In this instalment of our regular watch series “The Wind Up”, we take a look at some far sprung pieces from a variety of brands, some you may know and others you may be seeing for the first time. It’s a dangerous game, venturing into the unknown, but keep your wits about you and you’ll be just fine. So as always gents, sit back and enjoy!
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Girard-Perregaux Tourbillon with Three Gold Bridges
A spectacle of magnificence and awe, the Girard-Perregaux Tourbillon with Three Gold Bridges is something else altogether. This 40mm mass of pink gold is a testament to Girard-Perregaux’s horological depth, artistry and ingenuity. It’s a very precise, but also very traditional affair in this piece. The contrast between the cold silver of the mainplate and the warmth of the pink gold is stunning, and I truly believe that any other colour combination wouldn’t have done the watch justice. The three pink gold bridges are a sight to behold, and whilst their placement is super atypical, it’s both admired and appreciated. In a world where high end horology and super complications has become somewhat of the norm, differentiation to this extent is always welcomed. The Girard-Perregaux Tourbillon with Three Gold Bridges is a superbly well designed timepiece that has been executed to perfection. Girard-Perregaux are like the dark horse of the Swiss watchmaking world, and for me that only adds to the piece’s appeal. Straight to the top of my Christmas list (it’s never too early, right?).
SevenFriday P3B/02
To celebrate this year’s Bullrush Rally, an epic couple of days of fast cars (and fast women?) starting here in Sydney and heading north through to Brisbane, SevenFriday have released the P3B/02 in a super limited run of only 49 numbered pieces. The P3B/02 is everything you’ve come to expect from SevenFriday. It’s brash and aggressive, it oozes masculinity, and its against-the-grain persona works wonderfully to separate it from the crowd. The somewhat openworked dial is deep and proportional to the piece’s mass. The case is befittingly SevenFriday, and the overall aesthetic of the P3B/02 is very reflective of the supercars it was made to mirror. The SevenFriday P3B/02 is available now for $2,495.
Longines Avigation BigEye
Okay, this one took some getting used to. The proportions may seem off, but give it a second or two. The oversized small-seconds register at 9 o’clock (aka, BigEye) and the two very large chronograph pushers seem to tip the scales of balance, and in a way they do. But I think it works extremely well. Even for the nit-pickers, the Avigation BigEye’s aesthetic is at the very least a pleasing one. The brushed and polished 41mm stainless steel case is really quite beautiful, and I’m actually very impressed with the attention to detail that Longines have so evidently paid to the Avigation BigEye. The dial is reminiscent of the old-school pilot’s chronographs, and it too looks wonderful. From the large Arabic numerals coated with Super-LumiNova to the darkness of the dial and the off-black of the chronograph sub-dials, it all seems to work relatively well. The light brown leather strap finishes the aesthetic of the Avigation BigEye gorgeously, and at the same time I think a weathered NATO strap would definitely suit this piece. The Longines Avigation BigEye is a beautiful vintage homage piece, minus the exorbitant price tag. Well done, Longines.
Urwerk UR-105 CT Streamliner
Now you’d be forgiven fairly quickly if you didn’t know of Urwerk, but on the other hand if you did then I commend you on your impeccable taste and thorough knowledge of what resides within the innermost circles of haute horlogerie. Urwerk are a pioneering brand that combines creativity, horological mastery and insanity into packages that are really something else altogether. The UR-105 CT Streamliner is anything but conventional, and its inception comes as the brand turns 20 years of age. Now I’d normally speak about the dimensions, the case materials and the like, but just for once I’d like to throw that out the window and give you the opportunity to analyse what I think is borderline contemporary art. The UR-105 CT Streamliner belongs literally belongs in Sydney’s Museum of Contemporary Art. For all you pursuers of different and unique, take a page out of the Urwerk book and learn how to just be. Urwerk don’t try to be different, they just are different. they do things their own way, they don’t care if you don’t agree with them, and you have to respect that ethos. Gone are the days of high end manufacturers conforming to make a sale. Enter the world of next-gen watchmaking. Get excited!
Ralph Lauren Minute Repeater
From the insane to the subdued. From the contemporary to the traditional. Here is the Ralph Lauren Minute Repeater. A lovely little timepiece whose artistic aesthetic masks its inner complexities. For all of you don’t know, a minute repeater is by far and large one of the most complicated, most intricate movements to assemble. Now I guess it must be said that this is an ébauche (that is, not in-house) movement, but regardless, it is an admirable and highly regarded calibre. We seem to have gone a bit backwards here. Starting with the movement, so let’s take a look at the aesthetics for a second. The 42.5mm 18k white gold case surrounds an abundance of designs and styles that contrasts impeccably well as a complete visual package. From guilloche engravings, to the smoothness of part of the dial to the circular tracks visible behind the Roman numeral hour markers, it’s all so very elegant and refined. The Ralph Lauren Minute Repeater costs just north of a quarter of a million Aussie dollars. For the same you can get your foot well and truly in the door of Patek Philippe or Vacheron Constantin, but if you want different then this may be your next piece.
If you enjoyed The Wind Up and would like to continue reading about watches, you can head on over to my blog, Haulogerie, where I delve a bit deeper into the wonderful world of watches.
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You’ll also like:
The Wind Up – Watch News #48
The Wind Up – Watch News #47
The Wind Up – Watch News #46
