UP TO THE MINUTE, SS17

24th May 2017

Your quarterly trends report from Alex Doak – this time, fresh from the watch world’s biggest agenda-setting event, Baselworld.

Still buzzing from four days spent in the cavernous, thronging halls of the Baselworld trade fair, gazing slackjawed at every brand’s multistorey pavilion, ROX can safely report that luxury watchmaking is still prepared to play some bold hands, despite 2016 spent licking its wounds from a 10% downturn.

But then, a dip of two short years after an unsustainably exuberant growth stoked by the Chinese is hardly going to suppress a product sold on its very longevity and centuries-old heritage.

Inevitably, just as with all the nostalgic TV advertising we still seem to be enduring following the financial crash then Brexit, there were vintage reissues and retro throwbacks by the wristful – but when it comes to timekeeping, this is always a winner by our books, especially given how brilliant mid-century watch design was.

As well as this rose tint, however, there was a rainbow of exuberant colour pops arcing from Audemars to Ziggy (well, Bowie, but hey), plus plenty of horological showboating to get excited about, not to mention a smorgasbord of high-tech materials like ceramic, titanium and carbon keeping the anachronism that is the ticking mechanical wristwatch thoroughly 21st century – in terms of the packaging, at least.

Women are better served than ever, rather than the “shrink pink” treatments of men’s watches in the past. Even smartwatches are starting to make sense, now we’ve established that they’re not the threat to traditional horology we all feared.

Famously, David Bowie was rather cynical about fame, in his classic song, Fame. But there’s no getting around it – a high (ahem) and glamorous profile always helps by association, and sometimes that association can result in wonderful things. Here are three such “alignments” that reach beyond the closeted mountain confines of Swiss watchmaking with subtlety and class

As well as this rose tint, however, there was a rainbow of exuberant colour pops arcing from Audemars to Ziggy (well, Bowie, but hey), plus plenty of horological showboating to get excited about, not to mention a smorgasbord of high-tech materials like ceramic, titanium and carbon keeping the anachronism that is the ticking mechanical wristwatch thoroughly 21st century – in terms of the packaging, at least.

Women are better served than ever, rather than the “shrink pink” treatments of men’s watches in the past. Even smartwatches are starting to make sense, now we’ve established that they’re not the threat to traditional horology we all feared.

The utilitarian French watchmaker is into its second year with Renault’s revived F1 team, and things have never looked as exuberant. Forged from carbon-fibre strands with “rocking” pushbuttons in ceramic, the F1 similarities extend beyond high-tech materials to aesthetics, the dial flange directly echoing the frankly bewildering rainbow of colour-coded switches adorning Jolyon Palmer and Nico Hulkenberg’s steering wheels.

Trust Hublot – fine watchmaking’s bad-boy disruptor – to team up with a flamboyant character like Lapo Elkann. The Fiat empire scion and driver of a camouflaged Ferrari 458 Italia is behind luxury eyewear brand Italia Independent, which has collaborated on a new range employing jazzy tartan fabrics from another Italian dandy and outfitter, Luca Rubinacci.

In these uncertain times, it’s no wonder we’re falling in love with sepia-filtered timepieces plucked from a steady, golden era of watchmaking – from doppelganger reissues and revivals, to old-fashioned faces that seem strangely familiar…

Next year sees Chopard celebrating 30 years with the Mille Miglia classic-car rally, making it the longest-ever automotive watch collaboration. One of the most visceral too, given that CEO Karl-Friedrich Scheufele participates every year in his silver Porsche 550 A Spyder, and every other driver receives a special-edition Chopard chronograph in their race pack. This year’s publically available limited edition is yet another spot-on tribute to the legendary 1,000-mile race through Italy; unabashedly nostalgic, yet contemporary too.

It is Britain’s illustrious past as a manufacturer of wartime pilot’s watches – up there with Switzerland and, yes, Germany – that has prompted a return to Bremont’s roots this year, having since proved their chops in diving, sailing and classic cars, as well as rocksolid pilot instruments. Named after one of the first British military aircraft manufacturers, the AirCo shows how the retro military thing can still feel relevant; youthful, even, when paired with that natty fabric NATO strap.

“And for the ladies…” was once a wince-inducing appendix to any Baselworld presentation, usually showcasing an afterthought of a collection, populated by smaller, more diamond-encrusted versions of the men’s stuff. A situation that’s mercifully on the wane…

Ever since Alessandro Michele has been in the creative director’s seat at Gucci the brand has undergone something of a renaissance. Following on from the bee-and-star adorned G-Timeless launched last year, the Gucci Le Marche Des Merveilles features a serpent on the dial, in Gucci team colours of red and green.

If you’re of the opinion that you shouldn’t have to ditch the diamonds if you want to dive, then this addition to the Happy collection is ideal. Like the seminal, now-iconic Happy Diamonds, it still has the precious stones skittering freely around the dial but it now comes on a bang-on-trend fabric strap and is good to 300m, which means you can actually use it for diving rather than just for splashing around in the pool.

CONTINUE READING

Building a watch collection is a lifelong journey with big brand milestones along the way. However, there comes a time when your watch just isn’t cutting it and it’s time to invest in something new.

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

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.