The 5 biggest timepiece moments in March: from Michelle Yeohs Richard Mille and Ke Huy Quans O
New heights in collaborations
Brands got collaborative this month as Omega and Swatch ran it back with a new MoonSwatch, Girard-Perregeaux linked up with Aston Martin, and Daniel Arsham became Hublot’s newest ambassador.
Just when we thought the furore surrounding the MoonSwatch had finally died down (or never really went away), the two brands announced the Mission to Moonshine Gold, giving us a MoonSwatch with a gold seconds hand that was crafted under a full moon and comes with a certificate to prove it. The response has been ludicrous to say the least, with fans and buyers lining up for hours on March 7 in the cities where the watch was sold to get their hands on one.5 of the best luxury timepieces with perpetual calendar functions
Meanwhile, Hublot announced on March 6 that Daniel Arsham had joined the brand’s growing roster of ambassadors. The artist has frequently explored the concept of time in his work, and as part of the collaboration it was announced he would unveil an installation called Light & Time – a temporary 20 metre sundial near Swiss mountain resort Zermatt using the Matterhorn as a backdrop.
On March 15, Girard Perregeaux announced its collaboration with Aston Martin to bring an all-ceramic British racing green watch to the Laureato collection in two sizes – 38mm and 42mm – for a limited edition run. The ceramic construction is seven times harder than steel, is not affected by ambient temperature changes, and boasts colour that will not fade over time. The pieces come in at US$25,000 for each of the 188 pieces for the 38mm, whilst the 42mm version is limited to 388 pieces and comes in at US$25,800.
Louis Vuitton and Jaquet Droz rock around the clock with automata
Automata in wristwatches seem to be flavour of the month as Louis Vuitton and Jaquet Droz both put out watches that boast incredible detail. Jaquet Droz have taken the art on their watches to a whole new level with the timepiece celebrating The Rolling Stones. The smaller dial has a three-dimensional miniature automaton bandstand complete with Ronnie Wood’s Fender Stratocaster, Charlie Watts’ drums and Keith Richard’s five-string, all within the piece’s 43mm case. Each of the 23 pieces in the limited edition run also have a hand-painted cover of each entry to The Rolling Stones’ seminal discography.Block by block: 4 ways the art world needs blockchain
Louis Vuitton also made a big impact with its Tambour Opera Automata. The variant announced this month focuses on the Sichuan Bian Lian opera tradition, better known as “face-change” opera, where performers appear to change their colourful masks multiple times in a short performance with the flick of a fan. The automaton changes the mask on the watch face with time and is a sight to behold.
Brands are bringing out crazy new editions of classic collections
Other houses did not sit idly by as Watches & Wonders approaches. The Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF Xiali Calendar made its way to Hong Kong to celebrate Parmigiani’s Hong Kong boutique opening, and Jacob & Co released a roulette wheel-themed Casino Tourbillon.
H. Moser & Cie have done it again, releasing three pieces this month that put the brand’s personality on full display. The new Endeavour Centre Seconds Genesis features a unique QR Code dial and case that gives collectors access to a virtual reality boutique once scanned. However, perhaps our favourite releases from them this month were the new H. Moser & Cie Pioneer Arctic Blue Centre Seconds and Tourbillon varieties, bucking trends by choosing a vibrant shade of blue and by engraving their logo at 12 o’clock, creating a subtle ghostly feel to the watch.
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In the world of function watches, Breitling followed up on last year’s Navitimer 70th anniversary with updates to two other seminal models using the house’s B01 movement – the Premier and the Top Time. The latter sees four new editions that feature cushion-shaped subdials and versions inspired by four American classic cars – green for the Ford Mustang, white for the Thunderbird, blue for the Shelby Cobra and red for the Chevrolet Corvette.
The Premier gets a facelift for the model’s 80th anniversary, though these updates are not in commemoration. Instead the model switches to clean Arabic numerals on five different dial colours: salmon, cream, blue, green and black.
Just a day later, Longines announced a new Spirit Flyback as a follow up to February’s Pilot Majetek. The Spirit Flyback in particular introduces the flyback function to its chronograph watches in blue and black, whilst the Pilot Majetek oozes 1930s and 40s aesthetics with a cushion case, fluted bezel and field watch indices, dial and hands.
Phillips reveals vintage Patek Philippe belonging to Qing dynasty emperor
Auction house Phillips celebrated the opening of its Asia headquarters in Hong Kong’s West Kowloon district by unveiling several artefacts, notably including a vintage Patek Philippe Reference 96 Quantieme Lune that belonged to the last emperor of the Qing dynasty Puyi. The story goes that the emperor gifted the watch to a close friend, the Soviet interpreter and tutor Georgy Permyakov, in 1950 after being imprisoned in the USSR for five years.
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Oscars 2023 – a year of cinematic and horological firsts
Stars shone on the red carpet at the 95th Academy Awards, which may just have had the most diverse array of watches and winners of all time. Michelle Yeoh led the charge on both counts, taking home the first best actress Oscar won by an Asian woman whilst sporting a custom white sapphire Richard Mille RM07-02. It was a subtle nod to the RM07-01 she wore to the 2022 Met Gala, for a brand she has been unerringly loyal to.Hong Chau, nominated for best supporting actress for The Whale, paired a custom Prada dress with a Panerai Luminor Due Luna (complete with moonphase and a dial made of mother-of-pearl) that had a matching pink strap. Hong Kong media reports that the move made her the first woman to ever wear a Panerai to the Oscars.
Besides these two headline timepieces, Omega had a massive moment as best actor and best supporting actor winners Brendan Fraser and Ke Huy Quan both sported pieces from the house.Ke Huy Quan being photographed with his Omega Globemaster is likely to become a historic horological moment – what could be more fitting for the resurgent and underrated actor who fled across the globe as a child to win and then wear what is arguably Omega’s most underappreciated model? Meanwhile Brendan Fraser pulled out a staggering model from the brand’s flagship collection, sporting an Omega Speedmaster Chronoscope.
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In reality there were too many picks to love at the Oscars this year. There were a few Omega De Villes (Andrew Garfield, Ariana DeBose) but our favourite was Harry Shum Jr’s supreme style moment pairing his Adeam suit with his Omega De Ville Prestige, and Idris Elba turning heads with a Gucci G-Timeless Planetarium to name but two more examples.ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tK%2FMqWWcp51kuqKzwLOgp52jZMC1xcueZqWtqKq%2FunvAq6uim5yafHR%2BkG1tb2pfanqjtcagnKysXam2rrHPopycnV2ivK6xza2qZqWRp7CpecyimqGdnKGybsXEqJ%2BsZaKesKmt0Z1kpqGcobJurc2dZKSdXZ3CunnQrpinq12kuqazwGamrJuRp8BuusSw