AW17 MEN'S LUXURY WATCH EDIT

If the twenty-something Royal Oak Offshore’s original look was ‘swarthy Riviera gadabout’, then this latest iteration of luxury watchmaking’s seminal statement sports watch is surely ‘rakish Riviera lounge lizard’. Less about padding your teak deck at the marina, more about sidling up to the hottest table at Casino Monte Carlo.If, however, the roulette wheel isn’t being kind, don’t even dream of throwing down your watch – the sleek sophistication of the black ceramic case, machined to hair’s-breadth tolerances, combined with the exquisitely engineered mechanics inside make this a keeper.

67350 | £27,000

See that “Pilot” on the dial? Amazingly, after a rummage through the archives, Zenith only recently discovered it held the exclusive rights to have that word printed on their dials. And for good reason – even Louis Blériot himself wore one of their watches during his pioneering cross-Channel flight in 1909. But these no-nonsense aviator watches also acquit themselves nobly “in the field”, with a big crown making it easy to adjust with gloves on. And now, duly kitted out with Zenith’s famous El Primero chronograph, things get even more interesting with a case forged from bronze.

68724 | £5,900

The Parisian shoemaker Berluti may date back to 1895, but it’s the current, fourth-generation custodian Olga Berluti whose is to be credited for the brand’s signature style: Venezia leather, tanned by hand to give a unique, wooden-looking patina to every shoe. It’s a skill that chimed with Hublot, giving us this 250-piece special edition of its dress chronograph, fitted with Scritto calf leather straps, and each complete with a shoeshine kit. The leather dial is especially clever – you can’t usually seal organic material in a watch case, so a “neutralisation” method was developed specially, removing its moisture but keeping the sheen.

67868 | £30,400

At Switzerland’s annual extravaganza of all things horological – a massive trade fair known as ‘Baselworld’ – there are as many pervading trends as any London or Paris Fashion Week. But by far the most popular colourway for 2017 was slate grey with racy Seventies-esque orange pops. Only now has the embargo lifted for the outright best example and ROX couldn’t be prouder to stock it; a suitably rugged and water resistant professional chronograph inspired by those everyday heroes, the coastguard. The colours aren’t even slavish to a trend – orange is essential to visibility in a greywashed environment. Even the pulsometer is derived directly from the needs of those attending first to stricken casualties.

67929 | £3,600

After three straight wins at the legendary Le Mans 24-hours endurance race, it came as a huge surprise when Porsche announced in July that it would be making a wholesale switch to Formula E next year, along with VW Group stablemate Audi and F1 dominator Mercedes. For now though, you can still revel in the petrol fumes with this tribute to Porsche’s prototype hybrid race car, the 919. Coated in stealth-black scratchproof diamond-like carbon, its steel case protects a movement crafted at Chopard’s top-flight L.U.C. facility, ticking at twice the usual speed to deliver higher-than-ever precision.

68801 | £12,440

Even back when intricate mechanics were a given, the craft of skeletonisation has been popular for centuries, paring the metal structure back to its bare minimum to afford an unimpeded view of the watch’s ticking and whirring innards. In the case of DBG Skeleton, it reveals exquisite detail hitherto restricted to the admiration of other watchmakers, from blued screws to ‘Côtes de Genève’ stripes and satin finish. The artistry extends to its perfect symmetry, with two separate time displays each driven by its own geartrain. Historically referred to as a “captain’s watch”, the principle is ideally suited to the brand’s Instrument line as each display is unaffected by the energy drain of the other.

68802 | £33,900

One of Britain’s most iconic motorcycle manufacturers has made a serious return to the Isle of Man TT, where it won the team award for technical excellence 110 years after winning the very first event. Being founded by two flyboy brothers with petrol in their veins as well as Avgas, Henley-based watchmaker Bremont has a deep connection with Norton that dates back to 2009 when they introduced a limited edition Norton chronograph. That relationship steps up a gear in 2017 with Bremont becoming Team Norton’s principal sponsor and making a new chronograph to complement the gleaming road-going derivative of the SG6 race bike, the V4 RR.

67828 | £5,495

CONTINUE READING

From the sporty chic of Chopard’s new Happy Ocean to the elegant majesty of the Millenary from Audemars Piguet, there’s plenty to get excited about with this selection of new-season watches.

The definitive directory of what you should be wearing on your wrist right now. Words by Alex Doak.

As we wave summer goodbye and say hello to autumn’s chill and winter’s snow, what better way to keep your spirits up than by making sure you’ve got something special on your wrist. From diamonds to delicious blue hues, we’ve got some watch options that will always make you feel adorned. Words by Laura McCreddie-Doak.