It is the time of the year when watch novelties take the stage yet again. As we await the second watch fair of the year – BaselWorld Watch & Jewellery Fair – we pick three watch releases from Salon de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH) 2012 which we loved!
Cartier – Tank Folle Watch
Distorted probably never seemed as beautiful as it does in the Tank Folle watch by Cartier. As with the previous and current Tank models, the watch has a sun-style dial, Roman numerals and blued-steel sword-shaped hands. But the dial shape, which gives a ‘distorted’ effect to the watch, is the new factor. To give a jewelled twist, the dial and the winding mechnism is outlined with brilliant-cut diamonds. The watch is powered by a manual-winding mechanical movement and is available in a limited series of 200 timepieces.
IWC Schaffhausen – Pilot’s Watches
IWC has reworked its range of Pilot’s watch family and given it rebirth with better complications and more attention to detail. The Perpetual Calendar models, however, are remarkable in our opinion. The Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar Top Gun houses the in-house caliber 51614 mechanical movement with a high-performance Pellaton winding system which preserves an amazing 168 hours of power reserve. The Spitfire Perpetual Calendar Digital Date-Month, on the other hand, is the first IWC Pilot’s timepiece to feature a digital display showing the date and month in large numerals.
Piaget – Gouverneur Tourbillon
The new Gouverneur line by Piaget is clean and subtle which will suit all your formal occasions. Introduced within the Black Tie collection, the line includes automatic, chronograph and tourbillon watches. The Gouverneur Tourbillon model has struck our eye though. It houses the slender and ultra-thin (2.8mm) new Calibre 642P flying tourbillon which is visible at 12 o’clock on the openworked dial. It also features an astronomical pointer-type moon-phase display at 6 o’clock requiring a one-day correction only once every 122 years. Endowed with an approximately 40-hour power reserve, the white gold and diamond version is probably the most beautiful from the entire set.
