Sports Watches: Watch Your Time for The New York
Transcription
Sports Watches: Watch Your Time for The New York
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO THE NEW YORK TIMES BOLD AND BEAUTIFUL –o–––- carol besler The sports watch muscles its way into the winner’s circle of collectibles AUTO CONNECTIONS The chronograph is the most popular, because it captures the essence of most sports: speed. It measures elapsed times and is therefore often associated with the world of auto racing. TAG Heuer practically invented this tradition, with links to the auto A new level of appreciation is emerging for the sports watch. racing world dating back to the 1960s. This It has become the ultimate showcase for the exploration of is the year of the Carrera, the brand’s iconic new materials, movements and engineering, and evidence chronograph particularly associated with racof the willingness by watch brands to push the boundaries ing, as TAG Heuer celebrates its 50th anniof design. This gives the modern sports watch a cachet versary. The Carrera was created in 1963 by that rivals the traditional classic collector’s watches. There Jack Heuer, who retires this are also an increasing number of limited ediyear as honorary chairman of tion sports watches. At least two brands are HOW DEEP IS the brand. The Carrera Calicelebrating anniversaries this year of their THE OCEAN bre 36 Chronograph Flyback iconic sports models: Blancpain’s Fifty Fath— is the star among several models celebrating oms and TAG Heuer’s Carrera with special Frank Sinatra the anniversary. Inspired by vintage Heuer stoplimited-edition commemorative models. — watches, it has a large 60-seconds scale on the The sports watch has a specific aesthetic: it “How deep is the ocean? outer main dial, and hours and minutes on the is robust, colorful and utilitarian with promiHow high is the sky?” inner main dial. Small seconds and minute totalnent dials and multiple indexes that suggest izers are at 3 and 9 o’clock. The racing version is particularly precision and movement. The reason so many aficionados spirited, with a carbide/titanium case, perforated strap and become hooked on the sports watch is this design bravado, red dial highlights. combined with technical credentials — the things that make Chopard is another brand with auto connections, and is a it a sports watch, rather than just a “sporty” watch. It should meet several requirements; it should be built strong enough particular fan of classic car rallies. The brand sponsors and/ to resist serious impacts; it should contain a function beyond or participates in a global circuit of glamorous rallies, includregular time in order to give it utility for the sport at hand; ing the Mille Miglia, a 1,000-mile race from Brescia to Rome, and it should be water-resistant to at least and the Historic Grand Prix de Monaco, an adjunct to the 100 meters. Grand Prix that involves vintage racing cars. In the sports watch arena, Chopard has earned its racing stripes, both through its authentic involvement in the auto world and in the creation of purpose-built manufacture movements. The new Superfast Power Control houses caliber 01.02-M, with hours, minutes, small seconds, date window and a power-reserve indicator. It is a certified chronometer, which means enhanced accuracy and reliability, and exudes racing car design DIOR CHIFFRE ROUGE CHRONOGRAPH. THE CHIFFRE ROUGE COLLECTION WAS codes: vertical lines on the dial resemble the L AUNCHED IN 2004, DESIGNED BY THE cooling fins on air-cooled racing engines; ARTISTIC DIRECTOR AT DIOR HOMME. ITS numerals resemble the markers on sportsINSTANTLY IDENTIFIABLE ASYMMETRIC CASE, RED DATE AND MOLDED RUBBER HAVE car rev-counters and speedometers. · ⁄ · OMEGA SEAMASTER PLANET OCEAN 600M GOODPLANET. OMEGA’S ENDURING MARITIME LEGACY INSPIRED THE CRE ATION OF THIS MODEL, AN INNOVATIVE WRIST WATCH THAT SERVES AS A TRIBUTE TO THE GOODPL ANET FOUNDATION AND THE POSITIVE WORK IT DOES FOR OUR ENVIRONMENT AND UNDERWATER ECOSYSTEMS . ESTABLISHED THE CHIFFRE ROUGE AS THE ULTIMATE DIOR MEN’S WATCH. LONGINES HYDROCONQUEST. FOUNDED IN 1832 IN SAINT-IMIER, THE FAMOUS SWISS WATCH BR AND LONGINES CAN BOAST A LONG TR ADITION CHAR ACTERIZED BY THE ELEGANCE AND PERFORMANCE OF ITS PRODUCTS . THOSE VALUES ARE PERFECTLY REPRESENTED BY THE LONGINES SPORT COLLECTION. THE HYDROCONQUEST LINE IS DEDICATED TO MEN AND WOMEN LOOKING FOR A HIGH PERFORMANCE TIMEPIECE THAT COMBINES TECHNICAL INNOVATION AND ELEGANCE. LONGINES NOW EXTENDS THIS LINE WITH NEW MODELS IN BRIGHT COLORS . WITH A SCREW-IN CROWN, A SCREW-DOWN CASE BACK AND THE L ATER AL CROWN PROTECTION, THESE TIMEPIECES ASSURE A WATER-RESISTANCE OF 30 BAR (300 METERS). · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · SPORT WATCH YOUR TIME USA 37 SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO THE NEW YORK TIMES SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO THE NEW YORK TIMES R ADO DIAMASTER CERAMIC AUTOMATIC CHRONOGRAPH XXL. THIS YE AR, R ADO PRESENTS A DIAMASTER COLLECTION IN HIGH-TECH CER AMIC FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER. PL ASMA HIGH-TECH CER AMIC CRE ATES A STRIKING AND MYSTERIOUS METALLIC BRILLIANCE, A NOD TO OLD DAYS ROLE X OYSTER COSMOGRAPH DAY TONA PLATINUM. FOR THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE OYSTER PERPETUAL COSMOGR APH DAY TONA , ROLEX PRESENTS A NEW VERSION OF THIS COSC-CERTIFIED CHRONOGR APH IN 950 PL ATINUM, WITH A MONOBLOCK CER ACHROM BEZEL WITH AN ENGR AVED TACHYMETER SCALE AND AN ICE BLUE DIAL. IN A WARM GREY COLOR, WITHOUT THE USE OF ANY METAL. The pilot’s watch is a special breed of chronograph that, rather than timing dives, is a nod to the days when an airplane’s navigational instrumentation consisted solely of the wristwatch. The main priority for navigation is optimum legibility, with large numerals, hands and plenty of Super-LumiNova. Zenith celebrates its heritage as a maker of pilot’s watches this year with several introductions in its Montre d’Aéronef (“onboard watch”) Type 20 collection. Two new Type 20 GMTs pay homage to famous aviators. The first is dedicated to early aviator and Zenith customer Louis Blériot, who was the first to fly across the English Channel in 1909. The caseback is composed of a medallion struck with the image of Blériot’s plane. The second is a tribute to Albrecht von Richthofen, known as the Red Baron, the legendary ace who piloted a bright red-painted Fokker Triplane Dr.1 and shot down some 80 allied forces planes during World War I. (He was finally shot down, by a Canadian stationed in France). It has a case of black DLC-coated steel, with red-tipped GMT hand, red markings and a caseback medallion depicting the Fokker Triplane Dr.1. IWC’s Big Pilot’s collection is another important part of the canon of heritage pilot’s watches. The latest is the Perpetual Calendar TOP GUN Boutique Edition, with a tough ceramic case (about seven times harder than steel) with titanium back and crown. The dial epitomizes the pilot’s watch code of legibility, with markings that glow at night. SUITABLE IN ANY CASE Officially, in order to be called a sports watch, the rule is that the case must have 50-meter water resistance. Any respectable diver’s watch, however, one that is vying for the hearts and minds of the connoisseurs of the genre, should be able to stand the pressure to depths well beyond that. Aside from water-tight cases and strong crystals, the other qualities of a diver’s watch — luminescent markers, screw-down crown, some sort of shock absorber system and a double safety clasp — are standard issue for watches built for extreme performance, and they qualify as suitable equipment for any sport. The diver’s category is dominated by blue-chip classics, including the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Diver, with its famous tapisserie dial and eight bezel screws. It is water-resistant to 300 meters (1,000 feet), as case, bezel and even crowns are made of ceramic. The dive time indicator is indexed in orange on the inner dial for maximum legibility — orange and blue are the preferred colors for underwater visibility. The Girard-Perregaux Sea Hawk is also pressure-resistant to 300 meters, and is distinguished by its high-tech ceramic case. It is a good example of the use of space-age materials in the realm of sports watches. · ⁄· AUDEMARS PIGUET ROYAL OAK OFFSHORE DIVER. FULLY COMPLIANT WITH THE NIHS 92-11 (ISO 6425) STANDARD, THIS SELF-WINDING WATCH IS CUT OUT FOR USE IN EXTREME UNDERWATER CONDITIONS . IT APPE ARS FOR THE FIRST TIME WITH A CASE, BEZEL AND E ASY-GRIP CROWNS IN BL ACK HIGH-TECH CER AMIC. STEPHEN URQUHART, PRESIDENT OF OMEGA In Greek mythology, Thetis dipped Achilles in the River Styx to make her son invulnerable, but left him with one weak spot: his heel. Not so Omega, whose Seamaster Aqua Terra > 15’000 gauss is immune to absolutely any kind of magnetic field, whatever its strength. As the brand explains, “one of the most dramatic technological innovations in recent memory, the Omega Co-Axial calibre 8508 is resistant to magnetic fields greater than 1.5 tesla (15,000 gauss), far exceeding the levels of mag- netic resistance achieved by any previous watch movement and solving a problem that has challenged watchmakers for many decades.” There are magnetic fields everywhere we turn, and these INVULNERABLE OMEGA AQUA TERRA > 15’000 GAUSS. THIS MODEL USES SELECTED NONFERROUS MATERIALS IN THE MOVEMENT ITSELF. EVEN AFTER EXPOSURE TO A MAGNETIC FIELD GRE ATER THAN 15,000 GAUSS, THE MOVEMENT STILL PERFORMS AT THE CHRONOMETRIC LEVEL DEFINED BY THE COSC. 38 WATCH YOUR TIME USA SPORT · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · disruptive elements can compromise the performance of a mechanical watch. At 80 gauss, it can suffer anything from a temporary loss of accuracy to stopping the movement dead. Knowing that certain magnets in the home have a strength of 14,000 gauss (1.4 tesla) gives some idea of the scale of the problem. Swatch Group put all its resources into finding a solution, with the result that “unlike other efforts to combat the effects of magnetism, the Omega movement does not rely on a protective container inside the watch case but on the use of selected non-ferrous materials in the movement itself,” as Omega explains. The watch contains Omega’s own silicon balance spring and its Co-Axial escapement in nickelphosphorous, both anti-magnetic. The Seamaster Aqua Terra > 15’000 gauss marks the debut of a calibre whose principles should gradually be extended to Omega’s entire production. PIAGET EMPERADOR COUSSIN ULTRATHIN MINUTE REPEATER. THE PRESTIGIOUS MINUTE-REPE ATER COMPLICATION IS THE L ATEST EMBODIMENT OF PIAGET’S EMPER ADOR COUSSIN. TRUE TO ITS REPUTATION, PIAGET ACCOMPLISHES THE FE AT OF AN ULTR A-THIN MOVEMENT THAT ME ASURES BARELY 4.8 MM HIGH. The inscription that circles the inertia flywheel of the Piaget Emperador Coussin Ultra-Thin Minute Repeater speaks volumes about the philosophy that drives the Manufacture: Toujours faire mieux que nécessaire — always do better than required. This is a world in which not even the best is good enough… as the timepiece in question, presented earlier in the year, perfectly illustrates. Joining the Tourbillon Autom a t i c U l t r a -T h i n in t he Emp e rad o r Coussin collection, it is Piaget’s first minute repeater, one of the major horological complications and among the most complex to make considering the difficulties inherent to producing the crisp and audible sound that many minute repeaters lack. Once again, Piaget has raised the bar with a 1290P calibre assembled from 407 parts, measuring 4.8 mm high and housed inside a water-resistant case just 9.4 mm thick. Yet another “world’s thinnest” from a company that is no stranger to records in this domain. “We intend to make ultra-thin a constant source of amazement,” declared Chief Executive Philippe Léopold-Metzger at the Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie in Geneva, “although this will never distract from the elegance we impose on all our creations. Technique must benefit design. Yes we do have a number of records to our name but this isn’t an objec tive in it self. PIAGET ALTIPLANO DATE. PIAGET RISES BRILLIANTLY TO THE CHALLENGE OF A SIMPLE, UNDERSTATED DESIGN, WITH THE ADDED FLOURISH OF A DATE APERTURE POSITIONED VERY SLIGHTLY OFF-CENTRE FROM A SMALL SECONDS INDICATOR TO CRE ATE A SUBTLE HINT OF TENSION. To take the example of our Minute Repeater, had we been forced to choose between thinness and the clarity of the chimes, we would not have hesitated a single second; the latter would have taken precedence over the former.” Be that as it may, Piaget has again achieved the impossible: certain wheels in the movement measure a mere 0.12 mm, barely thicker than a human hair. PIAGET LIMELIGHT GALA. INSPIRED BY THE CAREFREE FANTASY THAT REIGNED THROUGHOUT THE 1960s, PIAGET HAS IMAGINED THE LIMELIGHT GAL A . THE LUGS, WHICH ARE HIGHLIGHTED WITH DIAMONDS, EXTEND ASYMMETRICALLY TO INSTIL A FEMININE PERSONALIT Y INTO A WATCH THAT IS BOTH ORIGINAL AND UNIQUE. ONE OF A KIND Such technical prowess is mirrored by the extreme care which prevails over the movement decoration. The 1290P calibre benefits from the most prestigious level of finish ever produced by Piaget, dubbed “image finishing” and which takes house almost every single watchmaking complication but to do so within the context of its ultra-thin mechanisms. Jewelry is, of course, still very much in evidence as the Couture Précieuse and Piaget Rose collections show. The latter is represented by jazz vocalist Melody Gardot. She performed at the first Piaget Rose Day, celebrated on RAISING THE GRADE THE PIAGET MANUFACTURE IN THE CANTON OF GENEVA 70 hours to complete, each movement being decorated entirely by hand. With requirements this high, Piaget’s success in watchmaking should come as no surprise, yet when Philippe Léopold-Metzger took the reins back in 2000, the company was widely viewed as a jeweler which happened to make watches too. Not so today, with the “balance of power” shifting to watchmaking as the Manufacture acquired the expertise to design, develop and not only produce in- June 13th in Paris in honor of a line that made its debut in the 1960s. Also paying tribute to women this year, the Piaget Limelight Gala with its elongated, asymmetric lugs is the very essence of Piaget, being at once classic, contemporary and creative. Yet another way to capture the elegance which the brand instills into the watches, jewelry and combinations of the two that make Piaget one of a kind. E. D. · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · FOCUS WATCH YOUR TIME USA 39 SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO THE NEW YORK TIMES SPECIAL ADVERTISING SUPPLEMENT TO THE NEW YORK TIMES TUDOR HERITAGE CHRONO. THE FIRST MAJOR STEP IN TUDOR’S “BACK TO THE FUTURE” STR ATEGY WAS THE HERITAGE CHRONO THAT BECAME R ADO D-STAR RAT TRAPANTE LIMITED EDITION. R ADO SHOWS ITS TRUE ALPINA COLORS WITH THE DASHING AND DEBONAIR R ADO D-STAR R AT TR APANTE AN IMMEDIATE ICON OF THE BR AND. BREATHING NEW LIFE INTO THE TUDOR OYSTERDATE CHRONOGR APH OF THE 1970S, THIS MODEL STARTIMER PILOT IN BL ACK MAT TE HIGH-TECH CER AMIC. THIS UNIQUE CHAR ACTER SHOWS REVISITS ITS CODES WHILE UPDATING THEM TO TODAY’S TASTES. CHRONOGRAPH ANOTHER SIDE TO R ADO, BUT UNDERLINES THE SWISS BR AND’S STATUS AS A LE ADER IN HIGH-TECH MATERIALS . R ANGE OF ALPINA Absent from the United States since the late 1980s, Tudor is making its comeback to the American stage with nationwide coverage. “This is a crucial market for the brand which is rolling out across all five continents,” explained Davide Cerrato, Head of Marketing & Product Development at Tudor. “It really is a fundamental stage in our strategy, particularly as our products are positioned in what is a very buoyant segment in the United States. And we’ve got what it takes! Since 2010, Tudor has revised its collections from top to bottom. Each collection reflects a very distinct aspect of the brand and PILOT TIMEPIECES It is tough and watertight, so even if you have no desire to plunge to the depths, it is good to know the watch will nevertheless hold together if you have a spectacular fall while water skiing. The Omega Seamaster Bullhead 1969 is an exceptional example of that collection and, like the TAG Carrera, is a tribute to a vintage model. The crowns — one for setting and winding, and the other for the inner bezel to time dives — are uniquely placed at 3 o’clock and 6 o’clock. Blancpain celebrated the 60th anniversary of the Fifty Fathoms, the iconic diver’s watch it first launched in 1953. Diving enthusiast Jean-Jacques Fiechter set out to create a reliable instrument capable of accompanying him on his underwater adventures. It was christened Fifty Fathoms after the British measurement corresponding to around 91 meters, then considered to be the maximum depth divers could reach given the compressed air technology of the time. The anniversary edition, the Bathyscaphe, was inspired by the original design but it is a dressier version and contains a modern movement. It is water resistance to 300 meters and comes with an optional NATO-style strap. SHOWCASING EXPERTISE BIG DATE. THIS NEW WAS DESIGNED FOR SERIOUS PILOTS WHO FLY IN FAST JETS AND MAKE SPLIT-SECOND DECISIONS ABOUT THE LIMITS TO WHICH THEY CAN PUSH THEIR PL ANES AND THEMSELVES . Despite their design bravado, today’s sports watches are also sleeker and more refined than they have been at any time in the past decade. This makes them as suitable for business wear and casual endeavors, in between those weekends when you are plunging into the Marianas Trench or participating in the Indy 500. ˇ Given the success of the first Heritage Chrono, this year Tudor presents the Heritage Chrono Blue which takes its cue from a 1973 Tudor Montecarlo. “Like all the watches in the Heritage line, the Heritage Chrono Blue is a unique reinterpretation in which past, present and future converge in both time and style,” says the brand. “The aesthetic codes that contributed to the historic model remain, while BACK TO THE FUTURE TUDOR HERITAGE ADVISOR. A TRUE EXPRESSION OF TUDOR’S VINTAGE SPIRIT, THE ADVISOR IS A MODERN VERSION OF THE EMBLEMATIC GUCCI DIVE. GUCCI TIMEPIECES & JEWELRY 1957 ALARM WATCH. PRESENTS ITS L ATEST TIMEPIECE FOR MEN, ITS MOVEMENT IS THE GUCCI DIVE. AVAIL ABLE IN STAINLESS STEEL EQUIPPED WITH A OR ROSE GOLD, BOTH WORKED IN BL ACK PVD, TUDOR PELAGOS. THE PEL AGOS MODEL, THIS WATCH REPRESENTS A NEW STANDARD WHICH IS WATERPROOF TO A DEPTH OF OF HIGH-PERFORMANCE TIMEKEEPING FOR 500 METERS (1640 FEET), IS A FUSION GUCCI TIMEPIECES & JEWELRY. MECHANICAL ALARM CLOCK MODULE, EXCLUSIVELY DEVELOPED BY TUDOR AND PRODUCING OF TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION. ITS A PERFECTLY UNIFORM, SPORTING CHAR ACTER AND IMPECCABLE CRISP AND CLEAR RELIABILIT Y WILL MEET THE REQUIREMENTS SOUND. OF AFICIONADOS OF THE DEEP. TUDOR HERITAGE CHRONO BLUE. IN THE RICH SAGA OF TUDOR HISTORIC CHRONOGR APHS, PETER STAS, FOUNDER AND CEO OF FRÉDÉRIQUE CONSTANT ACCESSIBLE Frédérique Constant takes its name from Frédérique Schreiner (1881-1969) and Constant Stas (1880-1967), two men won over to the watchmaker’s art who worked side by side in the early 1900s. When in 1988 Peter Stas, a fourth-generation descendant of Constant Stas, and his wife Aletta Bax decided to revive a forgotten name, they immediately knew what they would call their brand and what its philosophy LUXURY would be. “Because we are a family business, we’re extremely flexible in terms of distribution and production,” Peter Stas explains. “We position ourselves within a range of accessible luxury through our three pillars. These are our Manufacture watches whose movements we develop and produce ourselves, our automatic timepieces which run on a Sellita base, and our men’s and women’s watches which are driven by a Ronda quartz movement.” Last year the brand produced 130,000 watches which were sold at 2,700 points of sale, including 120 in the United States. “We’re growing fast in North America,” adds Stas. “You’ll find our watches at places like Tourneau, Bloomingdale’s and Mayors. Westime in Los Angeles also carries our products.” Communication is 40 WATCH YOUR TIME USA SPORT · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · centered on a newly published book, Live Your Passion, which traces the rapid rise of a company that mastered the secret of silicon components long ago; on its charity initiatives which include support of the World Heart Federation, led by Inès Sastre as the brand’s charity ambassador; and on the vintage mood conjured up in collections celebrating Austin Healey classic cars, or the Runabout range inspired by the boats that skim the waters of Lake Geneva or Lake Tahoe. Frédérique Constant has created its own world where passions are to be lived to the full and luxury is something to enjoy. FRÉDÉRIQUE CONSTANT SLIMLINE TOURBILLON MANUFACTURE. FOLLOWING ON FROM THE SUCCESSFUL L AUNCH OF ITS L ADIES’ SLIMLINE COLLECTION, FRÉDÉRIQUE CONSTANT PRESENTS THE GENTLEMEN’S SLIMLINE TOURBILLON MANUFACTURE WITH AN APPE AR ANCE THAT REFERENCE 7169 — BET TER KNOWN AS THE TUDOR its exciting past. This isn’t about Rolex, even if we are part of the group. We are two completely separate entities, each with its individual philosophy, complementary ranges, and products that compose a well-balanced portfolio. Tudor is affordable luxury.” “MONTECARLO” CHRONOGR APH — IS AN ABSOLUTE ICON. TO REVITALIZE THIS LEGENDARY CHRONOGR APH TUDOR HAS DECIDED TO REINTERPRET IT AND UNVEIL THIS YEAR THE NEW HERITAGE CHRONO BLUE. HERITAGE, A SYMBOL Tudor has decided to shine the spotlight on a rich legacy of iconic models. This has produced the Heritage collection, which is distinct from the Grand Tour and Fastrider ranges — both very much devoted to motor sports, as the brand’s partnership with Ducati confirms — and of course the Clair de Rose line of women’s watches. As Tudor is quick to point out, these Heritage watches aren’t simply reissues. They reinterpret a vintage model in a way that brings past, present and future together. Tudor’s designers have retained the spirit of the original, as well as the key technical and aesthetic features of the historic models, and brought them well and truly into the modern world. The design has been brought bang up to date with subtle contemporary touches, while new technical specifications optimize performance. The Heritage Chrono was first to launch, in 2010. Its inspiration is an early 1970s chronograph. “We were adamant that we weren’t going to launch an identical watch, which would have diminished the value of the original model,” says Davide Cerrato. “Instead we adapted it to today’s trends, in particular the case diameter which we increased from 39 mm to 42 mm. It got a great reception, which of course motivated us to carry on in this vein.” And so a year later, Tudor proposed a new interpretation of the Advisor, a 1950s alarm watch which now comes with a titanium case to produce a clear sound, and a completely revamped alarm module. In 2012, the Pelagos delivered its version of the Tudor experience in a dive watch that traces its origins back to 1954. modern touches update the iconic spirit of the watch. A faithful synthesis of the original timepiece, the Heritage Chrono Blue is destined to become tomorrow’s icon.” Accentuating the new spirit that is sweeping the brand, and which is evident in its expertise, Tudor equips its Heritage watches with fabric straps. These are produced in France by a company which has been hand-weaving for more than a century. This is, says Tudor, “an added touch of elegance and refinement” that confirms its identity as a modern and sophisticated brand. Developed for Tudor and showcasing a unique skill, these straps bring “a new dimension to the watch and the expression of a style that is both unique and exceptionally comfortable to wear.” Christophe Roulet IS AT ONCE CL ASSICAL AND TIMELESS . · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · FOCUS WATCH YOUR TIME USA 41