Table of contents for Issue 4 2022 in CROWN

2022 has been a year of upheavals, to put it mildly. If, like me, you’ve been doomscrolling news headlines, you may feel like we must all be trapped in some shared Inception-style limbo. It’s not all bad. Really. It’s often said that during the greatest crises in human history, we have innovated our way out of dire straits to come out stronger. And if the fine watchmaking industry is any indication, the future is brimming with possibilities. The breadth and depth of creativity in watchmaking have been rather unprecedented. It comes at a time when consumers’ buying habits are evolving faster than TikTok trends. To succeed, businesses must be more agile than ever. Based on the results of the recent Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève, many brands are doing just…

In and around the watch industry, some see the emergence of female collectors as a modern trend. Yet history reveals that female patrons have long held important roles supporting watchmakers. After all, the very first wristwatches were designed for ladies as jewellery adornments that also served as timekeepers. When Hans Wilsdorf first founded Rolex, it was with the intention to produce a wristwatch that was as robust as a pocket watch and met the needs of their customers, male or female. He wrote, “Rolex must strive to think and act differently from the rest.” In 1926, Wilsdorf’s efforts to achieve waterproofness proved successful with the unveiling of the Rolex Oyster, the first waterproof wristwatch in the world. He decided on a truly bold endeavour to demonstrate the durability of the…

Premiered at the tail-end of TAG Heuer’s showcase at Watches and Wonders in April, the new Carrera Plasma was unveiled with an air of expectant zeal. TAG Heuer CEO Frédéric Arnault, for one, appeared to be barely able to contain his excitement as he made the unexpected reveal. Not that one can blame him. The new Carrera Plasma is TAG Heuer’s most unusual and experimental iteration of the iconic collection yet. An insanely glittery beast, the motor rally-inspired sports watch is housed in an aluminium case and carpeted in lab-grown diamonds of all shapes and forms while driven by an advanced tourbillon chronograph movement. Examining the watch at close quarters, now that the Carrera Plasma is making its rounds across the world, one gets a sense that it is going…

Save for a niche group of enthusiasts, Orient Star can be somewhat of a mysterious entity for the wider watch-loving public. However, having ramped up on efforts to re-introduce itself to the horological community in recent times – especially on the occasion of its 70th anniversary last year with a slew of eye-catching, well-construction limited editions – Orient Star seems to be slowly expanding its stake in an intensely competitive market. Perhaps some of you are more familiar with Orient, the longstanding Japanese marque that boasts a wide-ranging catalogue of entry-level dress and sports watches that are relatively affordable at a few hundred dollars a pop. Orient Star is the company’s more upmarket label, offering only mechanical watches with higher levels of construction and finishing. One may be tempted to…

Cortina Watch is celebrating its 50th anniversary with a collection of commemorative timepieces with esteemed partners. Hot on the heels of presenting limited editions by Patek Philippe, Chopard, and Blancpain that mark the milestone, the homegrown watch retail stalwart is unveiling its latest collaboration with Corum – the Admiral 45 Tourbillon Cortina Watch 50th Anniversary Special Edition. An audacious blend of opulence, innovation, and nautical chic, the Admiral 45 Tourbillon Cortina Watch 50th Anniversary Special Edition captivates with its dark carbon case speckled with 18K gold, evoking an enchanting night cruise under a starlit sky. Thanks to a unique tool that was developed specifically to ensure that the gold inclusions are evenly distributed throughout the 45mm carbon composite case, this revolutionary fusion of materials is exclusive to Corum, and no…

Last month, Rolex unveiled the brand’s very first titanium timepiece, the Oyster Perpetual Deepsea Challenge. Rolex has resisted the trend towards new and modern materials for its cases and bracelets in the past, but this debut timepiece takes the brand forward. The Deepsea Challenge breaks Rolex traditions in every way. First, the dive watch has a water resistance of 11,000m (36,090ft), or approximately seven miles, the depth of the Challenger Deep, the deepest point of the Mariana Trench. The trench, located in the western Pacific Ocean, is the deepest point in the world. A decade ago, Rolex Testimonee James Cameron made headlines when he became the first human to submerge into Challenger Deep on a solo mission, collecting scientific data, specimens, and a visual record of the deep trench. Of…

Although 2022 was the year of permacrises, the luxury market seems highly unaffected by multiple global events. Richemont announced that sales was up by 24 per cent in the first half of its financial year, with the highest growth areas in fashion and accessories maisons and the highest profitability by jewellery maisons. Brands are moderating their holiday plans in Europe, but retail in the USA and key Asian markets is up. As a result, creativity in watchmaking is simply booming. All in all, this was a banner year for watchmaking, with some key trends that have shaped new releases. Good As Gold Just a couple of years ago, discreet timepieces were trending. But as swiftly as TikTok has become the globe’s go-to for content, full-gold models have quickly gained popularity…

The Chilean leg of the Extreme E may have wrapped up in late September, but the excitement lives on in the Zenith Defy Extreme E Copper X Prix. As one of the founding partners and official timekeeper of the electric rally championship, the Le-Locle Manufacture has been releasing limited edition timepieces to mark the series along the way, referencing the far-flung race locations chosen to highlight the climate change challenges faced by different ecosystems. As the contenders found themselves facing the extreme conditions of the Atacama Desert, Chile, the Defy Extreme E Copper X Prix pays tribute to one of the major copper mining areas in the world. Essentially Zenith’s Defy Extreme Carbon in a new outfit, the watch is the world’s lightest and most robust 1/100th of a second…

Among mainstream retailers, left-handed watches are few and far between. Often monikered as “Destro” (which refers to right-handed in Italian), which may add to the confusion for many, most left-handed models are produced in limited numbers. Few appear as part of the catalogue simply because left-handers number around 10 per cent of the population; it doesn’t seem wise to create a product that’s limited to a niche group. Interestingly enough, many Destro models are worn by right-handed collectors. They note the convenience of having the crown on the left, making it easier to wind the watch and adjust the time when needed. Though the logic is to wear the watch on the left hand to avoid pressing the crown against the wrist, most wear Destro watches on the right. This…

Launched in 2019, the Chopard Alpine Eagle has fast established itself as one of the brand’s emblems, thanks to its instantly recognisable silhouette. So, it is no wonder the Swiss Manufacture has since enriched the collection with complications, such as a tourbillon and a patented flyback chronograph, as well as a range of case dimensions. Previously available in 36mm, 41mm, and 44mm sizes, the Alpine Eagle has a new 33mm version aimed squarely at dainty wrists. Ladies enamoured of this luxury sports ticker will be spoilt for choice with six references in three material options – Chopard’s proprietary Lucent Steel A223 that is highly luminous, anti-allergenic, twice as hard as steel, and produced using 70% recycled material; 18K ethical rose gold; and bi-metal. Top of the line is the red…

A. Lange & Söhne • #02-05A Ion Orchard Tel: 6509 1712 Audemars Piguet • #B2-207, The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands Tel: 6688 7595 • #01-03, liat towers Tel: 6836 4918 Ball Watch For enquires, please call 6235 1811 Baume & Mercier For enquires, please call 6510 2767 Bell & Ross • #01-15 Mandarin Gallery Tel: 6884 6471 Blancpain • #B2-237 The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands Tel: 6634 8771 Breguet • B2M-236 The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands Tel: 6638 6006 Breitling • #01-03/04, Palais Renaisance Tel: 6732 8582 Bulgari • #B2-200 The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands Tel: 6634 8313 • Level 1, Takashimaya Department Store Tel: 6735 6689 Cartier • #B1-39A, #B2-38 The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands Tel: 6688 7388 • #01-20, #02-10 Ion Orchard Tel:…

When the two founders of Oris, Paul Cattin and Georges Christian, were looking for a place to establish their own watch manufacture, they did not choose to settle in Le Locle despite it being the centre of Swiss watchmaking at the time. Instead, they turned their attention to the west and founded their business in Hölstein, in the Waldenburg Valley. One important factor was the Waldenburgerbahn (the Waldenburg train in German). Opened in 1880, it was a rail network that connected the region to Liestal, the capital of Basel-Landschaft and through that, to the rest of Switzerland. The short, four-stop railway linked the Waldenburg Valley to external resources and enabled it to flourish. Oris is just one of several businesses that continue to thrive in the region. Last April, the…

If you are in the market for a dive watch that doubles up as a daily beater for business and casual engagements, you will do well to keep Blancpain’s Fifty Fathoms Bathyscaphe on your radar. And the Swiss marque is giving you more reasons to take a gander at the Flyback Chronograph model with two new variants in grade 23 titanium and 18K red gold. While we admire the original Fifty Fathom’s tool-watch machismo – it was, after all, a military-grade, combat-ready timekeeper made for the French frogmen unit in the 1950s – the Bathyscaphe’s pared-down design and smaller dimensions present an attractive proposition as a civilian ticker that works beautifully in and out of water. But, of course, it also doesn’t hurt that the latter retains much of the…

The sun is out, the skies are blue, and you’d want to dress down – but not too much because, well, you’ll never know who you are going to run into. If this is your conundrum, a solid and reputable wrist accompaniment goes a long way to subtly tip the sartorial balance from relaxed to refinement – a watch not unlike the new Portugieser from IWC Schaffhausen. Imbued with casual styles and horological gravitas in equal measure, these Portugieser models let you have the best of both worlds. Known for its plus-sized presence and classic designs, the Portugieser is a go-to dress watch for IWC fans looking to give their Pilot’s Watches and Aquatimers a rest. Born in 1939 – from a request by two Portuguese businessmen for IWC to…

Peering into a loupe to check the enamel finish of a customised version of Czapek’s award-winning 33 bis Quai des Bergues watch, I was instead thrilled to discover a David Bowie lyric engraved across the dial. “We can all be heroes just for one day”, it read, from Bowie’s famous 1977 track, Heroes. “Cool, yes?” asks Xavier de Roquemaurel, CEO of Czapek & Cie. “The dial was made just after Bowie passed. I wanted to pay tribute to him. I think we can all relate.” After spending an hour with de Roquemaurel, as he shared about the conception and evolution of Czapek & Cie, it almost felt like the lyric was also a call to arms of sorts for him and his independent watch company. Czapek & Cie takes its…

The Pasha de Cartier is perhaps as famed for its distinctive look as it is for the story of its rather mysterious origins. Although it is named after Pasha El Glaoui of Marrakesh, one of the Maison’s most loyal customers from the 1920s to 1950s, it wasn’t launched until 1985. The Pasha de Cartier that we know today resembles a 1943 watch with a protective grid guarding its crystal against bumps and scratches, but there is no substantive proof that this watertight watch is the same as the one created for its namesake. Nonetheless, all of that didn’t stop the watch from attaining cult status. After a brief hiatus in the 2010s, the Pasha made a triumphant return in 2020, and Cartier is maintaining this winning streak by expanding it…