Latest news with #watchmaking
South China Morning Post
5 hours ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Style Edit: The new Santos de Cartier Petit Modèle reanimates in mini form an iconic 1904 design that was the precursor of the modern wristwatch – one designed for early aviators
Cartier's latest watch is small, square and has pedigree, with its roots reaching far back in time. Showcasing the French jeweller's ingenuity , the new small model Santos de Cartier reanimates an emblematic design that has epitomised pioneering watchmaking since 1904. It was then that Louis Cartier and his friend, Brazilian aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont, conceived a wristwatch for early aeronauts that carried the pioneering pilot's name and afforded them precise timing in the cockpit at a glance, saving them from having to fish around in their jackets for their pocket watch. The Santos de Cartier small model in steel. Photo: Handout Considered the first modern wristwatch when offered to the public in 1911, the original Santos was as daring as those magnificent pilots in their flying machines that inspired it. Rejecting the roundness of the pocket watch, it boldly sported a square bezel and a mechanical aesthetic: the eight screws securing the bezel were left proudly visible rather than hidden as was the norm. Advertisement The new model Santos de Cartier in yellow gold and steel. Photo: Handout The strong, uncompromising form of the 1904 Santos-Dumont enabled Cartier's watchmakers to lead the industry in the creation of new watch shapes, while its purity of line and precision of proportion invited them to soar ahead with new interpretations. Decades later, in 1978, the Santos de Cartier line debuted and, in tune with the times, it embraced a sports watch approach. An integrated metal bracelet replaced the leather strap of the original pilot's watch. One model was crafted in steel rather than precious metal – a fashionable new attitude for a luxury maison; while a gleaming bimetal version in steel accented with a yellow-gold bezel and screws also turned heads. The Santos de Cartier small model in yellow gold and steel. Photo: Handout Cartier steered this ever-evolving watch from horological icon to cult object. Famously, Michael Douglas ' corporate raider Gordon Gekko wore a gold Cartier Santos in the 1987 film Wall Street. Among more recent innovations, a Santos de Cartier became the brand's first skeleton watch. The Santos de Cartier small model in yellow gold. Photo: Handout Now landing in Hong Kong, the Santos de Cartier Petit Modèle encapsulates this century and more of watchmaking invention and reinvention. Slimmed down from larger models to a neat 27mm by 34.5mm, its dimensions echo the earliest versions of the watch. Fitted with a high-autonomy quartz movement rather than a mechanical engine, it emphasises fine proportions and adds a more sophisticated sunray dial effect. Glints of blue on the familiar sword-shaped hands and tip of the seven-sided crown offer contrast to the pristine landscape of the silvered dial, and the bezel and bracelet offered in either steel, yellow gold, or a mix of the two. Each of the trio comes with an alternate leather strap – alligator for the all-gold model or calfskin for the others. So, just like the pioneering adventurers of old, you can strap up and then reach for the sky.
Times
a day ago
- Business
- Times
This Manchester club house is shaking up the luxury watch market
Want to buy a luxury watch, like a Rolex, Patek Philippe or Audemars Piguet? You just walk into a shop and buy one, don't you? Actually, no. Not only are brands such as these producing models in such limited numbers that they inevitably struggle to keep up with demand, but Audemars Piguet has now made the decision to move away from the conventional store-based retail model. Enter an alternative: AP House, which is a private members' club-style hybrid — think luxurious interiors, chillout zones, hospitality that would rival any five-star hotel and a gentle, softly-softly selling approach. What's more, everyone's invited. It's a concept that the Swiss watchmaker rolled out in 2017 and now it has AP Houses around the world including in places as far-flung as St Barts, Seoul and Mexico City. London has one, although you may not know it, elevated as it is on the first floor above an unrelated store on New Bond Street. Now it's Manchester's turn. Hot on the heels of the city's cultural resurgence — it hosted the Chanel Métiers d'Art show in December 2023, and its own Soho House is opening in a few months — AP has settled on this northern metropolis to open the 23rd house in its roster. It is, of course, an area that attracts significant wealth (footballers being the obvious trope) and you'll need Premier League-level deep pockets to buy an AP — its most iconic model, the Royal Oak, has a starting price point of £22,700 and can easily soar into a six-figure sum. 'We've been looking for a suitable location for our clients outside London for a while,' says Daniel Compton, the brand's UK general manager. 'People tend to gravitate to Manchester when they're doing their luxury shopping — already we've had visitors from as far north as Glasgow [the House soft launched in May], while nearby we have Liverpool, Sheffield, Leeds and the Cheshire belt below us.' The House is exactly that — a double-fronted Georgian residence on King Street that dates from 1736. AP found the site in 2022 and instructed Johnson Pinney Architects to extensively remodel the 425 sq m interior while preserving its grand grade II listed exterior, structure and period features. As with all AP Houses, touches of the home city run through the design scheme. On entering the reception area an art installation by the artist Michelle McKinney echoes the leaves of the black poplar tree, aka the Manchester poplar, common in the city thanks to its ability to tolerate air pollution. The Manchester bee, a symbol of the city's industriousness since 1842, is alluded to in the honeycomb shape of the watch display cases, while fabric lines the walls in reference to its history of cotton production. On the first floor a music room pays homage to Manchester's music scene with artwork from Factory Records (the city's pioneering record label and founder of the Haçienda nightclub), a display of vinyl on the wall and turntables should any guest fancy a spin behind the decks. Across the landing is a dining room and bar serving, by the end of the year, AP's own draught beer made in collaboration with a local independent brewery, in a nod to northern pub culture. Up another flight of stairs to a games room and visitors will find a luxury version of shove ha'penny and a darts board. A roof terrace leads off it with views across the city's industrial-era red-brick buildings. But why bother with all of this? Surely a bricks-and-mortar conventional retail model would suffice. The luxury commentator and watch expert Ming Liu explains the rationale behind it. 'By having Houses around the globe, AP are able to provide a holistic 360 approach to their customers. They may be a watch brand but the product is only one side of it. They're also very aware that their customer travels and that they have different touch points in their lives — whether Manchester, Hong Kong or London. It makes sense to have somewhere they feel comfortable and can connect with other watch lovers, bring their friends, socialise and relax. The concept is about making clients feel at home, spending longer with them and educating them on watchmaking and AP in particular.' But is everyone invited, really? It sounds like a concept too good to be true. 'We welcome all, we encourage walk-ins,' Compton says, 'and we want newcomers.' As for the current AP clients — those who Compton describes as 'part of the AP family and a mix of old industrial families from the northwest and those who've made their success more recently, including from the media and sport' — they can expect an enhanced level of hospitality. Meanwhile in London plans are afoot for a new, bigger version of the House and an AP branded hoarding has been spotted outside a townhouse in Mayfair. Compton won't be drawn on exact timeframes, but it won't be long before the capital has a similar venue to rival that of Manchester. Watch this space. AP House Manchester, 35 King Street, M2 7AT, @thediamondedit
South China Morning Post
3 days ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Style Edit: Longines celebrates 100 years of Zulu Time with an elegant and contemporary Greenwich-inspired watch, and a new campaign starring brand ambassador Henry Cavill
For nearly a century, Longines has recognised that time knows no boundaries. In 1925, the Swiss watchmaker unveiled its first dual time zone wristwatch – a pioneering creation that introduced the 'Zulu' maritime signal flag to watch dials and laid the foundation for 100 years of travel-ready timekeeping. It was an innovation that reflected the spirit of an increasingly connected world, where knowing the time elsewhere was just as essential as knowing the time at home. The Spirit Zulu Time 1925 enables you to move seamlessly between time zones. Photo: Handout Nearly 100 years later, that legacy continues with the Spirit Zulu Time collection – launched in 2022 and designed for those who move seamlessly between time zones, whether for adventure, work or connection. Advertisement Now, Longines marks the centennial of that first Zulu Time watch with a commemorative edition that blends historical significance with contemporary refinement. Housed in a 39mm stainless steel case, this commemorative edition is distinguished by a rotating bezel capped with 18k rose gold – a first for the collection. The engraved 24-hour scale allows the wearer to track up to three time zones, making it as practical as it is refined. For brand ambassador and actor on the move Henry Cavill, the Spirit Zulu Time 1925 'represents not only precision timekeeping, but also connection'. Photo: Handout The use of rose gold goes beyond mere aesthetics: it pays homage to the copper strip embedded in the ground at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich – the historical prime meridian and a highly symbolic reference point in global timekeeping. Turn the watch over, and a transparent caseback reveals the self-winding movement, complete with a rose-gold-tone rotor engraved with a globe intersected by the meridian. It's a subtle but thoughtful detail that connects the past to the present. At its heart is the Longines calibre L844.4 – a movement certified by the official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute, COSC – that offers magnetic resistance well beyond ISO standards, plus a 72-hour power reserve and unwavering precision. The matt black dial enhances legibility, complemented by rose-gold hands and markers treated with Super-LumiNova. Five stars sit proudly above the 6 o'clock position, along with a discreet '1925–2025' legend – a quiet nod to the watch's anniversary. Travel with elegance wearing the new Longines Spirit Zulu Time 1925. Photo: Handout The story of connection extends beyond the wrist too. The new Longines Spirit Zulu Time 1925 campaign, starring brand ambassador Henry Cavill , explores the emotional thread that links people across distances, positing a commonly posed question that transcends time zones: 'What time is it there?' Alongside this limited edition, Longines expands the Spirit Zulu Time collection with new references featuring bold blue ceramic bezels and sleek black dials in both 39mm and 42mm sizes. These models retain the full GMT functionality, catering to modern travellers who equally appreciate both form and function.
Forbes
7 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Hublot Introduces The Square Bang Tourbillon 4-Day Power Reserve
Square Bang Tourbillon Hublot isn't shy about pushing geometry where most brands tend to settle for tried and true designs. The brand's newest release, the Square Bang Tourbillon 4-Day Power Reserve, marks the first time a tourbillon has appeared in its square-shaped Big Bang line, and this isn't just a matter of fitting an existing movement into a new silhouette. The entire architecture has been redesigned from the ground up, with bridges, layout, and components structured to match the case's square proportions. Skeletonized movement The new model runs on the manually wound MHUB6023, a fully skeletonized in-house movement developed specifically for this release. All 174 components are arranged in clean, right-angled symmetry, with square and rectangular bridges finished in a mix of matte and satin surfaces to emphasize depth. At 6 o'clock, the flying tourbillon beats away with a silicon escapement for added resistance to magnetic fields and temperature swings. The large mainspring barrel at 12 o'clock delivers a 96-hour power reserve, tracked by a linear indicator at 9. Rather than making minor tweaks to existing designs, Hublot has committed entirely to this brand new experimental restructuring. Every primary function is distributed across the watch in unique fashion: winding on the right, power reserve on the left, barrel up top, tourbillon below. The effect is balanced and striking, with each corner contributing visually and mechanically to the watch's function. Macro view The 42mm case is made entirely from 3D carbon, a composite material with a vertical and horizontal weave pattern. The strap itself is integrated with Hublot's 'One-Click' quick-release system and finished with a ceramic and titanium deployant clasp. Case thickness comes in at 13.2mm, and water resistance is rated to 30 meters. The dial is openworked sapphire, offering a full view of the movement suspended within the case. Like the rest of the watch, the design is minimal but sharp, clearly prioritizing architectural impact over dial furniture. For a time-only tourbillon watch, there's a lot to look at.
South China Morning Post
24-05-2025
- South China Morning Post
The enduring legacy of Rolex's 70-year-old GMT-Master
Visitors to West Kowloon Cultural District's Freespace in Hong Kong between May 26 and June 8 can catch an exhibition on one of Rolex's most important models: the GMT-Master. The watch celebrates its 70th anniversary this year, an occasion that marks one of watchmaking's most elegant answers to the problem of tracking multiple time zones. The watch and its namesake GMT complication gain their name from the addition of an extra watch hand that tracks time on a 24-hour index. The GMT hand can be set to one's home time zone, or to Greenwich Mean Time – also referred to as UTC or Zulu Time. The Longines Zulu Time from the 1920s also allowed for multiple time zones, but the 24-hour index of these watches was located within the minute track rather than on a rotating outer bezel. Armin Strom Dual Time GMT Resonance First Edition. Photo: Armin Strom The GMT complication was mainly seen on pilot's wrists in the mid-20th century – indeed, Rolex developed the GMT-Master together with the historic airline Pan American Airways. Today however, anyone who travels frequently might consider getting one. 'Nowadays, we are travelling on planes more than ever,' says Helbert Tsang, co-founder of watch community The Horology Club, 'and the GMT-Master still looks pretty much as it did when it was first launched in the 50s. What has changed since then is the reason people buy and wear watches. What used to be an essential tool (for fliers) is now a luxury item or a status symbol. People working in front of a screen all day may still imagine themselves as a globetrotter or a commercial pilot landing at different destinations every day, and a GMT watch is the perfect prop for them to live out that fantasy.' The GMT complication's history, combined with its surprisingly modern utility, has led to its consistent popularity. Unlike dive watches or chronographs – the functions of which have since been supplanted by computers – wearing a GMT watch means one can still use the complication to track time for loved ones in a different part of the world, or to recall important international meetings at a glance. Parmigiani Fleurier Tonda PF GMT Rattrapante 2025. Photo: Handout Luxury brands now put design at the forefront of GMT watches to appeal to collectors. At Watches and Wonders in Geneva this year, manufacturers made their own efforts to show multiple time zones elegantly. Rolex interpreted their modern GMT-Master II with green Cerachrom and tiger iron dials. Panerai, Armin Strom and Parmigiani Fleurier chose to add additional complications with GMTs (respectively, perpetual calendar, simultaneous dual time display and rattrapante). Tag Heuer, known for its racing chronographs and divers, added a Twin-Time model, which tracks the second time zone along a two-coloured internal 24-hour index, to its Carrera pieces. Nomos Glashütte developed a new automatic movement and introduced a world time complication to their Club collection.•
