Long before the invention of smart devices, a man’s constant companion, over mountains and seas, was his wristwatch. So as a tribute to the original wanderers, Girard-Perregaux has released a trio of watches for those who still hold adventure in their hearts.

Housed in classic 1966 cases in pink gold, the Chamber of Wonders pieces boast mastery in art and craft through the painstakingly rendered centuries-old maps on their dials.

The Terrestrial Map (far left) was inspired by one drawn by Jesuit priest Matteo Ricci for the Ming dynasty’s Wanli Emperor. Appropriately, white jade was selected for this miniature canvas, and Indian ink was used to add the details. As the ink dries extremely quickly, the painter can afford few to no mistakes.

The Pearl of Wonders (middle) features a 15th-century map by Arab historian Ibn Al-Wardi, depicting a stylised atlas of the world with the Arabian peninsula at its centre and realised in sodalite stone. Pieces of papyrus are layered over the speckled stone and painted, a process that takes more than a day to complete.

Finally, The New World “Novus Orbis” (right) gets its rich colours from various semi-precious stones such as aventurine, calcite and nephrite to re-create a map drawn by 16th-century cartographer Sebastian Munster. Each model uses the self-winding 3300 calibre and is limited to 18 pieces. Now go, for adventure awaits.

Watch the teaser video below.


 

A STAR IS BORN

Montblanc

Montblanc’s 2015 novelties pay tribute to explorer Vasco da Gama, the first to discover a southern seaway into India using only the stars as a guide. The standout piece is undoubtedly the Villeret Tourbillon Cylindrique Geospheres Vasco da Gama – a watch equipped with a cylindrical tourbillon and three time zones. Limited to 18 pieces.

PICTURE PERFECT

Zenith

Zenith’s chosen adventurer is Christopher Columbus, and it was known for its technically impressive Christophe Colomb watches in the past. This year, the Academy Christophe Colomb Hurricane Grand Voyage II complements its mechanical finesse with vivid, hand-engraved decorations of Columbus’ discovery of America. Limited to 10 pieces.
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