When The Crown Goes Classic… The Rolex Cellini Moonphase Ref. 50535
Usually, when you imagine a watch bearing the name Rolex, you have something purpose-built, casual-sport (not always, but usually the dressier you can think about is a Day-Date) and quite simple in terms of complications (to the exception of the Sky-Dweller… but it is one watch in the middle of mainly time-and-date pieces). Yet, in 2014, Rolex revived a name synonymous of elegance and dressed watches: Cellini. Built around a classical and subtle case, this watch already introduced several complications, with all of them being rather practical. But what if The Crown goes where you don’t expect them… into poetical complications. Not very Rolex you’ll admit. Though, this is what you’ll get with the new Rolex Cellini Moonphase Ref. 50535 and it feels very satisfying.
When Bell & Ross launched their Instrument collection in 2005, they achieved what every new watch brand sets out to: they created an icon. This distinctive range of watches took the cockpit instruments of aeroplanes as their inspiration and suddenly there was a new player in the watch world that you could spot on the wrist at 100 paces. No mean feat when you consider the history and the hype you’re up against. So it turned out the Swiss watch industry, like John Mayer, has found room for squares. But all things must change, and the collection presented at Baselworld 2017 was the most highly evolved pack yet – with new models in a variety of shapes, materials and complications. The unifying factor, if there is one, is a continuing attitude of looking at things differently and balancing the stuffiness with a sense of play.
The Cartier ‘Drive de Cartier’ was about as close to a number one hit as you can get in the watch industry. From the minute it was released, it was popular with journalists the world over – us wholeheartedly included. It appealed to round and small watch markets like Asia as well as tastemakers in other markets, and it was smartly priced. In a refreshingly frank interview, Cartier’s International Marketing and Communication Director, Arnaud Carrez, details how, after a wayward period where brands “tried to be everything and everywhere”, the Drive is powering Cartier to new heights. 1 – The Drive refocused Cartier on what it does best – “masculine elegance” “The Drive came at the right time, because it was years after the birth of fine watchmaking at Cartier, after the Calibre and Calibre Diver watches. I think these stories were very nice, but we probably stretched into fields where we are not necessarily legitimate. “Our masculinity is not muscles, sport, achievement, performance. It’s a different masculinity. It’s more elegance, and style, and refinement, and we are fine about it.” “I’m not saying we shouldn’t do that kind of watchmaking. We created an impressive momentum in fine watchmaking. We were really…
