showcase for the entire Ocean Star range, and was the debutante ball for the GMT and 600 DLC models.
High jewellery collections are known to epitomise the pinnacle of craftsmanship, just as haute couture is synonymous with the ultimate creative expression of a luxury fashion house. Not only are these one-of-the-kind pieces made with the finest gemstones that cost millions, but they are also handcrafted by artisans from countries like France, Italy and Switzerland. And often time, the know-how of these makers can span generations, and only a few are given access to learn and discover the secrets behind these exquisite creations.
In a first, Roman jeweller Bvlgari has opened its doors to divulge the creative process of crafting some of its high jewellery collections. From selecting stunning gemstones to the red carpet, the entire journey is captured on film and viewers are invited to join in the journey.
Titled “Inside the Dream”, the film was shot in a documentary style (docufilm) and produced by Terminal9 Studios. Directed by Mattieu Menu, it tracks the footsteps of Lucia Silvestri, Bvlgari’s creative director of its jewellery division and the creative force behind the brand’s high jewellery collections. Aside from her official position at the famed jewellery house, Silvestri is also known to be an extravagant gemstone buyer. Her close relationship with the Bvlgari family slowly paved her way to the upper echelons in a largely male-dominated industry.
From searching for precious gemstones in Jaipur, India to conceptualising the designs at Bvlgari’s headquarters in Rome, each stage of the journey has to be in absolute amity. With the Eternal City as the source of inspiration, Silvestri’s fantastical creations take physical form at Bvlgari’s workshop — a secret location where most of its exclusive jewels are crafted.
Far from just being admired, high jewellery pieces are best worn, and Bvlgari’s stellar cast of women ambassadors checks all the boxes. These extraordinary women are longtime friends of the house. They include Kpop superstar Lisa from Blackpink, American actress Zendaya, Italian entrepreneur Chiara Ferragni, supermodel Lily Aldridge and Indian actress Priyanka Chopra Jonas. The diverse ladies are united by their shared appreciation of exquisite jewellery and beauty, representing the adaptability and eclecticism that are core to Bvlgari’s principles.
One of the masterpieces shown in the docufilm is the Serpenti Hypnotic Emerald necklace. The mesmerising crown jewel features a 93.83-carat Colombian cabochon-cut emerald set in a sinuous body surrounded by diamonds and emeralds. A testament to the savoir-faire of the Roman jeweller, the necklace was adorned by Zendaya when she wore it to the red carpet at the 78th Venice Film Festival.
“Inside the Dream” is now available on Prime Video in approximately 100 countries worldwide.
Dashboard of Ferrari812-Superfast. Image: Ferrari.
Motorheads will be pumped up as the F1 Singapore Grand Prix night race gears up this week. However, if you can’t burn some asphalt like an F1 car does, here are some street-cred cars of their F1 marques who put out impressive torque and performance to make any automobile junkie smile. Time to rev up and lift your F1 spirits for the upcoming race…
Aston Martin
Aston Martin DBX707. Image: Roadandtrack.com
While Aston Martin is famous for its appearance in Bond movies, the marque has moved with the times to create its first SUV. The Aston Martin DBX707 is recognised as the fastest production SUV on the market. The high-performance 4-litre, twin-turbo V8-powered engine produces close to 700hp and can achieve a top speed of 310km/h. The 2022 edition has updates to its exterior like a new fascia with striking splitters, complemented by new side skirts and arresting new tail lights.
Aston Martin DBX707 produces close to 700hp. Image: Roadandtrack.com
The wheels measure 22 inches as standard with an option to upgrade to 23 inches. To tame the DBX707’s speed, high-performance brakes are required: the standard carbon-ceramic brakes measuring 16.5 inches up front and 15.4 inches in the rear; they’re tightly clasped by six-piston and four-piston callipers for the front and rear, respectively. Of course, the biggest revisions are under the hood where the AMG-sourced V8 pushes the 2.2-tonne vehicle to clinch 3.3 seconds for a Century sprint. There’s also the all-wheel-drive system and electronic limited-slip differential to handle curvy tarmacs.
Ferrari
Ferrari 812 Superfast. Image: Topspeed.com.
The Prancing Horse marque’s storied history spans more than 70 years, producing some of the most desired supercars in the world. The Ferrari Enzo — touted as the F1 car for the road — might have clinched a jaw-dropping top speed of 350km/h, however, the SF90 plug-in hybrid Stradale’s Century sprint boasted as low as 2 seconds to the mark.
Ferrari 812 Superfast rear design. Image: Topspeed.com.
Being the first electrified Ferrari, the Ferrari 812 Superfast offers a 6.5-litre twin-turbo V8 and electric motors that put out a combined 986 hp. The rear-engined vehicle accommodates 12 cylinders and is equipped with EPS (Electric Power Steering), not forgetting a high-tech transaxle architecture that houses a front-mounted engine with a rear-mounted transmission.
Since its humble beginnings in 1910, in Turin, Italy, Alfa Romeo has built a solid reputation in the car industry. It is no surprise that Alfa Romeo enjoys the adoration of many diehard fans. With a marque that has participated in numerous Grand Prix races and rallies around the world, the love for this brand has solidified its loyal folk and still wins converts over.
Alfa Romeo was previously under the ownership of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles until it was recently merged with those of the PSA Group to form Stellantis back in January 2021. The fastest road car from the Alfa Romeo stable is none other than the 2022 Giulia Quadrifoglio high-performance sedan. Powered by a 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6 engine that delivers 505hp, the sleek car can achieve 3.8 seconds for the Century sprint and snag a top speed of 307km/h.
McLaren
McLaren Speedtail. Image: McLaren.
The McLaren Automotive badge has come a long way since its founding in 1985. On the other hand, its Formula One Group has gone on to win many races across the world. The British marque’s first Grand Prix win was in 1968 at the Belgian Grand Prix, but their greatest initial success was in Can-Am where they dominated the scene from 1967 to 1971.
So what’s the brand’s fastest street-legal car? It’s the Speedtail — the first-ever Hyper-GT where a unique powertrain sits at the core of this aerodynamically efficient hypercar. The vehicle’s statistics are staggering: hitting 300km/h in just 12.8 seconds; top speed of 403km/h which outstrips even the McLaren F1; a petrol-electric hybrid powertrain where a whopping 1,035hp is produced. The hypercar is on a limited production of just 106 units worldwide. The Speedtail’s unique three-seater layout and central driving position will turn heads everywhere.
Mercedes
Mercedes AMG GT63 4-door coupe. Image: Mercedes.
Getting behind the wheel of the fastest road-going Mercedes car is the 2.4-tonne AMG GT63 4-door coupe. Under the hood, the 4-litre twin-turbo V8 coupled with a 204hp electric motor, the range-topping AMG 4-door coupe can produce a staggering 843hp and 1,470Nm of torque, making it the most powerful road-going Mercedes ever.
Mercedes AMG GT63 4-door coupe is the fastest road-going Mercedes ever. Image: TopGear
The car can snag the Century sprint in less than 3 seconds. The V9 Biturbo E-Performance is coupled with a PHEV system where the 6.1 kWh battery pack with the electric motor can provide a pure EV range of 12km at speeds of up to 130km/h.
With the Singapore Grand Prix around the bend, you are probably revved up already. You’ll need no help from us in deciding how to support your favourite teams or divers — you might even be in the paddock (say hi to us if you are). Team and driver loyalty aside (they are sometimes not the same, but it’s complicated), if you are also a watch lover, it can be hard to reconcile your personal timepiece choice with the sport. Only a few brands are directly involved, and everyone get overshadowed by Rolex anyway. Happily, there is a solution that we like: the watches of the drivers.
These are not always tied to team sponsors, so you will not need to confine yourself to the likes of TAG Heuer, IWC or Richard Mille. There are other brands associated with life in the fast lane (perhaps only in the past) that you might collect yourself so go with the driver’s choices. Drivers are limited by sponsorship agreements on what pieces they can wear in public so do take all this with a pinch of salt. We also have it on good authority that plenty of drivers love their Rolexes so you will be in good company here. These include veterans such as Sir Jackie Stewart and Mark Webber, but also collectors such as Nico Rosberg.
Helpfully, we did not need to do much of the legwork for this story because the folks at Watchfinder & Co. compiled all the watches that a select number of drivers wear. The online dealer in pre-owned watches did this because they happen to have relevant pieces in stock (surprise!) and we are happy to align our self-interests here.
For the sake of completeness, we also include Bell & Ross here, with the brand’s collection for the BWT Alpine F1 team. This watch is called the A522, being named after the current racing car. This one is much more low-key compared with what the French brand did when the team was in the livery of Renault. Yes, Bell & Ross has been with what is today BWT Alpine when it was Renault in 2016.
That said, take a gander at the watches of these six F1 drivers, as curated by Watchfinder & Co.
One of the few active drivers who needs no introduction, Lewis Hamilton is an IWC man through and through. He even wore three IWC watches at once to protest an FIA ban on drivers wearing jewellery recently. Here’s what we know he wears: the Big Pilot’s Watch, Big Pilot’s Watch Top Gun Mojave Desert and Pilot’s Chronograph 41. This year, he wears the new IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Edition “Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team”.
Daniel Ricciardo
No longer a McLaren man after this season, Daniel Ricciardo is nevertheless strongly associated with watch collecting because of his RM 50-03 Tourbillon Split-Seconds Chronograph, which is worth more than US$1.2 million. Weighing less than 40 grams, this is the lightest object that money can buy, while being 200 times stronger than steel. The novel Graph TPT material is responsible for both the weight and the strength. We shall see if this Richard Mille model remains with Ricciardo as the brand is a McLaren sponsor.
Max Verstappen
The defending World Champion Max Verstappen has a chequered past when it comes to timepieces. Two years ago, we were tickled to discover the TAG Heuer Max Verstappen Special Edition, and Watchfinder & Co. reminds us that this was the first mechanical timepiece to bear Verstappen’s name. Verstappen is also the owner of the TAG Heuer Monaco Titan Titanium, and wore the much-loved Monaco Dark Lord at the Monaco Grand Prix this year.
Sergio Pérez
Unsurprisingly, Sergio Pérez is also a TAG Heuer man, given that he is Verstappen’s teammate at Red Bull. The Mexican driver has been linked with the TAG Heuer Connected smartwatch by Watchfinder & Co., although he wore his own Carrera Tourbillon Sergio Pérez Edition when he won this year’s Monaco Grand Prix. Well, that watch is not on any pre-owned dealer’s list, but the Connected watch is. Having said that, we are recommending the Carrera Tourbillon as a significant watch, even in the core collection
Charles Leclerc
Famous for being the youngest driver to win a race with Scuderia Ferrari, Charles Leclerc is also a Richard Mille brand ambassador. Leclerc is the real deal, with his RM 67-02 done in Monaco’s red and white (Leclerc is from Monaco). We cannot imagine that there are many Richard Mille models at pre-owned dealers, at least at a reasonable price relative to RRP, but it is worth checking out. A deal on a Richard Mille — any Richard Mille — is well worth having.
Notable as the first Chinese Formula One driver, Zhou Guanyu, is also a Hublot brand ambassador. He joined the Alfa Romeo racing team for the 2022 season that is soon to conclude, and is set to continue with the team. According to Watchfinder & Co., he is currently best known for the Hublot Spirit of Big Bang Carbon Gold Tiger, but is also associated with other Hublot Big Bang watches.
