Cartier Pasha de Cartier Skeleton Dragon Motif
The house of Cartier doesn’t do things by halves. At the fair, it unleashed 16 new creations and two new movements, one of which showed beyond a shadow of a doubt the importance of the Asian market to the brand. How else could one interpret a new movement, skeletonised in the form of a dragon, that most revered creature in Eastern mythology? As if that was not striking enough, the in-house manual Calibre 9617 MC is studded with 233 diamonds.
A. Lange & Sohne Lange 1 20th Anniversary set
Last month, the Glashutte-based manufacture marked two decades since it unveiled its signature timepiece, the Lange 1. It celebrated with five new limited-edition pairs, each comprising a Lange 1 (left, 38.5mm) and diamond-bezel Little Lange 1 (above, 36.1mm), effectively creating his and hers sets in five case/dial combinations. Intricate guilloche silver dials and balance cocks engraved with “20” further set these anniversary models apart from the rest of the Lange 1 family.
Jaeger-LeCoultre Rendez-Vous Ivy Minute Repeater
There may or may not be truth in the stereotype that women are complicated, but one thing’s for sure: the watches designed for them sure are. And increasingly so, too. Jaeger-LeCoultre launched its ladies’ minute-repeater timepiece at Watches & Wonders, bringing together a beautifully decorated dial and the specially developed Calibre 942A chiming movement. The former features a backdrop of blue enamel, on which a delicate diamond-studded floral motif rests.
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Tourbillon Chronograph
At SIHH, Audemars Piguet wowed visitors with a pristinely white Royal Oak model. Now, it crosses to the other end of the colour continuum, with a dark new take on the Royal Oak Offshore. Materials such as forged carbon (the case middle), ceramic (the bezel), and titanium and ceramic (the pushers) give the watch a strikingly layered finish. Its insides are equally noteworthy. The Calibre 2897 features a peripheral rotor designed for greater efficiency.
Piaget Altiplano Skeleton Enamel
We have seen many ultra-thin watches. We have seen many skeleton watches. But we have not quite seen an ultra-thin skeleton timepiece like this one by Piaget. The bridges of the automatic Calibre 1200E movement are decorated with glossy black enamel and sapphires. It’s all housed in a white-gold case just 6mm thick. For those who prefer designs less understated, Piaget’s new offerings include Altiplano models with diamond-set bridges.
Roger Dubuis Hommage Minute Repeater Tourbillon Automatic
This is the year of the Hommage collection for Roger Dubuis, and the manufacture rounds off 2014 with a mellifluous 45mm addition to the family. Its new minute repeater in pink gold features chime-optimising features such as rectangular (not round) gongs, and houses the new RD104 automatic manufacture movement. What stands out is the dial’s sense of depth – a Hommage signature made possible by the multi-layered and partially skeletonised movement.
IWC Portofino Midsize
With the sizeable presence of its watches and its affiliations to high-octane sports such as Formula One racing, IWC tends to be thought of as a thoroughly masculine watch brand. Well, it’s time to rethink that, with the brand launching a new series of petite takes on its classic Portofino timepieces. With smaller diameters of 37mm and 40mm, the Portofino Midsize collection includes automatic timepieces with features such as a second time zone with day/night indicator, or a moon-phase function.
