Round-UpThe Best New Watches From SIHH 2018 – For Men
At the 28th Salon International De La Haute Horlogerie (SIHH), some watches paid tribute to legendary accomplishments or milestones, while others accomplished new technical feats. And then there were those brands that upgraded their own high standards of innovation and creativity. ‘The Watch Guide’ gives you a selection of some the finest new timepieces released
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Baume & Mercier Clifton Club Indian Motorcycle
Continuing their association with the world of automobiles, Baume & Mercier released a special series of their Clifton Club watches – a product of their partnership with Indian Motorcycle, the American manufacturers of high-end motorcycles. In this series is the Burt Munro Tribute Limited Edition, which commemorates New Zealander biker Burt Munro’s 1967 record of the highest below-1,000cc speed, which he had accomplished on a Streamliner motorcycle that he modified himself. The Burt Munro watch in a 44mm steel case features elements of the Streamliner, including the red on the strap and chronograph hands, and the number ‘35’ on the small seconds sub-dial. This watch is limited to 1,967 pieces.
The other two Indian Motorcycle watches are the Scout and the Chief. Both are 44mm automatic chronograph timepieces in steel, limited to 1,901 pieces each – a reference to the year Indian Motorcycle was founded. The Scout watch has an open-worked grey dial, inspired by the shape of the cylinder heads of the famous V-twin engine in the Scout motorcycle, while the brown of the calfskin strap is inspired by the Scout’s saddlery. The Chief version comes with a steel bracelet and riveted indexes that are a reference to the engine of the Thunderstroke 111 motorcycle, while its chronograph counters are inspired by a speedometer.
Estimated price: ₹230,000 to ₹240,000; available: April 2018
To pre-order this watch, please call +91 8725028890
Baume & Mercier Clifton Baumatic
An achievement for the brand, the Clifton Baumatic watches have propelled Baume & Mercier into the league of those manufacturers that also make their own movements. Powered by the in-house manufactured Baumatic BM12-1975A calibre, these watches are particularly impressive. Not only are they self-winding, they offer a whopping five-day power reserve, a resistance to magnetic fields, and baffling accuracy. All of that watchmaking goodness is housed in a 40mm case in steel or two-tone metal.
The most distinguished of the Baumatic lot is the COSC-certified chronometer version, identifiable by the division of the white dial into four quarters. Also at 40mm, the steel case of the chronometer is just 10.3mm thick. The antiglare, domed glass, and caseback are both in sapphire crystal. All Baumatic watches come with alligator leather straps or steel bracelets that you can interchange yourself.
Estimated price: ₹160,000 to ₹200,000; available: April 2018
To pre-order this watch, please call +91 8725028890
Cartier Santos
One of the most impressive updates to the Santos watch, since it was first created in 1904, the 2018 edition also reflects the speed and progress that the initial design echoed. The square case is still in its distinctive form, in line with Parisian geometry, as seen in the four angular corners of the Eiffel Tower. This time, the metallic elements of architecture in the early 1900s are further referenced in the riveted bezel that seemingly flows onto the riveted links of the metallic bracelet.
And now comes the most significant development – the new Cartier QuickSwitch system that allows you to change the bracelet by the easy press of a button behind the bracelet, between the lugs of the case. The button releases the strap from the case, where you can securely attach another with an effortless click. In addition to that, this new series ensures that you never have to seek a professional’s help to adjust the length of the metal bracelet. With the new Cartier SmartLink system, which comprises buttons behind the ‘SmartLinks’, you can add or remove links, and adjust the length as desirable. Even on the technical front, the watch doesn’t fall short. The case is water resistant to 100m, and houses an automatic calibre, 1847 MC, which features anti-magnetic components to ensure ultimate accuracy.
Estimated price: starts at approximately ₹406,250
To pre-order this watch, please call +91 8725028890
IWC Portofino Chronograph Edition ‘150 Years’
From the Jubilee Edition of timepieces unveiled at SIHH 2018, this IWC Portofino watch is among those that mark 150 years of the Schaffhausen-based company. It features a rich, 10-layer lacquered dial that presents a stunning enamel finish and rhodium-plated hands, but is also available with a white dial and blued hands. Both versions come in stainless steel cases. With chronograph pushers flanking the crown at three o’clock, the chronograph counters for 30 minutes and 12 hours can be seen at 12 o’clock and six o’clock respectively. The small seconds sub-dial is at nine o’clock. Each dial version is limited to 2,000 pieces.
Estimated price: approximately ₹404,000
To pre-order this watch, please call +91 8725028890
Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris Memovox
The new Polaris collection from Jaeger-LeCoultre was the brand’s biggest story this year, and not just because it’s a new pillar in the prestige watch manufacturers’ portfolio. Drawing from their 185-year-long history, Jaeger-LeCoultre was inspired by their 1968 Memovox Polaris diver’s watch. While the new Polaris line has automatic, date, chronograph and world time versions, it was no surprise that they also unveiled a Polaris that is a sweet throwback to the original Memovox.
The new Polaris Memovox is limited to 1,000 pieces and has an alarm feature that its 1968 predecessor was known for. The watch features three crowns – the top one for setting the alarm, the middle crown for the inner rotating bezel, while the lowest is for time setting. This timepiece is powered by the Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 956, which features the striking mechanism with a gong – a ‘direct descendant of the brand’s first automatic alarm wristwatch movement’ from 1950s. The automatic movement with a 44-hour power reserve is housed in a 42mm steel case, water resistant to 200m, and accompanied by a rubber strap.
Estimated price: approximately ₹850,000; available: May-June 2018
To pre-order this watch, please call +91 8725028890
Montblanc 1858 Automatic Chronograph
The 1858 collection of timepieces from Montblanc pays tribute to the Minerva manufacture that Montblanc had acquired. This piece, a sporty chronograph in a 42mm stainless steel case, comes with a black and grey striped Nato strap, but is also available with a cognac-coloured, aged calf-leather strap.
Housed in the case is an automatic Montblanc movement that offers a power reserve of about 48 hours. The black dial features a small seconds sub-dial at nine and a 30-minute chronograph counter at three o’clock. Equipped with a domed sapphire crystal glass, this watch is water resistant to 100m.
Estimated price: approximately ₹317,850
To pre-order this watch, please call +91 8725028890
Panerai Luminor Due 3 Days Automatic Acciaio – 38mm
Panerai made heads spin the year with their first ever series of watches at this size. A case diameter of 38mm is literally the smallest Panerai has ever gone. And not only that, the new Luminor Due watches are even thinner than before, at just 11.2mm thick. As the name suggests, the case is in steel (acciaio is Italian for ‘steel’), and housed within is an automatic movement that offers a three-day power reserve.
The anthracite dial with light green hour markers is complemented by the leather strap in mint green – a colour you don’t see every day on a Panerai timepiece. And if you’re looking for more colour options, it’s also available with a blue leather strap and a white dial. Additionally, there is a more opulent version in oro rosso – red gold – with a light blue alligator leather strap and a white dial.
Estimated price: approximately ₹395,000
To pre-order this watch, please call +91 8725028890
Panerai L’Astronomo Luminor 1950 Tourbillon Moon Phases Equation Of Time GMT Titanio – 50mm
One of their two high-complication timepieces this year was Panerai’s L’Astronomo – an astronomical timepiece, for more reasons than one. Also available in write or red gold, this large, 50mm titanium watch packs in so much, it’s downright baffling. There is a date window and an analogue month display at three o’clock, a small seconds sub-dial at nine o’clock, a GMT hand for a secondary time zone display at the centre, a tourbillon between 10 and 11 o’clock, and power reserve and moon phase displays seen through the sapphire crystal caseback.
As for the astronomical complications, there’s a display of sunrise and sunset times between nine and seven o’clock, and between five and three o’clock, respectively. And then there’s the equation of time, seen off centre towards six o’clock, indicating the 15-minute – plus-or-minus – difference between what we consider a 24-hour day, and the actual duration of the solar day, from one true noon to the next. And of course, there are the central hour and minute hands as well! All of this runs on a mechanical movement that offers a 96-hour power reserve on being manually wound. But when a watch gives us so much information, the least we can do is wind it, just once every four days.
Estimated price: starts at approximately ₹15,704,045; made to order, with a delivery period of about 12 months
To pre-order this watch, please call +91 8725028890
Special Mention: Carl F. Bucherer Manero Peripheral 43mm
While Carl F. Bucherer is not an exhibitor at SIHH, we thought it was appropriate to make a mention of the newest watch they’ve announced. Their 2018 collection will include an all-new Manero Peripheral timepiece, now in a larger case size of 43mm. Like its predecessors, this new watch also includes a bi-directional winding weight that only skirts around the periphery of the movement, allowing a beholder a full view of the mechanism inside through the sapphire crystal caseback.
The movement is a CFB A2050 automatic calibre that offers a power reserve of 55 hours. The rose gold case is paired for the first time with a light brown alligator leather strap. The dial in white features applied indexes in gold, gold hands and a small seconds sub-dial.
To pre-order this watch, please call +91 8725028890
Special Mention: Oris Carl Brashear Chronograph Limited Edition
Another special mention here is the latest Oris Carl Brashear watch, a successor to the brand’s previous diver’s timepiece that paid tribute to heroic US Navy master diver, Carl Brashear. Brashear was the US Navy’s first African-American and first amputee master diver, who became an inspiration for many who came after him. The watch that commemorates this hero had to be in bronze, which Oris has used only once before, in their first Carl Brashear watch.
Each of the 2,000 pieces in this limited edition will assume its own visual identity as the bronze ages differently in different conditions of moisture and humidity. The 43mm bronze case houses an automatic chronograph movement behind the blue curved dial that has applied rose-gold plated hour markers with SuperLuminova, also seen at zero on the unidirectional rotating diver’s bezel 60-minute scale. Water resistant to 100m, this piece comes with a brown leather strap.
To pre-order any of the above watches, please call +91 8725028890
Click here for the best new watches from SIHH 2018 for women
