Indholdsfortegnelse for June 2023 i Tatler GMT

It’s time to crack open the champagne and pour yourself a glass: we have just turned the page to a new chapter, and it’s called Tatler GMT. This inaugural issue of our watch magazine is symbolic of something much bigger. This publication is the result of a unique collaboration between Tatler Asia and the decades-old Geneva-based GMT magazine, two of the leading voices in luxury lifestyle journalism. Where did the idea spring from? We believe that a watch is not just a time-telling device, but a reflection of personality, style and taste. Our aim is to provide our readers with a comprehensive and insightful look into the vast world of watches, from the latest trends and innovations to the most iconic timepieces and their fascinating histories. In this issue, we…

Skeleton wristwatches have been popular since the quartz crisis of the 1970s, and remain so in 2023. The Swiss watch industry’s biggest players have been dropping cutaway dials and movements at an extraordinary rate, with models showcasing each brand’s intricate designs and technical prowess. For Vacheron Constantin, however, open-worked movements have long been a part of the manufacture’s state-of-the-art collections: watch aficionados have been strapping the brand’s exposed bridges and hand-guillochéd components onto their wrists for decades. “The very first Vacheron Constantin timepiece with a partially open-worked dial dates from 1918,” says Christian Selmoni, the watchmaking maison’s heritage and style director. “It was a pocket watch with an astronomical calendar, which was totally innovative at the time in terms of design. It was not until almost a century later that…

VRITTI JADWANI JAIN Founder & Editor-in-Chief, GMT India “Indians may be recent entrants, but the fact that we have joined the watch-collecting bandwagon is rather evident. What is even more amazing is that it is not only men who are actively collecting timepieces, but also women who are seeking out luxury watches. And if there is one trend that truly stood out for me [recently], I would say it was how men started appreciating smaller dials, and women no longer shied away from the bigger ones. I must also mention that it was the soaring popularity of the MoonSwatch that allowed this trend to trickle down to a larger demographic. It has been a landmark year for luxury timepieces and how they were perceived by watch enthusiasts across the globe.”…

Chopard Mille Miglia Classic Chronograph Welcoming the latest design to its famous collection, Chopard—official timekeeper of the Mille Miglia racing event—adopts a smaller Lucent Steel 40.5mm case, whose Grigio-Blue hue and rose-gold finishes are brimming with adrenaline. You can practically hear the screeching tires. Hublot Square Bang Unico Sapphire Hublot showcases its technical expertise by embracing the two-fold challenge of developing a square format and a multi-layered sapphire case, with this 250-piece limited edition of a self-winding column-wheel flyback chronograph, water resistant to a depth of 5 ATM, complete with a 72-hour power reserve. Grand Seiko Evolution 9 Collection Tentagraph Step aside for Grand Seiko’s first mechanical chronograph, the Tentagraph, which was put through a new and lengthier testing procedure to ensure its precision of +5 to -3 seconds per…

COLLECTOR’S CORNER Lights, camera, action! This is the story of Noel Wong: watch collector, filmmaker, journalist, auctioneer and author. His journey as a watch collector began with a ladies’ watch—a gift that remains his favourite in the well-honed collection he has nurtured over the last few decades. Stop. Rewind. Play. It all started when he was accepted to university in Australia to study journalism. His mother wanted to show her pride through a well-meaning gift, and bought Wong his very first watch, a Pasha C by Cartier. “I still remember, it was HK$15,000 after discount; getting it at that price today is impossible,” he says. Wong, a self-described “mama’s boy”, felt love at first sight, and is eternally grateful for the gift. “Because of that watch, I started getting interested…

What is your company’s approach to sustainability? Breitling formalised its approach to sustainability in 2020. To define our sustainability vision, we focused on identifying priority sustainability topics in our inaugural broad-based and inclusive materiality assessment. Our approach encompasses the pillars of product, planet, people, prosperity and progress, and, importantly, the intersections between and among these subjects. How does this commitment manifest itself on the wrist? Our engagement for sustainability now manifests itself on the wrist in the Super Chronomat 38 Origins, the first watch to provide fully traceable gold and diamonds backed with third-party verification of environmental and social measures taken all along the supply chain along with chain of custody. This is made transparent both to the customer via an enriched blockchain certificate and to the public in our…

What is the biggest challenge in your role? The most difficult problem is putting together a collection that reflects the brand and that customers can recognise and [differentiate] from other companies, [but which is] also commercially relevant and sustainable. You can be really sharp [in design aesthetics] and on-brand, but you risk missing the commercial components, such as trends. As a result, there will always be a need for a balance, which we must strike between customer reality, being a commercially relevant brand and the product portfolio. Ladies’ watches, for example, are an important part of IWC, but there were times when we primarily focused on men’s pieces, which helped establish a really crisp and recognisable brand profile. How do you find this balance between commercial needs and design aesthetics?…

Mark Cho is busy on the day I meet him, working with a trio of customers in his tastefully designed men’s clothing boutique The Armoury in Hong Kong’s Pedder Building. Cho and his business partner Alan See founded their company in 2010 to combine their passions for handcrafted tailoring and classic personal style for men. The boutique has increased its accessibility to a discerning clientele with a store on the Upper East Side of New York, and also provides artisanal shoemaking services. Although both men are known for liking the finer things in life, Cho is particularly well regarded as something of a luxury watch connoisseur. As we settle in to talk about Cho’s passion for watches in the cigar room conveniently located a level above the store, I notice…

1 Divine, versatile, brilliant At just 16 years old, Penélope Cruz made her breakout acting debut in the critically acclaimed Jamón Jamón, which earned her international recognition. More than 30 years on, she has played a plethora of movie roles in a range of genres, several of them with renowned director Pedro Almodóvar, who describes her as his muse. Cruz has garnered numerous accolades and is the first Spanish actress to have received an Academy Award, for her fiery role in Vicky Cristina Barcelona. 2 Blood, sweat and tears Cruz credits her determination and work ethic to her countless years studying classical ballet—sometimes for several hours a day: “The feeling of your toes bleeding but you keep going with a smile, that really shapes you.” This striving spirit won her,…

DENIS HAYOUN Geneva-based Denis Hayoun has a keen eye for watch aesthetics and excels at emphasising their most attractive features. In this inaugural edition of Tatler GMT, the photographer showcases the latest novelties from Watches and Wonders 2023, as well as a selection of timepieces made from recycled materials. LOUIS-OLIVIER MAURY Louis-Olivier Maury relishes conversations about horology and timekeeping with chefs who have earned multiple Michelin stars. Through his 24 Hours With ... column, he offers a glimpse into the inner workings of exquisite restaurants, and their chefs’ relationship with time. In this edition, he speaks to Anne-Sophie Pic, the world’s most decorated female chef. DAVID CHOKRON Paris-based journalist David Chokron admits to being in awe of the power, poetry and ingenuity of watchmaking. However, he takes a pragmatic approach…

Show Motion Turning back time with retrograde hours Visual Arts Immerse yourself in the art of watchmaking…

The Montblanc 1858 Iced Sea Automatic Date is only a year old and its success has been such that there almost aren’t enough to go around. We say “almost” because a new collaborative limited edition of 23 pieces was unveiled recently at the Fine Watch Club in Geneva. A PERFORMANCE DIVING WATCH First released during Watches and Wonders 2022, the Iced Sea marked the first diving watch for the maison, conforming to the ISO 6425 diving certification with water resistance down to 300m, a reinforced and adjustable double deployant buckle, and excellent legibility. It is also certified by Montblanc’s impressive Laboratory 500-Hour Test, which simulates the first year’s life-cycle of a watch and checks its performance, reliability and accuracy over time, making the Iced Sea a robust, dependable, and high-quality…

Known primarily for its luxury leather goods, French design house Hermès has made massive strides into the world of watchmaking in recent years, producing a string of impressive timepieces featuring movements supplied by the famed Vaucher manufacture and sleek designs that even the most ardent of horological traditionalists would struggle to fault. Debuting in 2021, the H08 entered the market as the brand’s sports-chic watch offering. Two years later at Watches & Wonders 2023, Hermès expanded the collection with four new, brightly coloured variations. Designed by Philippe Delhotal, creative director of Hermès Horloger, the new references feature a lightweight composite case and grainy textured dial accented with vibrant pops of colour. Fashioned from a block of braided glass fibre composite coated with aluminium and slate powder, the H08’s 39mm by…

FABRICE GONET Senior designer, Edge Design Favourite chronograph: Breguet Tradition chronograph 7077 Why: “I have always dreamed of owning a Breguet Tradition and, for me, the Tradition 7077 chronograph represents what I love about modern haute horlogerie. A visible mechanism with a lot of life, symmetry in terms of displays, and a style inspired by tradition, by the expertise of our forefathers, with contemporary finishes and materials. The case is very classic and understated, yet it highlights the beauty of the mechanical movement. Its 44mm diameter does not correspond to today’s standards but sits perfectly on my wrist.” GIULIO PAPI Technical director, Audemars Piguet Le Locle Favourite Chronograph: Omega Speedmaster ’57 Co-Axial Master Chronometer 40.5 mm Why: “In addition to its beautiful design, this Speedmaster has a co-axial escapement unique…

Oris Divers Sixty-Five “Cotton Candy” Oris has already made a name for itself by producing watches from recycled materials. This time, the brand has equipped its “Cotton Candy” with a recycled Perlon strap. Maurice Lacroix Aikon #tide Benzilla Maurice Lacroix calls on the creativity of Thai artist and ML Crew member Benzilla to offer a colorful version of its Aikon #tide watch made from the recycling of 17 PET plastic bottles. Chopard Alpine Eagle Sporty-chic meets ethics in this new variation of the Alpine Eagle with an 18-carat rose-gold case. It’s ethical gold, of course, meaning that it is extracted and produced in a responsible manner as well as sourced from refineries certified by the RJC Chain of Custody. Ulysse Nardin Diver Norrøna Arctic Night The watchmaker and the outdoor…

Since 2018, the Ethiwork agency has been supporting fashion and luxury players in improving their social, environmental and cultural footprints. Founder Céline Dassonville explains how her company is doing that. What are the challenges that watchmaking companies are facing in the field of sustainable development? First of all, it is important to grasp the fact that a watch is designed to be eco-friendly, particularly for economic reasons. The watch industry deals mainly with precious materials, volumes are low and purchases are infrequent. The basis is therefore sound and a watch has a minimal footprint compared to the fashion sector. There are nonetheless still many issues at stake, [whether] they are environmental, social, cultural or regulatory. The watch industry must take them into account and it does so with varying degrees…

The Monaco Grand Prix is always a special date on the Formula One calendar, and the 2023 race weekend in May proved to be an especially fruitful one for Max Verstappen. Not only did the Dutch driver cross the finish line in first place, but he was also presented with a brand-new, one-of-a-kind, personalised Tag Heuer Monaco Chronograph Skeleton. Given to him by the company’s CEO, Frédéric Arnault, at a VIP event on the Jacques Cartier ship, celebrating the brand’s longstanding partnership with the Monaco and Verstappen’s Oracle Red Bull Racing Team, the new timepiece features several one-of-a-kind touches, including a striking red “1” displayed boldly on the dial, a caseback engraved with the words “One of one” and two stars to symbolise the driver’s two Formula One World Championship…

BELOW SEA LEVEL The Ulysse Nardin Diver Chronograph Ocean Race watch is a high-performance timepiece with a Calibre UN-150 self-winding movement. It features a sandblasted black dial with rhodium-plated indexes and hands with Super-LumiNova, and small seconds at nine o’clock. The dial is matched with a sandblasted and satin-finished black DLC titanium case with a Carbonium concave unidirectional rotating bezel with domed sapphire crystal. It comes with a black rubber strap with a ceramic element at six o’clock, engraved with the logo of The Ocean Race, a famous sailing competition that has been running since 1973, and a black ceramic pin buckle. The watch is water-resistant down to 300m. Ulysse Nardin Ocean Diver Chronograph SPELLBOUND Living up to its design as a poetic complication, the Lady Féerie features a fairy…

If there’s such a thing as being too successful, some might say Audemars Piguet managed that with its iconic Royal Oak. A legendary timepiece, loved universally, it was always going to be a tough act to follow. And yet the brand managed it with the Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet, which was originally launched in 2019 to much fanfare. Now, with a major refresh, six new references have been released featuring stainless steel cases, new colours and a completely revamped aesthetic that emphasises both ergonomics and legibility. Owing to its complex architecture, featuring stylised tumbled lugs, an ultra-thin bezel and an octagonal middle, the case of the Code 11.59 by Audemars Piguet is one of the most complicated in the company’s history, having been taken up a notch by the…

TAKASHI MURAKAMI Artist Why follow? The Japanese artist known for his use of flowers has collaborated four times with Hublot. The ongoing partnership pushes the boundaries of expression, so follow him for an insider perspective. GENE M. Influencer and collector Why follow? This passionate watch collector likes to share what he knows. His collection includes notable pieces from Akrivia and FP Journe, and the Patek Philippe Nautilus collab with Tiffany. ERIC PENG CHENG Collector Why follow? The CEO of the Undefeated clothing brand’s first love was a vintage Rolex GMT. He shares both his personal timepieces and the collabs he’s worked on, including last year’s H Moser x Undefeated model. OMAR TRABOULSI Collector Why follow? Globetrotter Omar Traboulsi shares his vast collection across two Instagram accounts— @thewrongwrist and @the_daddyo—to both…

Sixteen years ago, Tay Liam Wee sold his family-owned, multi-brand luxury watch retail chain Sincere Watch, which was originally founded by Tay Boo Jiang in 1954, to Hong Kong-based watchmaker and retailer Peace Mark. With haute horlogerie in his veins, Tay went on to co-found another platform in the luxury watch landscape: enter WatchBox. “Danny Govberg, Justin Reis—who is now our CEO—and I started out as co-founders of WatchBox,” says Tay. While Reis came from a private equity background, Govberg and Tay each had over three decades of luxury watch experience, and had earned the title of industry veterans. The new platform aimed at digitising the watch collecting experience. However, the curation of collectible luxury timepieces can also be viewed in person at the brand’s collector’s lounges. “Sometimes it’s your…

The Reverso is one of those objects that has stood the test of time without a single wrinkle—apart from the three horizontal gadroons on the upper and lower edges of its case betokening its classic Art Deco style. These distinctive features have nothing to do with Reverso’s venerable age—they were already present when the model was created more than nine decades ago. Since 1931, Jaeger-LeCoultre’s emblematic watch has remained almost unchanged, evolving in small, discreet steps to maintain its relevance and timelessness. A rectangular silhouette with rounded corners, reversibility, gadroons and a railway-type minutes track are all ageless characteristics serving to identify at first glance the watch that opened up a vast realm of possibilities for the watchmaking maison. Jaeger-LeCoultre has treated the Reverso to every conceivable mechanical innovation: minute…