Table of contents for Issue 4 2021 in CROWN

As I pen this, two email announcements just came through that caused pause for thought. The first concerns the resurrection of independent brand HYT. Fancied by adventurous collectors and famed for ingenious mechanical watches that use coloured liquids to mark the time, HYT, which was founded in 2012, filed for bankruptcy in March – after less than 10 years in the business. Now, backed by a Neuchâtel-based industrial manufacturing company, HYT is back. And tasked with its revival is a familiar operator in Davide Cerrato. Previously of Montblanc and Tudor, Cerrato is an industry figure courted for his marketing intuition and strategic product development. The second piece of news also has to do with the injection of money. This time, WatchBox is the beneficiary. One of the world’s largest online…

Celebrating a 10th birthday has its privileges. Panerai, which opened its ION Orchard flagship store a decade ago, celebrated the occasion by treating its VIP customers to an exclusive pre-launch of the Luminor Marina eSteel. Although the watch was introduced at the Watches And Wonders showcase earlier this April, it wasn’t due to be released globally until April 2022. Panerai fans in Singapore had first dibs to this much talked-about timepiece, featuring a case and dial crafted in eSteel, a groundbreaking material comprising 58.4 per cent recycled material. Despite its make-up, eSteel is said to be just as robust, corrosion-resistant and beautiful as regular steel alloys. An epochal timepiece for both Panerai and, indeed, luxury watchmaking, the release of the Luminor Marina eSteel has been highly anticipated by Paneristis the…

How does one start to appreciate Vacheron Constantin’s piece-unique Les Cabinotiers Westminster Sonnerie – Tribute to Johannes Vermeer pocket watch? The bespoke timepiece is a technical behemoth that features a new in-house movement, the Calibre 3761 with Grande Sonnerie and tourbillon. But if we must, let’s start from the back, for a change. The caseback features a stunning and exacting depiction of Dutch artist Johannes Vermeer’s famous 1665 painting, Girl with a Pearl Earring. The extreme difficulty of replicating such an epic artwork could only be entrusted to another master: Anita Porchet, a living legend of enamel art who has worked with the most illustrious names in watchmaking. For this timepiece, Porchet employs the Geneva enamelling technique that adds a final transparent protective coating to the layers of carefully painted…

The power of precision, so often associated with timekeeping accuracy, is artfully manifested on Rolex’s laser-engraved dials. Featured on the new Oyster Perpetual Datejust 36 models, the dials are decorated with palm motifs, as well as dazzling fluted motif that incorporates one of Rolex’s signature aesthetic styles, an iconic pattern found on the fluting on some bezels that dates back to the origins of the brand. Engraved on a sunray-finish dial base using high-technology equipment called a femtosecond laser, the dial motifs captivate with an interplay of shadow and light. This femtosecond technology, mastered in-house, directs bursts of ultrashort laser pulses (at speeds of a billionth of a microsecond) onto the dial surface at a rapid repetition rate (of several megahertz). It produces no heat, etches the surface of the…

Rolex is able to reproduce almost any colour you can think of on its opaque lacquer dials. It takes at least three months of laboratory research and trials to produce a desired colour. Besides basic shades from standardised Pantone colour charts—including pure white and black, which can only be produced with opaque lacquer—Rolex also creates its own opaque lacquer colours. A fine example of the intense and vibrant qualities of opaque lacquer dials can be seen in the new Oyster Perpetual collection, which comes five vibrant colours that include candy pink, turquoise blue, yellow, coral red and green. These coloured dials inject vivacity into the iconic collection like never before, and are a testament to Rolex’s absolute command of dial alchemy.…

As functional as they are expressive, appliques are not only necessary to facilitate time display but are also key to lending a Rolex dial its distinct look and give depth to its personality. These markers affixed to the dial come in a variety of styles. Always anchored by the Rolex crown at 12 o’clock, the appliques may take the form of Arabic or Roman numerals, Classic or Professional hour markers in geometric shapes. Depending on the model, these applied markers can be crafted in polished 18 ct gold, festooned with precious stones, or filled with enamel or Rolex’s proprietary luminescent material, Chromalight.…

While it is true that the chronograph complication has been an integral part of Patek Philippe and, indeed, features in its most legendary and sought-after models both past and present, it is also rather surprising that the brand didn’t embark on making its own in-house chronograph movements until 2005. Previously, Patek had used modified Lemania base calibres for its chronographs – a wholly intriguing subject worthy of a separate feature – and it was only in 2005 when it debuted the Calibre 27-525, its first proprietary chronograph movement that was also at that time the world’s thinnest split-seconds chronograph movement. Then, in quick succession, it introduced two more in-house chronograph movements: the automatic Calibre CH 28-520 from 2006, with flyback function and vertical clutch system; and the hand-wound Calibre CH…

Abraham-Louis Breguet probably didn’t intend it this way when he developed his most famous invention back in 1801, but the tourbillon has become one of the most visual entertaining watch mechanisms in all of horological history. Indeed, even as it has fascinated generations of aficionados with its dramatic rotation, while housing within a tiny cage the very beating mechanical heart of a watch, the tourbillon wasn’t made to be theatrical. Rather, it was there to perform the rather boring and arduous task of cancelling out timekeeping errors caused by the effects of gravity on a watch’s movement – it was originally developed for pocket watches, which were kept mostly in an upright position. Of course, the passage of time and horological trends have elevated the tourbillon into something else altogether.…

The early noughties were a dark time for wives and girlfriends of gaming fiends. In a period that hinted at things to come, these women collectively lost their men to new FPS (first-person shooter) releases like Call of Duty, DotA and Far Cry. Almost two decades later, the attraction of these games lives on considerably, with teens and the OG gamers still going at it. Which is why it’s so significant that Hamilton—a name with much screen time itself—has an actual watch featured in the latest Far Cry 6 edition. Rather than a watch produced as a marketing afterthought through getting the necessary rights and licensing, the Hamilton Khaki Field Titanium Automatic is actually in the game itself and players get to interact with the functions that come with it.…

If you were a collector who was first bitten by the horological bug between the 1980s and early 2000s, Hublot is a brand that you'd have seen literally exploding in front of your eyes. When it was founded in 1980 by Carlo Crocco, an Italian businessman whom many watch industry veterans have hailed as one of the nicest in the trade, Hublot was a pretty well-regarded young marque that enjoyed relative commercial success – but nothing quite like the heavy-hitting juggernaut that it is now. Today’s Hublot is a high-wattage brand that is rocked by the flashiest celebrities and well-loved in equal measure by watch connoisseurs. It trajectory was effectively chartered by the legendary-but-now-retired marketing maven, Jean-Claude Biver. Biver, who took over the helm of the brand from Crocco in…

The annual ‘horological Oscars’, which took place in November, had been shaping up to be an interesting contest. Given that that hand of the watch industry was forced by an unprecedented global health crisis, in which commercial appeal and sales turnover pretty much took priority in shaping the roll-out of watches in the past two years, we were piqued to see the type of offerings that were put on the pedestal at the 2021 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève. The winning watches of the 17 award categories (there were 18 awards, but the Special Jury Prize salutes a personality, institution or initiative, instead of a watch or brand) demonstrated the voting academy’s predilection towards creations that hark back to the basic, traditional tenets of horology – slimness, performance and beauty.…

Just as it is with all areas of Rolex’s watch production, gemmology and gem-setting is an expertise that the brand masters in-house. Every single gemstone affixed on the dial of a Rolex timepiece is carefully sourced by its team of in-house gemmologists. Whether used for subtle embellishments, or fully paved to display their full splendour, each precious stone is set by hand. Techniques such as “bead” setting, “baguette” setting or “claw” setting are used, depending on which best reveals the gem’s beauty, colour and sparkle. The exacting gem-setting process comes right down to determining the position of the stones – each jewel is only allowed a tolerance of up to two hundredths of a millimetre, which is four times thinner than a strand of human hair.…

Alvin Wong, Editor-In-Chief ROLEX Day-Date 40 with eisenkiesel dial To be completely honest, I am not a fan of flashy watches. But if I ever were to rock one, I would go all the way with this Rolex Day-Date 40. The lustre and weight of Everose gold, the forthright sparkle with 10 baguette-cut and brilliant-cut diamonds on the dial and bezel and, most of all, the deep, intriguing chocolate shade and texture of its rare eisenkiesel dial, make for an opulent combination that simply blasts its wearer into showstopping stratosphere. Made from a type of quartz stone, Eisenkiesel (German for ‘iron pebble’) dials are extremely rare and hard to manufacture, adding to Rolex’s list of exclusive watches with exotic dials that gives more cachet to this watch’s swag. PATEK PHILIPPE…

Jaeger-LeCoultre and, indeed, its most famous watch, the Reverso, are no strangers to the minute repeater complication. Widely considered to be one of the most technically challenging and arduous complications to craft, minute repeaters hark to a notion where timepieces are considered objets d’art, fascinating collectors with their sculptural splendour, as well as pristine and melodious chimes that inform the owner of the time. It was back in 1870 when Jaeger-LeCoultre, a fledgling manufacture known then as LeCoultre & Cie, made its first minute repeater timepiece. More than 150 years and 1,200 in-house calibres on, the minute repeater complication remains one of Jaeger-LeCoultre’s finest achievements that exemplifies the brand’s in-house manufacturing and technical prowess. Given this, the new Reverso Tribute Minute Repeater is, in essence, a marriage of two of…

A. Lange & Söhne • #02-05A Ion Orchard Tel: 6509 1712 Audemars Piguet • #B2-207, The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands Tel: 6688 7595 • #01-03, liat towers Tel: 6836 4918 Ball Watch For enquires, please call 6235 1811 Baume & Mercier For enquires, please call 6510 2767 Bell & Ross • #01-15 Mandarin Gallery Tel: 6884 6471 Blancpain • #B2-237 The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands Tel: 6634 8771 Breguet • B2M-236 The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands Tel: 6638 6006 Breitling • #01-03/04, Palais Renaisance Tel: 6732 8582 Bulgari • #B2-200 The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands Tel: 6634 8313 • Level 1, Takashimaya Department Store Tel: 6735 6689 Cartier • #B1-39A, #B2-38 The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands Tel: 6688 7388 • #01-20, #02-10 Ion Orchard Tel:…

Never you mind where all the money is coming from. But here is yet another record-setting auction demonstrating the moneyed watch collectors’ bullish sentiment when it comes to procuring top-dollar vintage and pre-owned timepieces. At the Geneva Watch Auction: XIV held on 5 and 7 November, auctioneer Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo achieved a total of US$74,488,836 in sales to set a new record for the highest ever total for a watch sale in auction history. The pre-sale estimate for the auction was approximately US$25.5 to US$45.1 million. Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo has been the auctioneer with the golden touch, having overseen numerous record-breaking transactions in recent years, but this result cements the auction house as the go-to for high-nett worth horology buffs. Of the…

Casio G-Shock’s famed ultra-toughness that can withstand getting smashed and hurled down flights of stairs wasn’t built in a day – nor is it an endeavour that will ever truly be complete. Since the launch of the first DW-5000C model in 1983, engineers behind the brand have constantly sought to improve the collection’s robustness. The G-Shock line’s latest evolution comes in the form of fortification by way of carbon, a material that’s known to be super lightweight and robust. The brand introduced the ‘carbon core guard’ construction (above) – a monobloc case made of carbon-fibre-reinforced resin that envelopes the movement – in the G-Shock GA-2000 line in 2019. This year, the brand has evolved and extended the use of carbon on the new Mudmaster GWG-2000, and MTG-B2000YBD and MTG-B2000XD models.…

Equal parts canvas for artistic expression and vital component for the display of time, the dial of watch sits at the centre of the horological experience. It is the first thing that draws your attention and, oftentimes, the singular element that lingers longest in your mind. Rolex creates its dials with the utmost care and a relentless pursuit of perfection. Its dials are conceived and manufactured entirely in-house to take watch lovers on inspired journeys from the farthest reaches of outer space to the vastness of nature’s wonders. The beautifully crafted drafts are also a true expression of Rolex’s creativity and savoir faire, combining the best of artisanship, science and research, and state‑of-the-art technologies to endow their watches with an identity of their own. And the results are breath-taking, imbued…

Derived from the aerospace industry, PVD is a thin film technology that has expanded the possibilities of colour development, as well as their longevity for watch dials. With this technology, new and infinite arrays of colours and tones can now be concocted by mixing virtually any inorganic material with metals, and applied to metallic finishes. Rolex produces its PVD-coated dials inside clean and sophisticated vacuum chambers to ensure a fully dust-free and highly controlled environment. The company developed two proprietary techniques for the process: thermal evaporation using an electron gun to vaporise the source material; and magnetron sputtering, which is based on the ionisation produced by a plasma torch. The dials are first coated with a fine layer of vaporised oxides and metals that are less than one micron thick,…

ECO-AHEAD Right about the time when world leaders are finally taking real steps towards combating climate change, what was once a novel movement within the horological trade for sustainable watch production is creating a paradigm shift. A chorus of ‘big’ brands have come onboard, not just with strategically executed CSR campaigns, but proper watches that customers can buy and enjoy while contributing to the green cause. Panerai, Cartier and Ulysse Nardin are among the names that have rolled out eco-friendly watches this year, featuring models made to various degrees from recycled materials. Panerai’s Submersible eLab-ID, in particular, stands out. Despite being a concept watch, the Submersible eLab-ID claims to be made of almost 100 per cent recyclable materials by weight. Even more impressive is how Panerai has publicly listed its…