Cartier’s Santos de Cartier Dual Time: The First Multi-Time Zone Marvel

Typically, the coverage instinct for specialty magazines like this one is to go premium when in doubt, or when faced with too many novelties. When it comes to Cartier, that means watches from the Prive collection, usually; the brand has so many new additions every year that we might reasonably miss notable ones, like the Rewind. This year, we think the Santos de Cartier Dual Time should get its due first, though not because we could ever gloss over it; the simple reasoning here is that the Santos watch is often cited as the first aviator’s watch (literally true) but it has not had anything approaching a GMT function in its storied history. Until now.

The pictures, here and wherever you get your watch news, only tell part of the story and you can let your own eyes decide on that part. It wears well, at 40.2mm, and one does have to remember that this Santos Dual Time is quite hefty by Cartier standards. This makes one wonder why this is not a Santos-Dumont watch instead, which would also be appropriate since Louis Cartier made that 1904 watch for his aviator friend Alberto Santos-Dumont.

Now, no Santos de Cartier watch, including the Santos-Dumont, are the exact models that debuted in 1904 so the brand has room to play here. We think that aviation link does not need to be so explicit in the Santos Dual Time and the sizing issue is key. The watch, in its current shape, is the right size and does not need to be beefier. For the record, since we do not list the full size below, the watch is 10.1mm thick and is 47.5mm lug-to-lug. All of this contributes to the ease-of-wear that so impressed us.

Movement: Undisclosed with second time zone; power reserve unlisted
Case: 40.2mm in steel; water-resistant to 100m
Strap: Steel bracelet
Price: USD 9,000

This story was first seen on WOW’s Summer 2024 Issue.

For more on the latest in luxury watch news and releases, click here.

Chanel Dazzles with the J12 Calibre 12.1

When it comes to Chanel’s watchmaking high notes, we often find ourselves in a quandary. There is always a brilliant capsule collection, which we covered last year, but it disappears almost as soon as it appears. This year, for example, the theme is Couture O’Clock (because of course), and it is excellent. The standard bearer here was a magnificent Musical Clock Couture Workshop, which is a unique piece and was sold before Watches and Wonders Geneva; the owner allowed Chanel to continue to display it during the show but consequently, operating it and such was all but impossible. Not that it would matter to most of us in the press since the clock is not in the public eye anymore. Therein lies the difficulty for us – bringing you news that you might be able to act on.

With that in mind, we decided to zoom in on the one watch from WWG that is more in-line with our Summer vibes (sporty watches basically) and reflective of the precious metal narrative thread running through this issue. As luck would have it, Chanel happens to have something in the form of the J12 Calibre 12.1 watch, now with a yellow gold bezel set with diamonds. It was introduced last year, without the flash, but we did not get to it then; happily we can resolve that omission now. One thing to note here is that the proper name for this model, in its 38mm guise, is J12 Calibre 12.1. The 33mm models are known simply as the J12.

The J12 Calibre 12.1 tells you (almost) everything you need to know about it just by its name. The watch features the COSC-certified manufacture automatic Calibre 12.1, which was developed and built by Kenissi, a joint venture with Tudor. The watch is part of the J12 collection, which makes it the sports elegance offering from Chanel (note that the water-resistance here is 50m because the crown is not of the screw-down sort, which is an aesthetic decision). The watch is perhaps more famous for its 200m water-resistance, which it gets (partially) from a screw-down crown, but for the fancier versions (as we have this year) things are a little more delicate.

Last year, Chanel introduced a simple gold bezel and you might also recall a version with baguette diamonds. This year, Chanel has gone with yellow gold bezels with brilliant-cut diamonds in both white and black ceramic cases. If you are familiar with some of the gem-set options in the J12 range, the hour markers are in same sort of diamonds as the bezel (round brilliant-cut). There are 12 of these, for a total of 0.09 carats, and 50 on the bezel (1.51 carats).

Movement: Automatic calibre J12.1; 70-hour power reserve (approximately)
Case: 38mm in ceramic with gem-set gold bezel; 50m
Strap: Bracelet
Price: NA

This story was first seen on WOW’s Summer 2024 Issue.

For more on the latest in luxury watch news and releases, click here.

The Explosive Power Behind The Hublot Big Bang Integrated Time Only 38mm

Hublot is among the watchmaking brands that one would never associate with quietude and is still part of the vanguard in the formerly all-powerful big watch trend. Size is relative though, as even the brand reminds everyone this year that 38mm was its own standard in the 1980s. For 2024 then, Hublot deploys the Big Bang Integrated Time Only 38mm, which might benefit from having a catchy moniker like the Supernova. The watch is, as advertised, a time-only proposition with three hands and the date, via a window at 3 o’clock. A quick scan of the Hublot website will show models with diamonds that are also 38mm but this one keeps things pure.

Now Hublot recognises that going ‘classical’ like this is sure to raise eyebrows, and perhaps ire too. Nevertheless, everything that defines the Big Bang is here, just smaller. This includes – but is not limited to – the distinctive ‘ears,’ a bezel adorned with six H-shaped functional screws, large skeleton hour and minute hands, and even-numbered indices from 2 to 12 on the dial; for those who care, rubber remains in the picture, on the crown as well as in the form of a composite insert between the bezel and the case (it feels perfectly solid). As far as we can tell, one needs all these ingredients for a successful Big Bang. See for yourself how they look but remember that you will need to see for yourself how these elements come together in the dialled-down case. As noted in the introductory paragraph, we think a 38mm Big Bang is just fine, name aside.

Going by Hublot’s own words and its chosen visuals for the Big Bang 38, the goal is to be more unisex than anything else, which is a thread that runs across all LVMH watchmaking brands. To be fair, the broader watchmaking trade is also working hard to find the right unisex product styling and messaging. In terms of functionality, watches are already unisex of course. The six new Big Bang 38 models feature integrated cases and bracelets, crafted from the same materials. Options include brushed titanium versions with black or blue dials, as well as King Gold versions (our jam this issue). Interestingly, the dial is made of soft ferromagnetic steel, thus ensuring optimal protection against magnetic fields; this is unusual in watchmaking, with most dials being brass.

Finally, on the HUB1115 movement used here, Hublot calls it a first for the collection and spends some time extolling its improved technical and aesthetic features, including the extended 48-hour power reserve. That power reserve should clue you in on the origins of the calibre, which the Internet thinks is a Sellita. No doubt there will be some disappointment that Unico calibres are not in play here.

Movement: Automatic HUB1115 with date; 48-hour power reserve
Case: 38mm in King Gold or five other materials; water-resistant to 100m
Strap: Integrated bracelet
Price: SGD 66,200

This story was first seen on WOW’s Summer 2024 Issue.

For more on the latest in luxury watch news and releases, click here.

The Latest News From World of Watches

Fistfull of Cash

Postponed from last year, the 10th Only Watch charity auction finally happened this May and managed to raise CHF28.3 million. Crucially, it also managed to come in under the radar slightly, since this auction was part of a series by Christie’s that was plagued by technical difficulties. Difficulties is putting it mildly because it actually attracted proper news coverage. For example, the Only Watch auction was conducted without Internet buyers as online bidding was suspended, as was the Michael Schumacher auction. Christie’s informed prospective buyers on the digital front that they had to place their bids by phone rather than online. Despite this kerfuffle (not to do with itself, conspiracy theories notwithstanding), Only Watch still managed to raise funds to benefit research into Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. As it happens, the lion’s share of the CHF28 million was delivered by just one Patek Philippe, the unique Ref. 6301A-010. Nevertheless, all 47 brands that participated in the 10th Only Watch auction did mark their confidence in charity organisation and its work just by participating. To the watch industry, that too is worth a lot, perhaps even more than the top Patek Philippe lot. That watch hammered for CHF15.7 million, making it the star of the show, as Patek Philippe all too often is at auction. To wit, if you are a Patek Philippe watch, you only need to turn up to win best-in-show.

This is not always a win in Patek Philippe’s books though, as evidenced by Sylvester Stallone’s sale of his Grandmaster Chime Ref. 6300 for USD 5.4 million, a record for the auction house Sotheby’s. Various sources, including WatchPro, reported that the legendary Geneva watchmaker is none too pleased by the state of affairs here. In fact, WatchPro asked Patek Philippe CEO Thierry Stern what he thought about the sale, and he said this: “Of course we do not like it, but it can happen. I cannot control everybody. It is not fair for a client that may have been waiting for this piece for many years and then sees it being sold”. Of course, Stallone was not selling his watch for charity or anything like that, which may have changed things. It certainly did not help that the Rocky star and high-profile collector kept the watch in its packaging, indicating that it had never been worn.

Who's The "Bos"?

Richemont, the group that owns Cartier, Montblanc and IWC (among others), announced a management shift after Watches and Wonders Geneva, alongside its year-end financials. Nicolas Bos, CEO of Van Cleef & Arpels, has been tapped to succeed Jerome Lambert as Richemont CEO; this is not exactly the same role that Lambert had. Richemont is re-establishing the CEO role properly, after many of its functions were subsumed by Richemont Chairman Johann Rupert. The appointment appears in-line with Richemont’s impressive results for the year that passed. These results were achieved o the back of continuing growth in the jewellery segment, which also includes the Bos- helmed Buccellati. It only makes sense that the reinvigorated CEO role should go to someone from a jewellery Maison, and Cyrille de Vigneron (Cartier CEO) is approaching mandatory retirement age. Vigneron reports directly to Rupert. As for Lambert, he remains with Richemont, and on its board, as COO.

New Top Dog

Independent Swiss watchmaker Greubel Forsey announced earlier this year, shortly after Watches and Wonders Geneva, that CEO Antonio Calce would be stepping down. Replacing him is Michel Nydegger, who was the Head of Marketing and Communications and has been with the manufacture since 2016. Calce remains onboard though, serving as Vice President. These changes appear to take effect in August, though is not especially clear. What is clear though is that Greubel Forsey remains independent and that Calce retaining his shares. Founders Robert Greubel and Stephen Forsey also retain their shares so it is status quo on the equity front. There is plenty of speculation about a potential suitor for Greubel Forsey and thus the press release from the firm does take pains to reinforce the brand’s ongoing independence. Greubel Forsey did have Richemont as an equity holder, to the tune of 20%, until 2022, when it bought these back. Expect more news on this front.

Extra Time

As the world awaits its season of sporting excess, the international watch community (or watch fam as some prefer) will have its own spectacle to take in - different brand approaches to paying tribute to sporting excellence. For this story, Hublot takes pride of place as the UEFA kicks off (or will be ongoing as you read this) with its latest connected watch (the LVMH-preferred term for smartwatch), the Big Bang e Gen3 UEFA Euro 2024. Since it first took to the Euro pitch in 2008 with the UEFA, Hublot smartwatches have been luxury watchmaking’s sole standard bearer in what might be the world’s most egalitarian team sport. This is why Hublot is unique in embracing both a mainstream sport and the smartwatch; the special editions worn by match referees might be amongst the most collectible such watches in the world. The Gen3 watch, limited to 100 pieces, is powered by the Qualcomm® Snapdragon Wear 4100+ and is in a 44mm titanium case; the Gen3 was revealed to the world in 2022 during the FIFA World Cup of course.

The watch and Hublot ambassador Kylian Mbappé got to work before the UEFA competition got underway with a campaign called “Every second counts.” Even if Mbappé’s France do not win the day – and there is every chance they will – it is a win for Hublot anytime any announcement needs to be made.

IAMWATCH Debuts

An entire generation of collector remembers when retailer The Hour Glass organised “Tempus – The Great Watchscapade” 20 years ago, and following generations have only heard tell of it. This year, The Hour Glass is bringing the magic back with “IAMWATCH,” which it touts as a “new community engagement platform.” This four- day event runs 18-20 October for the public at the Singapore Edition Hotel (with 17 October being an invite-only day).

Thus far, the activities during the event, which is not billed as a “watch fair,” are tenuous but impressive given that participating brands include many powerhouse independents such as Kari Voutilainen, Felix Baumgartner and Max Busser. On the corporate powerhouse side, Jean Arnault and Patrick Pruniaux will also be present. There are more than 40 of these big names, which should be enough to get you to register your interest; IAMWATCH is a ticketed event and The Hour Glass encourages all guests to pre-register.

The Return of Singapore Watch Fair

In its second run at Resorts World Sentosa, the Singapore Watch Fair (SWF) has announced its dates for 2024, running from 2-6 October. WOW is once again a media partner for this event, where we had a booth, to introduce ourselves to the watchmakers who came to town. Last year, these included Ludovic Ballouard, Sartory Billard, Peterman Bedat and local favourite Vincent Calabrese, who has been coming to our shores for many years. This illustrates the fact that even though this is officially the third instalment of the Singapore Watch Fair, it has been part of watch culture here for some time, originally as part of the popular JeweLuxe show. While the lineup this year has not been confirmed at press time (May), we are assured that big and important things are afoot (see our interview with SWF Director and Co-Founder Nelson Lee). The panel discussions and plenary sessions, always a major draw, will be in place along with more immersive experiences. Interestingly, this will be only the first public watchmaking showcase this year, although it is not ticketed and anyone can attend (although registration is mandatory for security reasons). For more information, check out singaporewatchfair.com.

This article is slated to appear in WOW’s Summer 24 Issue, out soon.

For more on the latest in watch reads, click here.

Could LVMH's CEO Reshuffle Be The Key to Higher Long-Term Revenues?

LVMH CEOs Gather for LVMH Watch Week 2023

By now you will have heard of some sweeping changes at Hublot, with Ricardo Guadalupe vacating the CEO role to become Honorary President; Julien Tornare, CEO of TAG Heuer, takes over as Hublot CEO. Antoine Pin, General Manager of Bvlgari Horlogerie, steps into the CEO role at TAG Heuer; no announcement has been made on Pin’s soon-to-be-open Bvlgari seat. All appointments take effect from September 1 this year. It seems only yesterday that we reported on changes at the LVMH Watchmaking Division, with Tornare moving to TAG Heuer, Benoit de Clerck taking his place at Zenith and Frederique Arnault ascending to the lead position in the aforementioned division. Well, that is all old news now and in a rather abrupt fashion; the press release had at least one unforced grammatical error.

Most news reports, from specialists such as WatchPro and WatchesbySJX are tying this to the recent spate of bad news about performance woes in the luxury watch market. This was hardly unexpected though, with continued weakness in the Greater China market; taken together, China and Hong Kong are the top markets for watchmaking groups such as LVMH, Richemont and Swatch Group. On the other hand, looking only at LVMH, business has reportedly not returned to 2019 levels yet, except at Zenith, Bvlgari and Hublot (according to Morgan/Stanley estimates; LVMH does not breakout figures for watchmaking per brand).

Given this potential reality, perhaps Guadalupe is indeed taking a break from the demands of being CEO. He has held this position for 12 years, along with another eight years as Managing Director of Hublot. Backroom talk suggests that Guadalupe and his team worked pretty hard to lift Hublot, which had seen impressive growth since the pandemic. It may very well be that Arnault and Guadalupe (and LVMH Watch and Jewellery boss Stephane Bianchi) decided that fresh ideas are needed. While Tornare can probably do just that for Hublot, the biggest challenge remains TAG Heuer, which is now Pin’s job.

"Hublot is one of the few watchmaking manufacturers that emerged and achieved such success in the 21st century by breaking design codes, communication barriers, and exploring new frontiers in watchmaking. I would like to sincerely thank Ricardo and his teams for their fantastic work building the brand over these past 20 years. Indeed, for 8 years as Managing Director followed by 12 years as CEO, Ricardo truly embodied Hublot and its development, particularly through his product vision, deep industry knowledge, and relationships with all business and industrial partners. I know that Ricardo will now continue to ensure respect for the values that have led to the Maison’s success," comments Frédéric Arnault.

“I am delighted about Julien's arrival at the head of Hublot, which marks the beginning of a new chapter dedicated to the future of our Maison and the strengthening of its unique position among leading watch brands. I am also delighted to welcome Antoine into our Watches Division at TAG Heuer. His extensive international experience, expertise, and well-recognized passion for watches will be major assets in continuing TAG Heuer’s growth and elevation,” added Frédéric Arnault.

For more on the latest in luxury watch reads and news, click here.

H. Moser & Cie Unveils Pioneer Perpetual Calendar Concept MD Purple Enamel Sincere Platinum Jubilee Edition in Celeb …

The H. Moser & Cie. Pioneer Perpetual Calendar Concept MD Purple Enamel Sincere Platinum Jubilee Edition

The incredibly popular H. Moser & Cie Perpetual Calendar returns in a totally new iteration that is limited to 20 pieces, the Pioneer Perpetual Calendar Concept MD Purple Enamel Sincere Platinum Jubilee Edition. Obviously, our interest has been piqued by the slew of special editions coming our way in Singapore to celebrate the 70^th birthday of Sincere Fine Watches; this is a momentous occasion that holds great significance for many watch enthusiasts and collectors. The Pioneer Perpetual Calendar Concept MD Purple Enamel Sincere Platinum Jubilee Edition is also of great interest, and not only because H. Moser & Cie happen to make a totally original sort of perpetual calendar. In this highly exclusive model, the brand has opted for a very handsome and technically challenging Grand Feu enamel dial.

While this story focuses on the dial (and case), it should be noted that the mechanical movement powering the Pioneer Perpetual Calendar Concept MD Purple Enamel Sincere Platinum Jubilee Edition is the tried-and-tested in-house HMC 808 manual-winding. That means the watch runs for a minimum of seven days on a full wind; features the iconic low-key calendar displays (as you can see here); and can be adjusted without worry at any time. In fact, these features are so recognizable that – alongside the fumé dial – the watch can only be a H. Moser & Cie. No brand name is necessary, and there is none on the dial, which is also a H. Moser & Cie hallmark and something the brand typical signals with the word Concept. Of course, the purple dial is deliciously text-free, bar a +/- indicator for the power reserve.

About that dial, we expect that it will be captivating and we think you will agree, once you discover exactly how it is made. That texture that your eyes may have made out comes from the gold base, which has been meticulously engraved to resemble hammered metal. Fine mineral particles are applied to this base, along with the appropriate pigments and water. It is much like applying glaze to pastry. On that note, this base is then fired in a kiln at a precise temperature to deliver the final dial. That engraved base poses a challenge because the raw materials must be applied as evenly as possible; the dial may crack in the firing process if the artisans are not careful. Each dial must be fired in the kiln between 10 and 12 times to achieve the signature fumé effect. H. Moser & Cie have left it to our imagination to wonder how many dials were sacrificed in the making of the 20 Pioneer Perpetual Calendar Concept MD Purple Enamel Sincere Platinum Jubilee Edition watches.

Finally, there is the case to consider, which is in the Pioneer style. This means that an unusually delicate handmade dial has been combined with a robust sports case. The 42.8mm 18-carat red gold and black DLC-treated titanium case is, as a consequence, water-resistant to 120 metres. The titanium areas on the case middle feature the Pioneer signature vertical grooves, which stand out here thanks to the DLC treatment. Of course, the exhibition caseback is present, with the 70^th anniversary logo of Sincere laser-engraved on it. The various features of the movement, including the leap year indicator of the perpetual calendar (a precious indication to the calendar complication enthusiast) are visible here. Other features of the Pioneer collection are accounted for here, including the open-worked leaf-style hands with SuperLuminova.

The entire series of 20 Pioneer Perpetual Calendar Concept MD Purple Enamel Sincere Platinum Jubilee Edition are exclusive to Sincere Fine Watches.

The watch retails for SGD 130,000, including GST.

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WOW Summer 2024 Issue Arrives on Newsstands Now

By now, you will have seen much of the news that emerged as Watches and Wonders Geneva (WWG) got underway, including from us. WOW Singapore gives over the bulk of its pages to the new watches of 2024 too. How does the issue differ from what you might have seen on LUXUO so far?

Yes, our interview with the new Zenith CEO, Benoit de Clerck went online just as the Summer issue was being prepared for the printer. That story is almost exactly the same, although we did manage to squeeze more images into the online version. The same cannot be said for our coverage of WWG or the novelties emerging from it (or debuting concurrently). Our coverage of the daily highlights of WWG, and Geneva Watch Week (GWW) overall, are quite different to our report on WWG in the Summer issue of WOW Singapore. Again, you could say the entire issue has been given over to the fair but not just in terms of new watch coverage. That is fine for news but not a specialist title such as WOW; we are interested in the hows and the whys and the associated whatnots.

Any global debut of any class of product will be replete with meaning. Think of CES in Las Vegas, for example, and then add the Apple keynote into it. So it is that the watches of 2024 will inevitably be considered through the lens of one of the worst export months for the Swiss watch industry, followed by a remarkable subsequent recovery. There will be questions aplenty there, and some answers in this issue, especially in our continuing special on precious metals.

While we soldiered on for more than 30 pages on this very subject in the Summer issue, we are still not done and will continue in Autumn. A short summary is possible so here goes: watches are getting more precious and thus more exclusive; prices are heading north but value, well that remains to be seen. For those of you who might be more than a little interested in the investment angle, this will be bad news. Then again, maybe not…

We take up the discussion directly in the 15th installment of The Conversation, along with some other postulations about WWG and GWW. On this somewhat momentous occasion for this popular segment, it seems World of Watches Malaysia Editor Daniel Goh will become a fixture along with Ruckdee Chotjinda and myself. This story typically finds its way online too, and might one day become a proper forum, if I have anything to say about it. But that is about the undefined future...

The rest of this issue concerns itself with evergreen subjects, including the concluding story in the counterfeit watches phenomenon, and standout novelties of 2024. Well, what we see as important pieces, at any rate. On that note, the TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Skipper that stars on the cover is definitely one of those important pieces, although it is just one of a few Carrera chronographs that we managed to fit into the cover story.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is a very fair summary of the issue that lies ahead of you. Enjoy the read!

For more on the latest in luxury watch reads from WOW, click here.

Hublot MP-10 WEST Wins The Red Dot Award For Product Design 2024

Hublot MP-10 Tourbillon Weight Energy System

Hublot’s recent triumph at the Red Dot Design Awards reminds us that there is more to a good watch than movements and finishing. Hublot won the Red Dot Award for Product Design for the “ingenuity and exceptional design,” of the MP-10 Tourbillon Weight Energy System (we like to call this watch the MP-10 WEST. Cast your eyes over any assortment of watches and you might wonder why the designs are not more compelling.

By way of contrast, this most recent Hublot MP-10 (it debuted this year at the LVMH Watch Week in Miami) easily stands apart. Of course, the watch is an incredible technical innovation, daring to challenge that most sacred of mechanical watchmaking cows, the automatic winding system.

The Red Dot award itself likely does not pay too much attention to the horological thinking behind the Hublot MP-10 WEST. More likely than not, the fact that this watch features no dial and no hands, and is not round, makes it the perfect timepiece for the Red Dot jury. Watches, especially precious ones, need not be slaves to utility and utilitarian aesthetics. Nor do they need to break out the flash, despite being very exclusive.

Hublot has already demonstrated an advanced understanding of what watch buyers want, and the brand is no stranger to success at the Red Dot Awards; the Big Bang Meca-10 Magic Gold took home the Best of the Best award in 2017. A good part of Hublot’s winning aesthetics formula is on show with the MP-10 WEST, which is a radically different watch to the 2017 winner. Indeed, it is quite different from anything out there besides exotic winding systems employed by Corum and Moritz Grossmann.

Red Dot itself has not said much about the winners this year, with some news on the subject being embargoed till August. We look forward to reading more about what the judges thought of the MP-10 WEST, especially its not-inconsiderable dimensions; the watch clocks in at more than 54mm in length, which is effectively the lug-to-lug distance, and we imagine this will make the watch difficult to wear. We have not seen this watch in person, at The Hour Glass, or at any of the trade shows. A limited series of 50, the MP-10 WEST is more of a statement piece than anything else.

For more on the latest in luxury watch reads, click here.