Get a stylish start to your New Year with one of these luxury timepieces for men, each one sure to give you a whole new look in 2014
BIG PILOT, LITTLE PRINCE
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry is known for being one of history’s greatest aviators, which is why he has often been celebrated in watches from IWC Schaffhausen, a brand well known for its strong connection to aviation. But Saint-Exupéry is probably best known as the author of “Le Petit Prince” (The Little Prince), one of the most popular children’s books ever written. With the Big Pilot’s Watch Perpetual Calendar Edition “Le Petit Prince,” shown here in 18-carat red gold, IWC Schaffhausen celebrates the 70th birthday of Saint-Exupéry’s popular tale. This special edition, limited to 270 pieces, is packed with impressive technical features such as the imposing IWC-manufactured 51613 calibre with Pellaton automatic winding and 7-day power reserve. It is also the first of IWC’s Big Pilot’s Watches to feature the classical moon phase display. The back of the watch shows off the intricate calibre as well as a gold medallion engraved with an image of the Little Prince.
A PIECE OF THE INFINITE
Regarded as testimony to the origins of the universe, meteorites are fragments of asteroids or comets that travel through space for millions or possibly billions of years. Very few actually reach the Earth, since they generally disintegrate upon entering the atmosphere and are revealed by shooting stars observed on summer nights. While the peoples of the Great Namaqualand have known of the Gibeon meteorite for centuries, it was officially discovered in 1836 in this arid region of Namibia by the Scottish explorer J.E. Alexander. It is precisely from these fragments of eternity scattered across around 250 square kilometres, that Corum has chosen to fashion the dial of its new Admiral’s Cup Legend 42 Meteorite Dual Time, delivered with a certificate of origin confirming the authenticity of the Gibeon meteorite. Carved out of Gibeon meteorite aged by radiometric dating at around four billion years old, the dials of this 75-piece limited edition make each watch truly unique, with each cut revealing a different aspect of the heavenly body’s crystalline structure.
THE INVISIBLE ART
Only a few artists today have mastered the technique for producing invisible diamond settings. The gold is completely hidden behind the precious stones: supported by a track, they form a field of light without any trace of fastening and, as a result, emit maximum luminosity. Swiss watchmaker Vacheron Constantin chose to apply this technique to the Malte tourbillon high jewellery model, which, despite its curved profile, has edges, sharp angles and taut lines, all of which made the work much more challenging. With the invisible settings all entirely hand-crafted, it is dressed in 418 baguette diamonds (totalling approximately 19.6 carats), creating an unmatched display of high-jewellery craftsmanship. Such an exceptional watch deserves an equally exceptional movement, and this model is duly equipped with the mechanical hand-wound Calibre 2795, comprising 169 parts and endowed with an almost two-day power reserve.
