Word by Robin Swithinbank
A watch, you might say, is for life, not just for Christmas. It can, of course, be for both. Here, Harrods' contributing editor of watches Robin Swithinbank, introduces a handful of luxury timepieces to suit your loved one (or yourself).
After years of travel restrictions and staycations, there is no question the world’s explorers are chomping at the bit to get back on the road again. For them, a heavy-duty timekeeping instrument is an essential piece of kit – when phone batteries die, a mechanical watch becomes timekeeper, navigational tool and reassuring companion. Audemars Piguet’s tough-as-nails Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Chronograph is a steel, ceramic and rubber tool watch, fit for purpose.
For some, watch aesthetics begin beyond what the eye sees first. So even though venerable Swiss watchmaker Vacheron Constantin’s Traditionnelle Tourbillon Chronograph is clearly a masterpiece, for the horolophile, its original beauty lies behind the elegant dial and in the inner workings of its hand-wound movement. There, they’ll find a hand-decorated mechanical work of art, one that combines a tourbillon with a ‘monopusher’ chronograph – which is started, stopped and reset through a single pusher set into the crown. A collector’s item? Absolutely.
Hublot’s collaboration with the French contemporary artist Richard Orlinski – best known for his faceted, yowling King Kong sculptures – has yielded some of the defining art-watch pieces of the last decade. Orlinski’s inimitable style crops up again in this Classic Fusion Orlinski Titanium White, which combines an angular, symmetrical case with an asymmetrical faceted dial that, to this reviewer at least, carries the echo of a bird’s head. There’s a watch to tweet about.
Not two years ago, we were gearing up for a second Roaring Twenties, although as time has shown, our ability to shape the future is more limited than we might want. Then again, as we emerge from the locked-down life, our appetite for grand self-expression has grown even stronger. Few watches will satiate a lust for life with such élan as Cartier’s magnificent Tank de Cartier Louis Cartier, a fresh take on a 1920s classic. With any luck, its libertine convictions will define our next chapter.
Swiss luxury watch companies pride themselves on producing a sustainable product, a claim justified by the life-long potential in a mechanical wristwatch. But that reasoning works only up to a point, as a number of brands pushing a recycled luxury agenda are proving. Among them is Panerai, whose Luminor Marina eSteel has a case and dial made of recycled steel, and a strap made of recycled plastic bottles. The line’s green credentials are symbolised in this handsome Verde Smeraldo, or emerald, version.
Chopard created its first watch with the Mille Miglia historic road race in 1988, jump-starting an annual tradition that has seen the luxury maison produce at least one Mille Miglia collection every year since. The 2021 podium includes this vintage-looking Mille Miglia Classic Chronograph Raticosa, a 500-piece limited-edition steel chronograph named after the Raticosa Pass, a windy, challenging stretch of the race where, according to Enzo Ferrari, the race is won (or lost).
Mechanical watches can be a bit of a mystery. Some might question what use they could be in a smart age. But their power to entice remains. Why? Because of their eternal beauty. Who could reasonably argue that they expect their offspring to cherish their memory through the passing down of a smartwatch? First-timers might be interested in beginning their legacy with the Bvlgari Aluminium GMT, a dual-time watch with an aluminium case, a rubber bracelet and bezel, and a natty blue and red colourway. The Italianate luxury giant introduced the design in the 1990s – 25 years later, it still looks great. The defence rests.
