Rado continues to rake in the design awards with its latest win: the 2015 Good Design award for the Rado Diamaster Grande Seconde.
Rado continues to rake in the design awards with its latest win: the 2015 Good Design award for the Rado Diamaster Grande Seconde.
DARK HORSE
Everyone’s favourite horological aberration gets an exclusive new skin.
After 10 years, Ulysse Nardin’s hand-less, dial-less, crown-less Freak is no longer the, ahem, freak show many thought it to be when it debuted, and has come to be widely respected as a fine example of horological innovation. And yet it managed to shock the world again last year by finally introducing a complication to the legendary collection – the 2015 Freaklab has a calendar.
It is also lighter than its predecessors, has had its balance repositioned to the centre of the dial and boasts a new shock-absorbing system known as Ulychoc. The version shown here is the latest in the line-up, and is a boutique-only edition that features a PVD-coated black titanium case and lugs, and a carbon-fibre bezel.
This bezel is actually the means with which to adjust the watch. Simply release the safety clip at six o’clock and rotate the bezel clockwise to set the time and counter-clockwise to set the date. A second “bezel” on the caseback helps to wind the watch, which provides a hefty seven-day power reserve. Limited to 99 pieces.
#01-57 The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands.
FAIR OF FACE
Diehard Panerai fans will have no trouble distinguishing the minor differences in the brand’s largely homogeneous stable of products, but even a casual appreciator will know that white-dialled Panerai watches are rare, and this year marks the first Radiomir 1940 with such a fair face.
The Radiomir 1940 3 Days Automatic Acciaio comes with a 42mm steel case, and the straight (instead of wire) lugs that characterise the 1940 models. The P.4000 movement is made in-house and is noticeably thin at 3.95mm, and is also water-resistant to 100m. Panerai watches may stick to the same recipe, but it’s certainly one that works.
#01-18 Ion Orchard.
SHOCK AND AWE
Many polo watches were built with the sport in mind, and thus feature dial-protecting designs, such as Jaeger-LeCoultre’s famous Reverso. But De Bethune has always had the perfect template for a polo-ready timepiece, as seen in the new DB 27 D Polo. Unlike the standard DB 27 models, the watch replaces traditional hands with jumping hours and a minute disc reminiscent of the DB 28 Digitale.
The rest of the watch is covered up by black-polished hardened steel coated in black DLC. This treated metal has a hardness of 5,000 Vickers, much more impressive than sapphire crystal’s 1,800 Vickers. The 43mm case houses a self-winding 5233D calibre with a five-day power reserve. Limited to 10 pieces. Available at The Hour Glass.
REAL STEEL
High complications, especially those made by Girard-Perregaux, understandably turn many heads. But the brand’s classic 1966 collection has its own fierce following as well. For those who have overlooked it as just another dress watch, a new edition – the first in steel – would be a good jumping-off point. Previously available only in 38mm or 41mm cases, the steel option now comes at a versatile 40mm.
And it’s not just the case that has changed. Subtle updates, such as the inclusion of a minute track and applied indexes every five minutes instead of every quarter, take the 1966 DNA and infuse it with a little sport.
#01-50 The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands.
