As the Northern hemisphere turns into the heartwarming colours of autumn, new and highly anticipated timepieces see the light of day from some of the most famous and desirable names of the industry. Here is our top selection of new Timepieces — with many more novelties to come before the end of the year!
OMEGA Seamaster Diver 300M Nekton Edition
OMEGA has a strong connection to the sea. In the early 1930s, OMEGA was among the pioneers of waterproof watches with its capsule-designed OMEGA Marine watch — long before the inception of its now-famous Seamaster dive watches. The OMEGA Seamaster Diver 300m today ranks among the most popular luxury sports-dive watches owing to its recognisable and ageless design, robust, yet refined build and a fantastic association with the world’s greatest secret agent, the 007.
The OMEGA Seamaster Diver 300M Nekton Edition is not about Mr. Bond, though. It is a materialisation of OMEGA's commitment to the open seas, this time through Nekton, an organization whose mission is to achieve protected status for at least 30% of the world’s oceans by 2030. Today, an achingly small proportion of just 8% of the ocean is in any kind of marine-protected area. This bold undertaking is supported by the sale of the Seamaster Diver 300m Nekton Edition that will help fund the project and raise the public’s awareness of it. The timepiece linked to this noble cause comes in a 42mm wide stainless steel case that keeps OMEGA’s 8806 calibre safe inside.
Price for the OMEGA Seamaster Diver 300M Nekton Edition is €5,560 on the strap and €5,850 on the steel bracelet.
Rolex Submariner
After 61 years, the Rolex Submariner shows a marked change in its size. The definitive dive watch that became 40mm wide in 1959 has officially grown to 41mm in 2020 — which is in line with Rolex’s famously meticulous, considered and slow-paced design changes. What’s much more important than numbers games is how the new Rolex Submariner 41 wears.
On the wrist, the Rolex Submariner 41 looks subtly, yet noticeably more refined through Rolex’s clever play with proportions. The wide and flat lugs of the now out-phased version have been replaced by relatively narrower lugs (these are the four “horns” that attach the end of the bracelet or strap to the watch head). The dial opening became larger, as did the bezel, drawing one’s eyes towards the center of the watch, away from the box-like, squared footprint of the predecessor.
Big changes have also happened on the inside: the Rolex Submariner 41 has the new generation Rolex movements, namely the 3230 in the “Rolex Submariner No Date 41mm” and the 3235 in the “Rolex Submariner Date 41mm.” This provides a much longer, weekend-lasting 70 hours of power reserve — still replenished automatically by the self-winding system — and greater all-round operating efficiency. This watchmaking icon — and reportedly the most-copied watch design of all time — has changed all around in its proportions and style for a more refined and comfortable wearing experience.
Price for the 2020 Rolex Submariner No Date 41mm is €7,350, while price for the 2020 Submariner Date 41mm is €8,300 in steel.
Carl F. Bucherer Patravi TravelTec Color Edition
Over the years, Lucerne-based Carl F. Bucherer has evolved into a versatile manufacture that offers vintage-inspired Heritage pieces, beautifully refined ladies watches with the Pathos line, great all-rounders with the Manero… Plus a smart, and arguably butch, collection with the Patravi TravelTec. Characterised by confident proportions, strong lines and plenty of information on second and third time zones for the frequent traveller, the Patravi TravelTec has all the attributes of a statement watch. With the addition of a chronograph “stopwatch” function, it competes in one of the most favoured and luxury segments: that of the GMT Chronograph. All this functionality, complicated aesthetics and all-round dependability make these the option many watch buyers today go for. 2020 sees the launch of the Carl F. Bucherer Patravi TravelTec Color Edition, joining a slowly but surely extending universe of upbeat watches striving to make their owners feel more optimistic and joyful with the extensive use of funky colors.
The Color Edition has four colours — one for every season. Ice blue, vivid green, powerful yellow and rich orange make for rather self-explanatory options. Underneath the solid caseback of the 46.6mm wide stainless steel case lives the CFB 1901.1 caliber, COSC certified for its accuracy.
Price for the Carl F. Bucherer Patravi TravelTec Color Edition is €9,300.
A. Lange & Söhne Tourbograph Perpetual Honeygold
The A. Lange & Söhne Tourbograph Perpetual Honeygold has a name full of enticing words. The Saxon manufacture’s name rings well among experienced watch collectors the world over.
Tourbograph sounds almost wilfully cool — and it has a meaning to it too, as it refers to the combination of a Tourbillon regulating organ (the timekeeping heart of the watch) and a chronograph (i.e. a stopwatch). Perpetual stands for a perpetual calendar, the most complex Gregorian date complication inside a wristwatch that keeps track of the length variations between 30 and 31-day months as well as the varying length of February in normal and leap years alike. In other words, a watch with a perpetual calendar never needs adjustment — unless its wearer neglected to wear their beautiful timepiece and its power reserve ran out.
A large aperture over the 6 o’clock position reveals an extensively finished bridge that secures the tourbillon from above, while the trademark-style organ oscillates and pulsates underneath. Even the dial itself is in solid Honeygold — a special alloy of gold with outstanding sheen and colour —, with its texts and numerals raised from the grey rhodium-finished surface.
The price for the A. Lange & Söhne Tourbograph Perpetual Honeygold is €500,000.
Hublot Big Bang Chronograph Millennial Pink
Whereas the Swiss watch industry used to have a reputation for its excessive conservatism, the last 15-20 years saw that change entirely as even historic names such as Vacheron Constantin and Patek Philippe began openly targeting a distinctly younger audience with their Fiftysix and Twenty4 collections respectively. That to a generous degree is due to the success of brands like Hublot.
The very essence of Hublot’s success story lies in its bravery and appetite for setting, rather than following trends: watch design, material engineering and marketing partnerships… Individually and together these have paved Hublot’s path to global recognition. The Hublot Big Bang Chronograph Millennial Pink is a watch that already in its very name targets a new audience: Millennials. This Big Bang Chronograph is in gender-bending Millennial Pink (also sometimes called “Tumblr Pink” and “Scandi Pink”), a colour attained through the anodisation of its 42mm wide, beautifully wearable titanium case. The partially openworked dial reveals the HUB1280 UNICO movement, a self-winding mechanical movement designed and produced by Hublot.
The popularity of the colour needs no explanation to those this watch is addressed but the overall aesthetic is one to be seen in person to be fully appreciated.
The Hublot Big Bang Chronograph Millennial Pink is priced at €20,700 on a matching rubber strap and folding clasp and pink knit Velcro strap with anodized aluminum sport buckle.
Hermès Arceau Squelette
Hermès is loved and collected for its iconic bags, belts, shoes and accessories — and in-the-know watch lovers have also been keeping a keen eye on what the Parisian luxury brand has been up to in the field of watchmaking.
While the brand has been gaining ground with its high-exotica pieces of haute horlogerie such as the Hermès L'Heure De La Lune or Le Temps Suspendu, it has also been offering yet more competitively priced luxury pieces truly designed and made to be your favorite daily wear. Such is the Arceau line of Hermès luxury watches that came to be in 1978 thanks to the design genius of Henri d’Origny.
Its stirrup-styled lugs to secure the strap are a tribute to the brand’s equestrian heritage — who knew that inspiration would work so well on a watch case? The Hermès Arceau Squelette measures 40mm in diameter and is just 9.5mm thick — proportions many will agree is in the perfect range for a timepiece to be worn to the office, to formal events and through the weekend. Never overstated, nor insignificant. Just right. The movement is a sourced SW300 caliber that is currently exclusive to the brand, with a bespoke Hermès rotor on the back and fascinating transparency on the front.
Full of unique details and available on a choice of famously high-end Hermès straps, the Hermès Arceau Squelette is priced at approx. €7,300.
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Chronograph 44mm
Three new variations of the famed Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore have made their debut for the autumn of 2020. The Royal Oak Offshore was assigned the daunting task of following in the footsteps of the first-ever steel luxury sports watch, the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak that has changed the landscape of luxury watches for good. It goes without saying, then, that the Royal Oak Offshore had some ginormous shoes to fill — but live up to the expectations it did. It did by becoming the yet sportier, yet more rugged alternative that gave way to yet bolder designs.
The three new references combine high-end materials from the 21st century watchmaking toolbox with that rugged look. The middle case on all three Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Chronograph 44mm models is in black ceramic, finished to the outstanding standards of the brand. Blue or green ceramic bezels top things, while another version in solid 18-carat pink gold is also available with further pink gold components along the case profile and lugs. Flip the watch around and the neatly finished Audemars Piguet base caliber will be looking back at you – with a Dubois-Depraz chronograph module fixed to its dial side.
Dressed in à la mode colours and beautifully finished materials, the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Chronograph in black ceramic is priced at approx. €29,700 in blue or green ceramic, and approx. €36,500 with 18-carat pink gold components.
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Words: David B.
Last Updated on March 16, 2024 by Editorial Team
