Magnificent Watches For The Philharmonic
Enjoy your music, and have the right timepiece on while you’re at it. Here are four watches for your next glitzy evening out at the symphony.
Classical music — a genre so unspeakably rich in content, vast in scope and so absolutely beautiful is best paired with a complication, because nothing else will quite match up.
Zenith Academy Tourbillon Georges Favre-Jacot
Based off the El Primero chronograph calibre, the movement of this watch is its main draw. The El Primero Calibre 4805 here retains its base movement’s 5Hz frequency, and comes equipped with a tourbillon regulator as well as a fusée-and-chain transmission – features that are arguably archaic, yet rather indicative of a brand’s movement design and production prowess. At 45mm, the watch asserts a stately presence, and comes with a relatively slim bezel to showcase its technical highlights. Black ceramic, approx. RM356,912.
Glashutte Original Senator Cosmopolite
As far as dual time watches go, the Senator Cosmopolite is probably the equivalent of the complete symphony orchestra with more than a hundred members. This watch doesn’t just display local and home time with a set of hands and day/night indicators each, but also accounts for daylight savings time, and even time zones that aren’t offset from GMT/UTC by complete hours. What’s perhaps most impressive is its adaptability – like how a symphonic orchestra can add a separate keyboard section when needed, just a dial change will accommodate new or removed time zones for this watch. White gold, approx. RM218,267.
See also: Perfect watches for a jazz performance.
A. Lange Sohne 1815 Annual Calendar
Nothing says classical quite like Glashütte watches so we have to include A. Lange & Söhne too. Masquerading as a chronograph, the 1815 Annual Calendar keeps its charms mainly for the wearer. Obviously, this is a manual-winding watch that invites quiet contemplation of Calibre L051.3, a composition as elegant as any by Mozart. Dial-side the symphonic action is the ability to advance indications collectively via the push piece at two o’clock. Soloist action can also be performed, with even the date being able to advance separately via a recessed pusher – a first for an A. Lange & Söhne calendar model. Red gold, approx. RM176,280.
Patek Philippe ref. 5930 World Time Chronograph
The time in the major cities around the world at a mere glance, with a flyback chronograph to boot – that’s a good description of Ref. 5930, at least for a start. There’s also the masterful arrangement of elements to keep the dial legible and aesthetically balanced, alongside the shades of blue that do not detract from the classical styling of the watch. There’s even guilloché applied to the middle of the dial that manages to enhance its overall look, without creating any hint of busyness. Truly a timepiece that’s far, far greater than the sum of its parts. White gold, approx. RM301,883.
Words by Jamie Tan. Photography by greenplasticsoldiers. Art direction and styling by Evon Ching. From: World of Watches #37.
