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Happy Monday, and welcome back to another instalment of The Wind Up! For anyone new here, this is Man of Many’s weekly wrap detailing the horological encounters, events, and developments that have caught our attention over the past seven days. I’m Rob, someone who’s counting down the days until I take delivery of the Longines HydroConquest I ordered, and it’s my pleasure to be joining you once again.
This has been an action-packed and highly social week for The Wind Up. First, the Man of Many team attended the opening of the stunning new Patek Philippe boutique on Sydney’s King Street (the address is technically George Street, but the facade is on King). Only the most blessed among us will ever have the chance to take delivery of a watch from there, but it’s an exciting addition to our city’s thriving watch district nonetheless. Then, we had the pleasure of jetting down to Melbourne to celebrate with the Rado team at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the brand’s first Australian boutique. You can find my thoughts on both of these excursions and more below.
As ever, there’s no time like the present and not a second to waste, so let’s dive into the latest edition of Man of Many’s The Wind Up.
We Were There: All the Splendour of Patek Philippe’s New Sydney Boutique
In the words of Homer Simpson, “This place looks expensive. I feel like I’m wasting a fortune just standing here.”
With the arrival of the new Patek Philippe boutique, Sydney’s primary watch district was dramatically elevated last week. The maison’s new location sits right in the heart of King Street, flanked by Cartier and Piaget, with Hublot, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Panerai, and IWC Schaffhausen further along the row. Plus, Vacheron Constantin and A. Lange & Söhne wait just a few steps up the hill. It’s an ideal spot and a must-visit for watch lovers.
Throughout the party celebrating its opening, Patek did not hold back. Cristal seemed in almost inexhaustible supply as my colleagues and I perused some of the finest watches ever made. Spirits were anything but dampened despite the grim weather waiting just outside the boutique’s glass doors.
For those of us lucky enough to be inside, we explored a corner of horological heaven, with a broad selection of the maison’s incredible work on display, including a range of Nautilus references, gorgeous chronographs like the Complications 5172G-001, and lovely Calatrava pieces. The boutique itself is the picture of luxury, appointed with elegant wood and cream finishes, as well as wall-mounted watch displays emblazoned in maroon velvet, which the staff informed us matches that found in Patek’s Geneva store.
Beyond the watch-filled entrance sits an elegantly appointed bar, with a highly discerning spirits selection. And guests who wander will also be rewarded with the discovery of a beautiful wall display detailing this most celebrated watchmaker’s rich history, paired with fascinating artifacts sit in glass display cases awaiting inspection.
As I mentioned in my intro, few people will have the privilege of actually acquiring a timepiece from Patek’s new home in Sydney. Nevertheless, whether you’re already a Patek devotee or discovering the brand for the first time, I highly recommend stopping by and inspecting these remarkable timepieces at your leisure. After all, what better way for locals to discover why Patek Philippe sits alongside Vacheron Constantin and Audemars Piguet in the ‘Holy Trinity’ of watchmaking?
Melbourne Calling: Celebrating Rado’s Long-Awaited Australian Boutique
A couple of days later, having fully recovered from the Cristal, I boarded a plane to Melbourne for the official ribbon-cutting ceremony outside Rado’s highly anticipated boutique on Collins Street. We can argue another time about whether Sydney’s King Street or Melbourne’s Collins holds the title of greatest watch-shopping district in Australia. However, Melbourne’s Lord Mayor, Nicholas Reece, certainly made his feelings clear while in attendance. Then again, like many politicians, he’s about as convincing as a real estate agent.
Regardless, Rado’s boutique is a very welcome newcomer to Melbourne’s premier watch district. The brand’s Chief Executive Officer, Adrian Bosshard, proved far more charming than the Lord Mayor, making us all feel very welcome as we perused the brand’s wares. Also present were ambassadors for the “Master of Masterials”, tennis legend Ash Barty and cricket prodigy Cameron Green.
Boasting a catalogue of more than 200 pieces strong, the boutique features the widest collection of Rado references in the country, and I found more than a few that caught my eye, particularly some of the ceramic True Square pieces on display. If you’re browsing the shopfronts along Collins Street in search of your next timepiece, be sure to stop in.
IWC Celebrates the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team with a Purple Party
With its purple dial and strap and contrasting numerals, indices, and hands in PETRONAS green, IWC’s latest Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team watch is one of the most striking releases the year has served up thus far.
It won’t be for everyone and would only serve as a daily driver for the most bold of individuals, but I really like it. Taking inspiration from Singapore’s national flower, the Vanda Miss Joaquim orchid, ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix in early October, the result looks like something that could have been worn by either Prince (Hurrah!) or the Joker (Boo!).
The watch is powered by the IWC-manufactured calibre 69385, an automatic column-wheel chronograph with a 46-hour power reserve. It features the brand’s signature vertical subdial layout, with a combined day-date display at 3 o’clock, 100-metre water resistance, and a sapphire display caseback.
As the fourth official team watch IWC has produced for Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS, this piece will be worn trackside by team personnel, including mechanics and engineers. If you’d like to pick one up for yourself, you can do so online or at your local boutique for AUD$14,300.
IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team Key Specs:
- Reference: IW388121
- Case: Grade 5 titanium
- Diameter: 41 mm
- Thickness: 14.5 mm
- Dial: Purple
- Strap: Purple rubber with EasX-CHANGE system
- Movement: IWC-manufactured calibre 69385 automatic chronograph
- Power Reserve: 46 hours
- Water Resistance: 100 metres
- Functions: Hours, minutes and seconds, chronograph, day-date display, small hacking seconds
- Caseback: Sapphire exhibition caseback
- Price: AUD$14,300
Bell & Ross BR-X5 Meteorite is an Intergalactic Effort
If you want a watch that reminds you of how your entire life essentially amounts to the blink of an eye on a cosmic level, or how small all are compared to the grand scale of the universe. Bell & Ross’ latest release is for you.
Using material from a meteorite billions of years old, the limited-to-250-pieces reference combines the brand’s BR-X5 design with a genuine Muonionalusta meteorite dial. Its natural Widmanstätten pattern, which is impossible to reproduce artificially, gives every dial its own exclusive mineral signature.
In typical Bell & Ross fashion, the watch boasts a 41 mm steel case, the signature multilayer sandwich architecture and the COSC-certified manufacture movement with a 70-hour power reserve. It’s a perfect way to keep track of the seconds, minutes, and hours, all while remembering that our universe measures time across billions of years.
Bell & Ross BR-X5 Meteorite Key Specs:
- Reference: BRX5R-MTR-ST/SST
- Case: Satin-finished and polished steel
- Diameter: 41 mm
- Thickness: 12.8 mm
- Dial: Meteorite
- Strap: Satin-finished and polished steel or black rubber
- Movement: Calibre BR-CAL.323
- Power Reserve: 70 hours
- Water Resistance: 100 metres
- Functions: Hours, minutes and seconds. Date window at 3 o’clock and power reserve indicator at 9 o’clock
- Caseback: Sapphire exhibition caseback
- Price: AUD$14,700
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