VIDEO: Baume & Mercier 2017 collection overview and their athletic new shape
Anyone who’s followed the SIHH 2017 releases will have noticed a few clear trends emerging – more entry level options, more yellow gold, that sort of thing. One trend that wasn’t as remarked upon in all the excitement of the fair was the way several brands made significant changes to their marketing and identity. Baume & Mercier is a case in point. Over the past few years they’ve invested time and effort into building their image as a brand with a long and proud heritage, and their product releases – particularly in the Clifton and Capeland collections – reflected this history. All that changed in Geneva, with the brand announcing a fresh, youthful face and a new name to go with it – the Clifton Club. Meanwhile, the runaway success that is the Shelby Cobra collaboration continues to evolve…
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Omega’s Sydney flagship is their biggest boutique in the world, and it’s in a prominent position, at 20 Martin Place, right in the heart of town. When Chief Executive Raynald Aeschlimann travelled to Australia to officially open it earlier this month, he brought a friend of the brand who, a decade earlier, also opened the Castlereagh Street boutique, just around the corner. Yes, we’re talking about the incredible Cindy Crawford. Raynald extended Time+Tide a private invitation to come and explore the space with Cindy, where we learned that history is more alive than ever for Omega, thanks to the unveiling of the ‘Her Time’ exhibition, with a little help from Brand Heritage Manager, Petros Protopapas.
‘Like a boss’ is a phrase we’re attempting to permanently retire at Time+Tide. It’s done. But there’s no other way to describe the way the CEO of Bulgari visited our offices. He did it breezily – the leadup was one or two emails, a request to book a place for lunch – but completely like the boss of an Italian luxury powerhouse that he is. In addition to his own presence, augmented always by perfect, perfect suiting, he brought some wonderfully complicated and impressive watches to showcase Bulgari’s latest gains in high horology. And, with the mechanical treasures came muscle, in the form of two 6-foot-something units. Oh, what a day. Starring the Daniel Roth L’Ammiraglio Del Tempo Minute Repeater, the Octo Finissimo Tourbillon and the Daniel Roth Carillon Tourbillon.
Jaeger-LeCoultre did everything right at SIHH. Their collection surprised and delighted in equal measure with a little something for everyone, from high-end tourbillons to fresh takes on the feminine Rendez-Vous, and sexy new variants of old favourites (we’re looking at you, black and pink gold Master Compressor). But it was the trio of watches comprising the refreshed Master range that really stole the show. That’s not just thanks to their undeniably handsome looks, but also their smart pricing, and the fact JLC seems willing to listen to what consumers want, and offer an on-trend addition to their typically timeless fare. The only question left to answer is, which do you prefer: the Date, Chronograph or the Geographic?
Between you and me, we were pretty happy with Cartier’s SIHH 2017 collection. And no, not just because the re-release of the Panthère gives us carte blanche to post this picture of Pierce Brosnan in his ’80s prime: No, it’s because we’re all big fans of the Drive, and the powers that be in Cartier’s product development team saw fit to bless us with two very handsome new versions – one with a moon phase, and an extra-flat version that is, in our not-so-humble opinion, stripped-back perfection. Our only problem with it? The lack of a steel version. Let’s just say our fingers are crossed for next year.
Over the past few years we’ve come to depend on Montblanc for their faultless heritage-inspired reissues and ‘real world’ pricing structure, so imagine the surprise on our faces when we caught our first glimpse of their 2017 line up. Sure, there were still plenty of Heritage Chronométrie pieces and new 4810 models, but the real star of the show was the completely re-imagined Timewalker. In the video, Andrew and I discuss the pros and cons of the brand’s new, automotive direction and while we didn’t quite see eye-to-eye on the on the Timewalker, we could both very much get behind the new bronze additions to the 1858 collection.
If you like watches (you do) and exist in a digital age (also affirmative) there’s a good chance you’ve encountered the garrulous Adam Craniotes – heck you might have even seen his tour of NYC. And if you’ve come across @Craniotes, you’ve probably heard the story of his IWC Perpetual Calendar, and how he had to borrow cash off his mum to get it, and the Delilah-esque toll she exacted. (We’re not going to tell you that story, but you can read up on it here if you like.) On this occasion, we asked Adam to tell us about his Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Compressor Diving Alarm Navy SEALs (the Incursion Edition, just in case you were wondering). As with all things this modern-day raconteur is involved with, there’s a tale behind the watch. A tale of deceit and skulduggery we’re sure will resonate with many of you…
Panerai kicked off 2017 with a bang. The brand that artfully bolts together ‘Italian design and Swiss precision’ showed a cohesive range with a strong material focus at SIHH in January. At the collection’s core was the mighty Luminor Submersible in many shapes and sizes. Andrew and I picked our three favourite takes on this diver’s diver, and it quickly became clear just how versatile the Submersible is: from dressy to everyday to downright lustworthy. All that’s needed is a change of case metal and a new dial. The only question is, which watch wouldn’t Andrew shut up about?
Happy Valentine’s Day! Now, for the downer. What are the words people use when a relationship starts to break down? American songwriter Ryan Adams suggests, “We need to talk.” “I’m confused.” “Maybe later, you can come over?” Elise, our French intern, may be searching for similar phrases right now, because her so-called ‘love letter’ to Swiss watches ends up in some, uh, different places…