Tag Archives: wristwatch

Minimalist watch uses depth and a tactile surface to let you see and feel time

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Clearly walking on the same trajectory as the Bradley Watch, the Relevo Watch attempts at making time feel multisensorial. Sure, you experience time with all your senses, but you measure it with just two – your eyes, and maybe your ears when there’s an alarm or a chime. Relevo wants you to be able to touch time too. A conceptual watch by Nuno Teixeira, the Relevo uses a bumped surface to tell time. The watch’s face comes with a synthetic cloth on it, which gets sucked downwards by a vacuum to reveal two bumps on the surface underneath. The central bump (more like a linear ridge) tells the hours, while an outer bump tells the minutes. These two undulations move in 360, creating a watch face that you can see (because of the highlights and shadows) but also feel with your fingers to tell the time!

Designer: Nuno Teixeira

The beauty of the Relevo is that it reinvents the watch archetype. It doesn’t do anything drastically different – you can still read the time the way you would on any other watch – but there’s a breath of freshness here. While the watch is entirely conceptual (and the underlying tech isn’t completely chalked out), its approach to minimalism is truly remarkable. There’s nothing on the watch apart from two dynamic islands (see what I did there?) that move around in 360 degrees. No markings, no glowing hands, no date window, not even any branding. Yet, the watch is incredibly expressive.

The rest of the watch, however, is business as usual. It has a metal body, fabric straps, and a crown at the 3 o’clock position that lets you adjust the time. The watch also is visualized in 3 colors – black, white, and a rather eye-catching red.

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Brilliant earth-inspired timepiece comes with its own rotating globe that tells the time

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With everything that’s happened over the past two years, the pandemics, the melting ice caps, heat waves, floods, and wars, it’s pretty understandable to feel a sense of disconnect with reality and a lack of harmony. Designed to remind you of how beautiful our planet is, and that it’s well worth protecting, the Blue Planet watch by CIGA Design quite literally puts the little blue marble we call home on your wrist. The watch’s stunning design features a micro-carved rotating globe right at its center, which spins 360° to tell time while acting as a pretty nifty aide-memoire of how mesmerizing Earth is.

Designer: CIGA Design

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The Blue Planet, as its name rightfully suggests, comes studded with a beautiful blue gem at its center in the form of a detailed, rotating planet that tells time. The rotating hemisphere boasts of a significant amount of detail, with accurate oceans and landmasses, and even relief work in the form of mountains and valleys micro-carved onto the globe. The globe rotates on a central axis, surrounded by two rings with minutes and hours carved into them. While the outermost hour ring remains static, the minute ring in between rotates too, and a compass on the globe helps point out the time.

It’s easy to selectively admire just the detailed planet while glossing over the rest of the timepiece, although the Blue Planet wristwatch is incredibly impressive beyond (and behind) the planet too. For starters, the entire watch comes encased in a seamless, rounded titanium alloy case, with not as much as even a screw in sight to corrupt the watch’s artistic integrity. On top of the dial sits a phenomenal double-domed anti-scratch sapphire crystal that lets you gaze right into the planet underneath, while also giving the watch water-resistance up to 3 ATM underwater. The watch is finally capped off with blue fluororubber straps that are hypoallergenic, durable, and pair pretty wonderfully with the watch’s otherwise minimalist design. The straps rather perfectly blend into the background so the watch’s most impressive detail can shine through.

The Blue Planet’s underlying engineering is pretty impressive too. Relying on an ‘Asynchronous Follow-Up’ movement, the watch features a planet and dial that rotate clockwise at different speeds, ensuring they line up to tell the time perfectly. “After almost a hundred times of tests and research, we successfully changed the gear ratio of the movement to realize that the hour hand rotates 30° when the minute hand rotates 390°”, said the CIGA Design team. “In this way, the hour and minute hands rotate synchronously, which is a transformation of the traditional movement design.”

The Blue Planet is a winner of the extremely coveted Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHD) award, and as yet another hat-tip to Earth and its cosmic choreography, is limited to just 365 production units.

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Minutes rotate and hours jump to different position every 60 minutes on Hautlence Vagabonde Series 4

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There are a few time-forward watches that have intriguing caseback and an even more exciting dial. If you’re not me, you may beg to differ; but with the Vagabonde Series 4 by Hautlence, I can choose to speak no different.

Hautlence offers many path-defining wandering hours timepieces on the market and the Vagabonde Series 4 is an extension of the models with a caseback you’d want to flaunt. The dial of course is way beyond the league, adding complication that is rarely tried by many horologists. Featuring the brand’s signature TV-screen case made from satin-finished, polished stainless steel; the watch measures 43mm by 50.8mm and has a decent 11.9mm thickness. The forested brass dial has fixed four discs that orbit around the revolving central minutes disc. The automatic movement in the core powers the hours and minutes discs to revolve around the central axis.

Designer: Vagabonde

Understanding the dial is a little typical. As time passes, the sapphire minute disc rotates clockwise while the sapphire hours disc below reveals a number through the cut-outs in an arrow-shaped pointer to display the correct time. The dial is surrounded by polished steel protrusion on the left side and a steel crown circled with a blue rubber ring on the right side. The ultra-modernized Vagabonde Series 4 dial may seem complicated to read, but the interesting contraption is designed to let minutes tick away slowly while the hours constantly jump to the next number after every 60-minute circle.

Water resistant to 10ATM, the Vagabonde Series 4 is powered by a B30 in-house automatic movement made up of 197 components. The movement, visible through the inventive sapphire caseback uses 34 jewels and offers the watch 72 hours of power reserve. The watch features a lug-less design, which means the paired blue rubber strap is integrated directly into the steel case to present the watch with an incredibly premium look. According to Hautlence, the Vagabonde Series 4 is strictly limited to 28 examples, which shall retail for CHF 30,000 (USD $30,500) each.

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This sleek stylish watch basks in minimalism with a dial similar to the DeLorean’s rim

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Watches carry their own charisma, deep history, and of course the convenience of timekeeping. While these well-orchestrated mechanical machines have been crafted for centuries now, the movement and complex engineering can get hard to gobble down at times. Those larger-than-life dials look swanky at first glance but that charm can fade away with time with the complications becoming difficult to adjust and at times comprehend. For people who appreciate the simpler things in life, and a timepiece that has a big presence, the Line Watch is just the right one to sport on your wrist.

Created by Telekes Design, the Line Watch is inspired by nature’s simple geometric shapes and parametric architecture. The idea is to create a simple persona but a big presence when paired with classy outfits and accessories. The watch dial gives off a classic wall clock vibe but I can also see the reminiscences of the DeLorean DMC 12’s rim here. The natural ribbings on the watch face make it easy to read time as the hours, minutes and seconds hand go about in a cyclical motion. That said, the time telling accuracy may be a tad confusing, given the seconds hand that extends equally on either side. The crown is well aligned in matte styling with the case that is accentuated by the pattered chapter ring.

Designer: Telekes Design

Flip the Line Watch over and I can’t help but appreciate the way the leather strap is clamped onto the casing. The brushed metal finish on the flowing body of the analog watch adds a classy touch and feel for the wearer to appreciate and onlookers to wonder about the Line’s origins. The dial has an eye-catchy contoured form that flows seamlessly into the face of the timepiece. Have the option to own Line Watch in attractive modern colors including – Sierra, Deep Sea, Dark Sand, Ash Gray and Privilege Green – paired to a leather strap in Privilege Green hue.

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Ulysse Nardin Blast Moonstruck is complicated astronomical watch with a dial comprehendible to everyone

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Astronomical watches have gone through a lot of transition over time, despite being one of the most intricate complications to pull off. The greatest watchmaking minds have built fantastic iterations, and to continue the tradition, Ulysse Nardin reveals a new Ludwig Oeschlin-designed astronomical watch called the Blast Moonstruck.

This new version of the Moonstruck World Time comes with the same self-winding UN-106 automatic movement, which has powered the Moonstruck since its release. The new 45mm diameter watch with black ceramic and DLC-coated titanium case features an easy-to-read dial that focuses on the position of the moon and sun, as seen from a particular location on earth.

Designer: Ulysse Nardin

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The Ulysse Nardin Blast Moonstruck dial plays from the center out toward the perimeter of the watch. Map of the Northern Hemisphere (globe) as seen from the North Pole is featured inside a dome-like sapphire crystal that protrudes slightly above the other part of the boxed sapphire display. This engraved globe is circled by an 18k rose gold ring featuring 31 days of the month that is tracked using a triangular pointer filled with lume material and it floats over the sword hands.

Rotating around the earth, pitched in the center of the dial, are the moon and the sun on their own elliptical orbits that appear, through the day, as they would if seen from the earth for real. The markings on the sun and moon rings let the user read tidal information spontaneously.

The moon phase aperture takes the exact time for a full circle as the lunar month, while the sun floats on its ovular path right above. The sun and moon lining on their respective ellipses form a spectacular astronomical marvel on one’s wrist. The complicated yet clean design of the dial also displays the second 24 time zone and the local time, which can be set using the twin pushers on the left side of the case. In addition to the moon phase, world time, and the position of the moon and sun relative to the earth; the Ulysse Nardin Blast Moonstruck also displays tidal coefficients and lunar month.

Water-resistant to just 30 meters, the Blast Moonstruck is not meant to be taken to deep waters, but its intriguing design is nicely placed on a choice of black alligator leather, velvet, or rubber strap with matching DLC titanium and pink gold folding clasp. If complicated, astronomical watch is your thing, and you have about $74,000 to spare; the Ulysse Nardin Blast Moonstruck is waiting there to be had!

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Arnold & Son’s latest double tourbillion watch comes finished with a stunning jade dial

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Adding to the watchmaker’s rich legacy of dual timezone pieces, the Double Tourbillon Jade brings the culturally rich green mineral to the Arnold & Son’s centuries-long history of chronometric excellence. Striving for perfection on the inside as well as out, the watch sports two faces set in precious white opal and double tourbillons that are jewels of engineering in their own right. The four-leaf clover arrangement of dials and tourbillons provides the perfect foreground for the watch’s bright green jade dial, sourced from Wyoming and expertly cut to allow both dials and tourbillons to emerge to their full height.

While the exterior revels in sheer opulence, the insides of the watch come outfitted with the company’s A&S8513 double-barreled caliber. Designed as a dual timezone watch, the upper dial sports Roman numerals, while the lower one showcases Arabic numerals, allowing you to independently set and calibrate two times from different timezones right down to the minute. “Unlike most so-called travel watches, the Double Tourbillon Jade can therefore follow time zones offset by 15, 30 or 45 minutes, as is the case with certain countries in Central Asia”, mentions the company in a press release.

The ornate arrangement of minerals and intricately assembled timekeeping components sit underneath a sapphire crystal display, within the watch’s 43.5mm case, made from an option between red gold and white gold. Both colors aim to complement the deep green jade stone within, adding accents through gentle colors, reflections, and contrasts. To further this artistic vision, the watches are paired with hand-stitched alligator leather straps in either black or green.

Designer: Arnold & Son

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Here’s what you get when an architect and a Swiss watchmaker collaborate to design a luxury timepiece

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Co-created by Swiss mechanical watch brand Louis Erard and local architecture and design studio atelier oï, the Le Régulateur reflects the best of both worlds, with a watch that’s captivating to look at and a marvel of Swiss timekeeping too. The most characteristic element of the watch’s design is the face itself, which rejects every notion of what a watch face should look like. Exploring all three dimensions, the watch face turns the radial tradition of mechanical timekeeping into a linear one, splitting the three hands across a vertical axis, while the dial itself looks like something taken out of MC Escher’s sketchbook.

While designing the watch, atelier oï approached the project with one word that defined the creative process – ‘radiating’. Sure, the standard watch’s face is inherently radiating, with hands emerging from a common point in the center of the watch like rays from the sun… but the Le Régulateur explores that very term differently, introducing multiple points on the watch’s face from which lines radiate and emerge. The result is a surface engraved with asymmetrical rays, the light of which reveals reflections and contrasts – echoing the passion of the members of atelier oï for the material and the play of light.

The design also incorporates Louis Erard’s watchmaking expertise, with its shimmering stainless steel case, capped on the front with an anti-reflective domed sapphire crystal. On the inside, the watch sports a Sellita SW266-1 automatic movement with a 38-hour power reserve, that’s also visible through the exhibition caseback that features a sapphire crystal cover too.

Priced at CHF 3,500 ($3827), the Swiss-made watch is limited to just 178 pieces. Each watch also comes with a 3-year warranty, and there’s a waitlist if you want to purchase this time-telling optical-illusion.

Designers: Louis Erard & atelier oï

Bell & Ross’ new luxury timepiece is almost entirely made out of sapphire crystal

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You may be familiar with sapphire as a material. It’s often used in watches as a replacement for glass owing to its hardness and resistibility to scratching. Most regular-to-high-end watches often put a sapphire glass panel on the front, or on the back too, depending on whether they’ve got an exhibition window to show the watch’s mechanism. Most watches, however, don’t make the entire damn timepiece out of sapphire… although it’s safe to say Bell & Ross aren’t definitely your average watchmaker.

The company’s known to push the boundary on watch-design, and they’ve experimented with watches made almost entirely from sapphire before, but it seems like they’ve pulled out all the stops for their latest time-telling piece of jewelry – the BR 01 Cyber Skull Sapphire.

Playing on the concept of a skeleton watch (where the watch’s inner mechanisms are exposed instead of being concealed behind opaque materials), the BR 01 Cyber Skull Sapphire comes with a proper skeleton motif on its watch face. Staying true, however, to the idea of a skeletal watch, the skeleton motif is made from sapphire (with a tinted orange back), as is the rest of the watch’s body. In fact, probably the only things that aren’t made from sapphire are the hands, mechanism, screws, and watch straps.

Every element that’s either decorative or is a part of the watch’s casing, is made from sapphire crystal, making the BR 01 Cyber Skull Sapphire look like a jewel on your wrist. Right behind the orange skull (while I’d prefer the color red, the orange offers much higher watch-hand visibility) sits the watch’s custom BR-CAL.209 movement, created specifically for this timepiece.

The orange color also coincides with the color-scheme of Only Watch, a biennial luxury watch auction held to raise money for charity. To that very end, the BR 01 Cyber Skull Sapphire exists as a singular prototype, designed specifically to be auctioned off in November this year. The proceeds from the auction will go towards benefiting medical research for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.

Designer: Bell & Ross

Bell & Ross’s aircraft radar-inspired timepiece will make you look like an international Bond villain!

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Ever seen a watch that’s fascinating yet unsettling at the same time?

The Red Radar Ceramic from Bell & Ross looks absolutely stunning with its aircraft control radar-inspired dial. Designed in a sinister black-and-red color-way, the watch features a dial with multiple concentric circles and a sweeping seconds hand to make it look like the radar’s in the process of scanning. To tell the time, the dial comes with two airplanes that indicate the hours and minutes respectively as they rotate around in circles. It’s a treat to watch time go by, and I’m sure the next time you’re passing through an airport, the TSA’s going to really think you’re a cool cat!

As its name suggests, the Red Radar Ceramic comes with a 42mm wide ceramic body. The watch itself runs on Bell & Ross’ own BR-CAL.302 automatic movement, and is housed in a casing that’s water-resistant up to 100 meters. To top things off, the watch obviously comes with a sapphire crystal glass on top, but for added appeal, the glass is tinted red too, giving the watch its crimson radar-inspired design.

The watch is a part of a limited release, with just 999 units up for sale. If you fancy yourself a slick Bond villain-type and you’ve got $4,300 to spare, you could probably get your hands on a piece.

Designer: Bell & Ross

Audemars Piguet’s stunning Black Panther Flying Tourbillon watch pays tribute to Wakanda’s King

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No, it isn’t powered by vibranium…

Luxury Swiss timepiece brand Audemars Piguet surprised us this week with the release of the Royal Oak “Black Panther” Flying Tourbillon, a watch that’s decidedly Wakandan in its spirit and sports a crouching King T’Challa on the watch’s face, poised right above a glorious tourbillon. Created in partnership with Marvel, the watch features a 42mm body made from sandblasted titanium with a black ceramic bezel, within which sits the watch’s crown jewel – a miniature figurine of the Black Panther crafted from white gold before being hand-engraved and meticulously painted with stunning attention to detail. For the watch aficionado, however, there’s also a flying tourbillon located right under King T’challa, complete with the Audemars Piguet logo.

The Royal Oak “Black Panther” Flying Tourbillon looks a lot like something Shuri would cook up in her Wakandan lab. It uses the signature black, purple, and silver color combination, while also using textural elements and patterns that help it look the part. The hands on the watch face closely resemble the fang-necklace seen around the Black Panther suit’s neck area, while the exhibition back uses a low-poly pattern quite similar to the one seen in the film’s artwork. The miniature figurine on the front looks stunningly realistic, with a laser-engraved microtexture on the suit, while the rest of the details are hand-carved and hand-painted to absolute perfection. Adding dynamism to the front of the watch is that tourbillon, which completes one full rotation every minute. Flip the watch over and its exhibition back showcases an in-house 3Hz hand-wound caliber 2965 movement with a 72 hours power reserve. Glareproofed sapphire crystal panels sit on the front as well as the back, and give the watch 50m of water resistance. The watch comes affixed with a purple rubber strap, and you can even grab yourself an additional black strap, swapping it out to give the watch a more serious demeanor.

The Royal Oak “Black Panther” Flying Tourbillon was unveiled at an online charity auction hosted by Audemars Piguet CEO François-Henry Bennahmias and actor Kevin Hart, and a special one-off 18k white gold version of it racked up a final asking price of $5.2 million. If you don’t have that kind of walking-around money, Audemars Piguet is producing a further 250 units (made from titanium) for sale across its various retail stores with a slightly more modest price tag of $162,000.

Designers: Audemars Piguet X Marvel

Limited to just 250 pieces, the watch retails for a cool $162,000 a pop and is available upon appointment. I guess you’d have to be Wakandan royalty to be able to afford these.

The Black Panther miniature figurine comes realized in white-gold. There’s a video on AP’s website that showcases the intricate process behind how specialized artisans hand-carve and hand-paint each Black Panther miniature.

The back reveals the stunning hand-wound caliber 2956 movement powering the timepiece (sorry, no vibranium included!) enclosed under a stunning scratch-resistant sapphire crystal panel.