Ricardo Sime
We’re a couple of weeks removed from Watches and Wonders and I’ve had enough time to recover from all the spicy salami and new watch releases. I’ve thought about the 100+ watches that I spent a few minutes with, in the hope of identifying those that left a lasting impression. And truly, there were some offerings that stood above the rest; whether it was their packaging of a complication or their translation of a classic aesthetic to a new design. So, without further ado, here are my top five from Watches and Wonders.Cartier Prive Tank Chinoise SkeletonYou can hold a watch in your hands but find that it still doesn’t speak to you until it’s on your wrist. That was the case with the Cartier Prive Tank Chinoise. Putting this on after our presentation from Cartier, I found this to be the best fitting Tank I’ve ever worn on my 7.5 inch wrist. At 39.5mm x 29.2mm, it comes in just below the Tank Must Extra Large. Add to that the skeletonised movement as well as the lacquered dial, all in a yellow gold case, and I instantly found myself mesmerised by this amazing package.Case MaterialYellow GoldCase Dimensions39.5mm x 29.2mm x 7.7mmWater-Resistance30 metresDialOpen-Worked w/ LacquerStrapsAlligator leatherMovement9627 MC – ManualPower Reserve?38 hoursComplicationsHours, MinutesLimited100 PiecesPrice$65,500A.Lange & Sohne Odysseus TitaniumEvery time I look at the Odysseus, I slightly chuckle to myself. In the face of so many brands creating a sports watch that borrows design cues from other brands, Lange refused to do the same. It’s like someone at the manufacture said “Oh. You want a sports watch? Here’s OUR sports watch”. The Odysseus is so Lange that those who aren’t a fan of the brand still scratch their heads about the design.In the face of all that, the brand doubled down on their offering and gave us a titanium version with this ice-blue dial. Not only is this version absolutely delightful on the wrist with it’s barely there weight, its finishing is just top notch. Furthermore, the darker tone of the material coupled with the polished trim means the watch is quite alive on the wrist.Put all these things together and this is a sports watch I’d gladly wear every day of the week.Case MaterialTitaniumCase Dimensions40.5mm x 11.1mmWater-Resistance120 metresDialBrass. Ice Blue in ColourStrapsTitanium BraceletMovementL155.1 DATOMATIC – AutomaticPower Reserve50 HoursComplicationsDay, Date, Hours, Minutes, SecondsLimited250 PiecesPrice48,600Rolex Platinum Day-Date 40 w/ Fluted BezelTo go from extremely light to extremely heavy creates a slight jolt of surprise in my mind. Where I found absolute pleasure in the lightness of the Odyesseus, the heft of Rolex’s Platinum Day-Date was surprisingly reassuring. It’s such a beautiful watch that the heft seems necessary to communicate to the wearer that this “ain’t your run of the mill Rolly”.And now, with the addition of the fluted bezel, the watch sparkles on the wrist as well.Walking around with this on, I found myself for the first time really wanting to add a Day-Date to my collection. So it’s only right that the watch responsible for this urge makes my top five of Watches and Wonders.Case MaterialPlatinumCase Dimensions40mm x 12mmWater-Resistance100 metresDialIce Blue in ColourStrapsPlatinum. President style.MovementCalibre 3255 – AutomaticPower Reserve70 HoursComplicationsDay, Date, Hours, Minutes, SecondsPriceOn RequestZenith Chronomaster Open“You had me at 39.5 mm”When the Chronomaster Sport came out, I fell in love with the design. It was classic Zenith evolving with the times. Yet sitting at the presentation for their 2022 releases, I found myself blushing over a watch that did away with many of the design cues that caught my attention on the Chronomaster Sport.That watch was the Chronomaster Open in 18K rose gold.Gone is the ceramic bezel and the complete set of tri-colour subdials that are so synonymous with Zenith. Instead, we’re met with an open-work dial that still captivates me like the back of a Seiko 5 the first year I got into watches. Add to that the classic pump pushers and the black, white and gold used between the indexes and hour and minute hand, and I found myself falling in love again.Case Material18K Rose GoldCase Dimensions39.5mm x 13.6mmWater-Resistance100 metresDialWhiteStrapsBlue calfskin leatherMovementEl Primero – AutomaticPower Reserve60 HoursComplicationsHours, Minutes, Seconds (Chronograph – 1/10th of a second, 60-second counter, 60-minute counter)Price$21,300Chopard L.U.C Full Strike SapphireI know. I know.They are only making five of these and chances are, I’ll never see one in person again.But damn it, it still deserves a place on my top five list.The Chopard L.U.C Full Strike Sapphire is a minute repeater that loses the pretentiousness I find in other watches boasting such a high complication. It instead pleases my watch collector eyes with a futuristic, sapphire case that gives the complication a much needed breath of fresh air. So on audacity alone, this watch deserved a place on my list.It also doesn’t hurt that she’s one mighty fine looking watch.Case MaterialSapphireCase Dimensions42.5mm x 11.5mmWater-Resistance30 metresDialSapphireStrapsGrey rectangular scale alligator leather?strapMovementCalibre L.U.C 08.01-L – ManualPower Reserve60 HoursComplicationsHours, Minutes, Seconds, Minute RepeaterLimited5 piecesPriceCHF 450,000
27.04.22