Sommaire pour Issue 1 2021 de CROWN

It’s an uncomfortable fact that luxury products are often muddied by questions on ethical sourcing in the use of precious metals and gemstones. That’s why it’s worth celebrating luxury brands that go the extra mile to ensure that the glamorous and glittery accoutrements that they have created actually come from the right place and are done in the right spirit. Jaquet Droz is the latest brand from the Swatch Group, besides Omega and Harry Winston, to get certification from the Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC) that proves the brand is adopting the right environmental, social and ethical practices in its acquisition of precious metal and gemstones for its products. The certification was awarded after an independent external audit. A non-profit organisation, RJC’s objective is to set the right standards for a…

Given the unprecedented circumstances of 2020, beleaguered watch companies have adapted rather admirably. The swift and total transference of the industry’s business dealings from interpersonal interactions to online exchanges had been hugely efficient - exceeding expectations, even – given that the watch trade is known to dawdle when it comes to adopting uncomfortable changes. Along the way, sacred cows were slaughtered. The grand institution that was the Baselworld watch fair, once the world’s largest and longest-running show of its kind, is now no more. Brands with standing and clout that previously exhibited at Baselworld, the likes of Rolex and Patek Philippe, were courted by, and soon joined, the ever-growing Watches And Wonders exposition, which now boasts almost 40 brands on its roster. At the same time, conglomerates like the Swatch…

People talk about the ‘thrill of the hunt’, celebrate #NWAs and pursue grail pieces with the fervour of Bambi-eyed romantics. Nothing wrong with that – we all love the feel of a newly acquired ticker on the wrist and the gratifying beauty shots we can dish out for the ‘gram. But seasoned collectors would also ask: how do you keep the flame alive? For starters, one should always be armed with a well-curated checklist before embarking on any love affair with a watch. What’s its provenance? Where are you buying it from? What is the brand’s track record? And, probably the most important of all, what kind of after-sales service can you expect? To that end, Rolex’s reputation as the world’s most recognised and esteemed watch brand rests not just…

You may be more familiar with Hermès for its signature Birkin bags, which command eye-watering prices with extensive waiting lists. But here's a piece of surprising trivia: this French luxury house has been in the business of timekeeping since the 1920s. And that’s about six decades longer than the Birkin has been around. While the first Hermès-branded watches were unveiled in 1928, the company only established its horological subsidiary in 1978 with a production facility in Biel, Switzerland. It’s probably significant that the Arceau was the first model launched that same year too. The brainchild of designer Henri d’Origny, the Arceau paid tribute to Hermès’ equestrian heritage with a lug inspired by the shape of stirrups. Over the years, various iterations of this iconic model have surfaced, from beautiful métiers…

As much as the good people at Longines are eager to paint their company’s latest pilot’s watch-inspired timepieces as a collection that was conceived by an amalgamation of archival watch references and the ghosts of long-departed, pioneering aviators and explorers, the new Spirit timepieces are, right off the bat, unequivocally modern. It is true that the likes of Amelia Earhart, the first female pilot to fly across the Atlantic Ocean, and Howard Hughes, a pilot who in 1938 went on a groundbreaking flight around the world in three days, had provided much fodder for the Spirit’s creation, given that the aviators had also worn Longines during their epochal adventures. It is also true that numerous features in the Spirit watches recall those found on vintage pilot’s watches, and that the…

Seiko’s rise to the top of Japan’s – and indeed, the world’s - horological hegemony is built on many things, from the vision of its founder, Kintaro Hattori, to the backs of the company’s loyal and well-drilled design and production teams. But ultimately, it is always the watches that determine a marque’s longevity, and Seiko afficionados will posit four collections that have emerged as the pillars of the brand’s success: the Prospex, Presage, Astron and Seiko 5 collections. Each represents a different facet of Seiko’s design qualities and innovative prowess, and the brand is celebrating them all with four limited edition models. Clad in steel, and sporting silver dials, blue bezels and blue accents on the hands, this band of commemorative Seikos are super easy on the eye and, depending…

When Patek Philippe debuted its first collection for women in 1999, the manchette-style Twenty~4 was immediately lauded as a stylish classic. With sleek lines, a minimalist dial and perfect symmetry right down to the row of diamonds on either side of the bezel, the quartz watch was pitched as the elegant accompaniment for a woman at any time of the day—all 24 hours (hence the name). While the Twenty~4’s early models were characterised by a sense of quiet sophistication with judiciously festooned diamonds, the collection grew to embrace both high-wattage glamour and more causal expresses as it evolved. Creations like the Ref. 4908/50R-012 in yellow gold that is fully paved with baguette diamonds from 2002, the Ref. 4910/48G-001 featuring snow-set diamonds from 2008, and the class of 2004 with fabric…

Watchmaking conglomerate the Swatch Group’s financial report for 2020 paints a picture of an organisation battling hard to overcome challenges caused by the global pandemic. The Group reported a drop of 28.7 per cent in net sales compared to the previous year, amounting to about CHF 5,595 million. And where it reaped in net income of CHF 748 million in 2019, 2020 saw the Group taking in a net loss of CHF -53 million. The figures would have been even more grim, if not for the Chinese market, which registered double-digit sales growth, as well as the US, which performed above expectations for the month of December. The knock-on effects of lockdowns and travel restrictions were evident in the areas of production and retail. Component production for third-party clients experienced…

Let’s address the elephant in the room, shall we? Among the tsunamic wave of online reactions that surged in the wake of the launch of the Chronomaster Sport, the ones that rode the crest of smug criticism were those that flippantly compared Zenith’s new watches to another iconic chronograph. We won’t get into details of (the totally legit and also fascinating) shared historic links between the said timepieces. But with many drawing superficial comparisons – ‘Look! It’s also a three-counter chronograph! Also in stainless steel! And with a ceramic bezel too!’ – it is safe to say that armchair watch critics really delight in displays of righteous horological chest-thumping. If you really want to know what we think, the answer is ‘no’ – not all three-counter stainless chronographs with ceramic…

Back in the good old days, before smartphones took the fun out of ascertaining different time zones with micro-engineering ingenuity, Franck Muller, the self-styled ‘Master Of Complications’ took on the challenge of making the world’s most user-friendly multi-time zone watch. Unlike some horological complications that were invented for the sole purpose of flaunting a watchmaker’s creativity and mechanical dexterity, the Master Banker timepiece was developed out of necessity. In 1996, an Iranian banker wondered aloud to Franck Muller if there was ever a watch that could let him see three trading time zones at once. Since time is of the essence when it comes to the stock market, a multi-time zone watch for bankers would need to be quickly adjusted and easily read. Of course, Franck Muller then took it…

Fancy owning a Van Gogh? Or perhaps something more contemporary from Keith Haring and Damien Hirst? Well, of course, you can. Thanks to Swatch, not only are the works by these famous artists far less fiscally prohibitive for everyone, they are also, by nature, gratifyingly portable, allowing you to share your tastes and interest in art everywhere you go. The notion of watches as works of art, while ingrained in horological psyche, has always been associated with luxury watchmaking. Lofty marques are quick to extol their watches’ mechanical and decorative beauty, inviting us to ruminate over them, as we would a painting or sculpture. Unfortunately for most, these wrist-bound works of art are often just as expensive and out-of-reach as those hanging on the walls of art galleries and museums.…

For a watch that is so suited to adapting an aficionados’ favourite with such grace and femininity, it is a tad frustrating that the Little Lange 1 hasn’t seen more iterations since its launch in 1998. To date, there are only two types to choose from: the Little Lange 1, a smaller 36.8mm version of the iconic Lange 1, which is available in four references; and the Little Lange 1 Moon Phase, which comes in three versions. But the folks at A. Lange & Söhne have mastered the art of satiating desire in small doses. With the introduction of the new Little Lange 1 Moon Phase, they have made the arrival of a long-awaited update even sweeter than expected. On the technical front, the new Little Lange 1 Moon Phase…

It’s called the Chronomat Automatic 36 but it might as well be christened the ‘Chronomat Ladies’. Because that’s exactly what it is—a Chronomat for the fairer sex. Hot on the heels of the new Chronomat collection launched a year ago, Breitling turns its attention to women once again with this very agreeable collection. To be clear, there are actually two sizes launched for the ladies—32mm and 36mm. The 36mm version is the automatic model which runs on the COSC-certified self-winding Breitling Calibre 10 with a power reserve of 42 hours. The 32mm version is powered by the SuperQuartz Calibre 77 with a battery life of up to four years. Steel Magnolias While sports luxe was a category pioneered for men in the 1970s, the Chronomat Automatic 36 now offers women…

Of all the quality assurance certifications for timepieces, the COSC (Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres) certification, which attests to a watch’s chronometric performance, is probably the most widely known, often cited by the biggest names in watchmaking including the likes of Rolex, Omega and Breitling. Even so, only about six per cent of all Swiss watches are COSC-certified, thanks to the institute’s stringent checks and standards. Established in 1973, COSC was founded on the efforts of Switzerland’s five watchmaking cantons (Bern, Geneva, Neuchâtel, Solothurn and Vaud) and the country’s leading association for the watch business, the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry (FHS). Where before, there were numerous independent institutions and laboratories performing the same tasks with different approaches and standards, the formation of COSC brought the various bodies under…

Here’s a serious read worthy of one of the world’s most famous watches. Jaeger-LeCoultre’s Reverso, the legendary timepiece with the trademark reversible case, celebrates its 90th anniversary in 2020. Besides the slew of new Reverso models that most certainly will be dominating the shelves this year, there is also this impressive 200-page tome for collectors and fans of the watch. Published by Assouline, a company famed for producing sophisticated and luxurious coffee table books, the Reverso book is a deep dive into the history and evolution of the watch. Besides exploring the technical and design journey of the Reverso over nine decades, there are also intimate stories shared by over a dozen collectors who have customised their Reversos in deeply personal ways. The book can be ordered online at Assouline.com…

It is fitting that the UR-100, a watch that invites one to ruminate on the relationship between time and space, has channelled inspirations from sources that span the ancient to the philosophical for its new guises. On the one hand, a creation sheathed in possibly the most popular colour in human psyche, the UR-100V ‘Blue Planet’ captivates with lovely monochromatic shades of the said hue. And on the other, the UR-100V T-Rex leaves no doubt to its aesthetic reference; the watch’s aged bronze case sporting a hobnail texture that’s gradated from one end to the next, mimicking the hide of a Tyrannosaurus Rex. Although it is the more laid-back option between the two, the UR-100V ‘Blue Planet’ still dominates the wrist with an electric presence. The said colour features on…

I think we have learnt to become more agile and interact directly with all stakeholders. We have evolved and developed our e-commerce and social media channels to reach out to consumers, focusing on visually appealing content. As for our B2B partners, we are presenting all new collections and campaigns through digital platforms. Our digital summit in January with our global distributors was in a success in our books, with lots of interaction and feedback on our plans and novelties for the year. It’s no secret that the pandemic has hit the watch industry severely. This is mostly because retailers had to close their doors. The appetite for our brand is still strong, but we need to create new ways for our consumers to find us. It is interesting for us…

It’d have been a detail that would have escaped the eyes of many, but on the dials of three of the Cartier Vintage timepieces that have made their way to Asia in the Maison’s ION Orchard boutique, is the word ‘Paris’, and not ‘Swiss Made’ as most watch lovers are accustomed to. Although Cartier is unambiguously French in founding and spirit, throughout its modern watchmaking history, the company has built its horological reputation with exquisite timepieces that are proudly Swiss-made. The word ‘Paris’ etched on those three watches – the Tonneau from 1985, Tank à Vis Dual Time Zone from 2002, and the Tortue Minute Repeater from 2003 – are stamps of provenance from two periods: one when Cartier housed part of its watch production in Paris between the 1980s…

The story of the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso is an oft-regaled one: a polo player requested a watch that would be protected from the hard knocks inevitably sustained during a match, and the legendary timepiece was born. Revolutionary for having a reversible case that flips over for said protection, the Reverso is one of the most iconic timepieces to grace not just the Manufacture, but the entire watch industry. This year, the Reverso celebrates 90 years with what we’re told will be an exciting line-up of new timepieces. But before the big reveals that will undoubtedly be the highlight of collectors’ calendars, Jaeger-LeCoultre teased us with a limited edition burgundy red stunner that we saw at the end of last year. INITIALLY CREATED WITH POLO PLAYERS IN MIND, THE REVERSO HAS EVOLVED…

Like brothers from different mothers, the worlds of watches and motorsports share kindred ties that span the superficial (status, luxury, machismo) to the significant (mechanical excellence, material innovation, performance focused, etc). While crosspollination between the two has proven inevitable - and rife - the latest partnership between TAG Heuer and Porsche seems written in the stars, given that the watch and car companies each boast an iconic product that shares the same name – the Carrera. The TAG Heuer Carrera is, of course, one of the most celebrated sports watches in modern watchmaking, while the legendary Porsche Carrera is the German carmaker’s flagship engine (serendipitously, the TAG Heuer Carrera was named after the Carrera Panamericana rallies of 1950s, of which the 1954 race was won by Porsche, which paid homage…

Japanese watch titan Citizen’s acquisition of Swiss movement and module maker, La Joux-Perret S.A., is bearing its first big development with the introduction of the Calibre 0200, a new in-house movement that will significantly elevate Citizen’s stature and offerings in the category of mid- to high-end mechanical timepieces. The Citizen Group, which has brands like Frederique Constant, Arnold & Son, Alpina and Bulova, under its auspices, and is also a major producer of mechanical ebauches and quartz movements, bought over La Joux-Perret in 2012 with the aim of increasing its presence in the haute de gamme sector, and the Calibre 0200 demonstrates exactly that intent. THE NEW MOVEMENT IS BILLED AS A NEW FUSION OF JAPANESE AND SWISS WATCHMAKING CULTURES Billed as a ‘new fusion of Japanese and Swiss watchmaking…

Singaporeans into urban art may have heard of him but if not, KLites would certainly have seen his work around their city’s random street walls. In his home country, graffiti artist Kenji Chai certainly made his mark having worked on Malaysia’s tallest mural, an 87m work of art on the side of RED by Sirocco Hotel. Certified by The Malaysia Book of Records, the 25-storey mural features an indigenous Dayak woman, the flora and fauna of Malaysia, tropical fruits and hawker delights. At the opening of the hotel in 2018, Chai explained his artwork, which took him 21 days to finish. “I love my country and I want everyone to discover its beauty. One of the best ways to do this is through art that everyone can see and appreciate.”…