Table of contents for Issue 1 2026 in CROWN

“To a mind that is still, the entire universe surrenders.”– Zhuang Zi In watchmaking, progress is often measured in speed – higher frequencies, faster oscillations, greater precision – each framed as a step forward in the pursuit of ever more exact time. This issue’s cover offers a quiet contradiction. Dominique Renaud’s Pulse60 proposes something different. Instead of accelerating, it slows. At one oscillation per second, its rhythm feels deliberate in a world where immediacy has become expectation. In an age of constant updates, restraint can feel almost radical. Yet the idea is not new. I found myself returning to this thought in a different context. With my older child preparing for the Primary School Leaving Examination (PSLE), conversations often circle outcomes – scores, comparisons, expectations. It is easy to be…

There is something quietly hypnotic about watching the balance of Dominique Renaud’s latest movement in motion. Instead of the rapid flutter typical of modern mechanical watches, it moves with a measured calm – one oscillation per second, a rhythm closer to a resting heart rate, around 60 beats per minute: an idea captured in its name, Pulse60. Time, here, is not broken into fleeting fragments, but allowed to unfold in a slow, deliberate cadence. At first glance, the concept feels almost counterintuitive. For decades, the pursuit of precision in mechanical watchmaking has been closely tied to speed – the higher the frequency, the faster the beat, and the more effectively small errors are averaged out. Yet Renaud, long known for pushing the limits of the regulating organ, has chosen to…

If watches could be described as cars, the Chopard Zagato Lab One Concept would be a finely tuned speedster. Stripped of superfluous weight, it is structural, well-built, and meticulously engineered. Weighing just 43.2g with strap (36.5g without), it’s the brand’s lightest titanium timepiece to date and arguably one of its boldest design statements of late. But don’t let the “Concept” moniker mislead you – this is no prototype. It’s a fully realised, limited-edition model, with just 19 pieces produced. From its assertive tubular silhouette to the motoring DNA running through every detail, this is no subtle nod to the supercar world – it’s a full-throttle tribute. The partnership between Chopard and the Milanese coachbuilder isn’t new, but this is their most ambitious collaboration yet. The two family-owned houses, bonded by…

The Year of the Fire Horse has prompted no shortage of commemorative releases, yet few approach the theme with the mechanical conviction of GENUS. The independent watchmaker presents the GNS2 Eternal Gallop as “the first and only watch in the world in which galloping horses themselves express the passage of time,” and that claim proves more descriptive than hyperbolic. Created exclusively for Temposatis LAB, a subsidiary of the Temposatis Group – a leader in luxury watch and jewellery distribution – this limited edition transforms Chinese zodiac symbolism into a kinetic, three-dimensional display you can wind and wear. Mechanics in Motion Crucially, the Eternal Gallop is not a one-off flourish, but the latest expression of GENUS’ clearly defined technical language. Founded in Geneva by master watchmaker Sébastien Billières alongside co-founder Catherine…

Hamilton has long been prolific in the business of storytelling, with its watches appearing in more than 500 feature films and TV shows, and its move into gaming feels natural. For Capcom’s Resident Evil Requiem, the brand has taken two of its established models and tuned them to the characters who wear them in-game: the American Classic Pan Europ for FBI analyst Grace Ashcroft, and the Khaki Field Auto Chrono for agent Leon S Kennedy. The result extends character design into tangible form – a pair of limited editions that are convincing on-screen and entirely wearable off it. American Classic Pan Europ Resident Evil Requiem Limited Edition The American Classic Pan Europ Resident Evil Requiem Limited Edition presents a restrained gold-noir aesthetic. Its 42mm steel case is black PVD-coated, accented…

The annual watch fair held by the LVMH Group has become a useful gauge to assess trends shaping the fine watchmaking industry. At a time when global instability reigns, this is a relief. With the first quarter of the year now behind us, attention across the industry has moved swiftly from Milan, where LVMH Watch Week 2026 unfolded, to Cortina d’Ampezzo during the Winter Olympics, where OMEGA took centre stage. The season concluded in Paris on 24 March with the presentation of the second Louis Vuitton Watch Prize for Independent Creatives. Under the chairmanship of Frédéric Arnault, the Group’s Watch Division has now completed its long-anticipated consolidation of expertise and resources. Its structure echoes that of Swatch Group and Richemont, with the Zenith manufacture playing a central role in movement…

Mido’s New Face Swiss Mido unveils the Multifort 8 One Crown while introducing South Korean actor Lee Jong-Suk as its new brand ambassador. Known for roles in Big Mouth, Pinocchio, and W, Lee brings a blend of discipline and precision that mirrors the brand’s watchmaking philosophy. The Multifort 8 One Crown builds on the earlier Two Crowns model and follows Mido’s TECHNOMETRY concept, combining geometric design with modern watchmaking. Angular lines frame a textured blue dial, paired with an integrated steel bracelet. Inside beats the Calibre 80 with Nivachron balance spring, delivering an 80-hour power reserve and improved resistance to magnetism. Vintage Vroom Hamilton channels the golden age of motorsport with three new American Classic Intra-Matic Chronograph H references. Drawing inspiration from the 1960s–70s era when instrument-style dials defined both…

In watchmaking, “perpetual” is a technical term often associated with mechanisms designed to run continuously. Rolex famously uses it to describe its self-winding watches, which keep running so long as they are worn. Elsewhere in horology, the term most commonly appears in the perpetual calendar, a high complication that automatically tracks the date, day, month, and year, adjusting for varying month lengths (30 or 31 days) and February’s 28 or 29 days, including leap years; requiring manual adjustment only once every century. However, the term has gradually taken on a broader meaning for Rolex, suggesting continuity of purpose – a long, steady commitment that extends well beyond the dial. In 1976, to mark the 50th anniversary of the Oyster – the world’s first waterproof wristwatch – the watchmaker launched what…

For the modern woman, a watch has become far more than a reliable way of telling the time or a mere decorative flourish; it must also articulate her taste, intent, and values in equal measure. An attractive dial and fine finishing remain essential, but increasingly, provenance, practicality, and sustainability matter just as much. The new Citizen L Rainell responds to this shift with quiet composure, combining an elegant, jewellery-like presence with a greener, more thoughtful approach to watchmaking, ticking the boxes for style, substance, and self-expression in one fluid, raindrop-shaped sweep. Within Citizen’s portfolio, the L collection represents a more expressive, values-driven approach to women’s watchmaking, where design and sustainability are considered in tandem. Rather than presenting scaled-down versions of men’s models or overt glamorous pieces, it favours subtle aesthetics,…

TAG Heuer’s novelties this year are built around one single collection: the Carrera. The icon of the watchmaker builds on its renown for creating effortlessly stylish chronographs, with one key highlight being the Carrera Split-seconds Chronograph. It uses the TH81-01 self-winding calibre developed with the Vaucher Manufacture that was originally used in the Monaco Split-seconds Chronograph last year. This marks its debut in a Carrera watch. The watch is housed in a 42mm grade 5 titanium case with the Glassbox design, and features an open-worked dial with red accents on the flange’s minute track and chronograph counters. Red-coloured hands are dedicated to the chronograph totalisers and elapsed seconds, with a second white hand for the split seconds. Three pedal-styled pushers operate the start (2 o’clock), stop and reset (4 o’clock),…

At LVMH Watch Week 2026, Hublot unveils a line-up that underscores its confidence as both an icon-maker and a cultural instigator. Leading the charge is the Big Bang Original Unico, a return to the model that redefined modern sports watch design two decades ago, now thoughtfully re-engineered for today’s collector. Around it, each novelty – from fashion to sport-led collaborations – reinforces a clear thesis: refine the icons, leverage material innovation, and let partnerships enrich the narrative rather than distract from it. The result is a line-up that feels deliberate, assertive, and unapologetically Hublot. Big Bang Original Unico The Big Bang Original Unico is a study in proportion and purpose. Hublot has refined the silhouette into a 43mm case that wears more comfortably while preserving the layered geometry enthusiasts expect.…

Rethinking mechanical energy, from first principles. Founded by master movement inventor Dominique Renaud, co-founder of the famed Renaud & Papi, together with watchmaker Julien Tixier in 2023, Renaud Tixier was established to revisit the fundamental mechanics of horology. Rather than adding layers of complications, the duo focuses on rethinking the core principles. Developed for the brand’s inaugural watch, ‘Monday’, the Calibre RVI2023 centres on an automatic micro-rotor combined with an unconventional energy-management system known as the Dancer. This spring-based mechanism regulates the transmission of power while also acting as a shock-absorbing safety device, temporarily disengaging under impact before reconnecting once stability returns. The result is a re-engineered approach to energy transmission – a fundamental rethink of how an automatic movement captures, controls, and protects its power.…

For collectors, the name Villeret does more than mark a place on the map. It signifies the cradle of Blancpain itself, founded in 1735 when Jehan-Jacques Blancpain established his workshop in the village that would later give the brand its identity. Today, Blancpain remains the oldest registered watch company still producing mechanical watches – a distinction sharpened by its refusal to abandon traditional horology even as industrialisation transformed Switzerland in the 19th century and the Quartz Crisis of the 1970s nearly erased mechanical watchmaking altogether. That resolve is central to the mythos of modern Blancpain. When Jean-Claude Biver and Jacques Piguet acquired the dormant brand in 1982, their ambition was clear: restore faith in mechanical watchmaking at a time when the industry had largely lost it. The Villeret collection, introduced…

Independent watchmaking often thrives on ideas that feel slightly improbable at first glance. Guided by master watchmaker Jean-François Mojon, Cyrus Genève pursues a distinctive vision of horology: technically ambitious movements expressed through sculptural dial architecture. Mojon’s work – shaped through his complications specialist studio Chronode and collaborations with some of watchmaking’s most respected names – reflects a fascination with mechanics that are not merely functional, but visually expressive. Independent Vision The Dominion Jawhar, unveiled during Dubai Watch Week in late 2025, continues this philosophy. Produced in a limited series of just 28 pieces, the watch was conceived as a tribute to collectors in the Middle East. Its name, Jawhar – meaning “essence” in Arabic – hints at the idea behind the watch: distilling Cyrus’s identity into a creation that blends…

There is watchmaking that simply tells time – and then there is watchmaking that invites us to reconsider what time actually means. URWERK has long belonged to the latter, creating timepieces that challenge conventional displays while encouraging us to see time from a different perspective. A Philosophical Timepiece Among URWERK’s creations, the UR-100V has become one of the brand’s most recognisable models, built around its signature wandering satellite hour display. With the new UR-100V ‘Lightspeed’ Ceramic, the concept evolves further, transforming the wristwatch into a mechanical reflection on light, distance, and the immense scale of the universe. At its core, the UR-100V remains faithful to the wandering hours system for which URWERK is known. Rotating satellites carry the hour numerals across a minute track at the lower portion of the…

Here is a line familiar to collectors and enthusiasts worldwide, and one that reveals far more about Patek Philippe than it first appears. “You never actually own a Patek Philippe. You merely look after it for the next generation.” At its core is a belief that watchmaking does not end at creation. Beyond the Moment of Creation The Manufacture commits to servicing, repairing, and restoring every timepiece it has ever produced, regardless of age – an obligation that extends long after a watch has changed hands. For many collectors and enthusiasts who give serious thought to legacy planning, Patek Philippe often emerges as one of the top choices for heirloom timepieces. That this is no coincidence becomes clear when service is viewed not as an afterthought, but as a long-term…

Long before Bernhard Lederer became one of contemporary watchmaking’s most devoted specialists in escapements, a passage from an old book captured his imagination. In Old Watches and Their Masters (1926), German scholar Ernst von Bassermann-Jordan describes a drawer filled with pocket watches that, once wound, came alive with sound: “a swarm, a buzzing, and crawling, like in a beehive.” One by one, the watches were lifted out and held to the ear, each revealing its own rhythm – the scratch of the cylinder escapement, the proud swing of the anchor, the lively pulse of the chronometer. The idea that escapements could be recognised by sound proved revelatory to the young Lederer. Determined to test it, he began visiting flea markets, winding pocket watches and listening closely. More than four decades…