No bells and whistles, fluorescent shades or SoundCloud-rapper bling — just one small watch detail that makes a huge visual impact.
Pictured above: COLOUR STREAKS — TAG HEUER
The beauty of the ocean and its symbiotic relationship with the TAG Heuer Aquaracer is exemplified by a captivating tortoise shell resin bezel. TAG Heuer’s innovative use of the resin bezel represents a first for the manufacture and is a testimony of its Swiss Avant-Garde DNA.
Replete with a dark and light blue-hued tortoise shell bezel, the colour streaks are reminiscent of sun rays reflecting off ocean waves.
A complementive blue sunray-finished panelled dial serves to highlight the relationship of the 300m water-resistant Aquaracer and water sports.
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OBSCURED TRANSPARENCY — SWATCH: The concept of light and colour takes centre stage for the Swatch Big Bold Spectrum as the oversized timepiece takes a quirky twist with its transparent design.
Based on the concept of the 1983 transparent Swatch Jelly Fish, the Big Bold Spectrum presents a semi-transparent case which proudly displays its quartz innards.
The choice of black shrouds the movement in mystery that Swatch offsets with an explosion of vibrant colours.
Swatch’s Solar Spectrum treatment applied within the semitransparent housing offers a play of colour and light reflection, offering a radically different appearance each time when viewed at various angles.
Bright fluo elements on the indexes and watch hands improve legibility and add another dimension of fun.
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SWIVELING CHARM — RADO: Functional meets ornamental as the humble Rado anchor proves it is more than just a pretty decoration on the dial of Rado timepieces.
Unique to the Swiss brand, the anchor swivels along with the motion of the wrist. Apart from its aesthetic purpose, it also serves as an indicator for watch servicing when the anchor stops rotating.
The Rado Golden Horse 1957 Limited Edition is a faithful re-edition of the original Golden Horse released in 1957, prior to the brand’s association with high-tech ceramic.
Its design is in line with its vintage counterpart with a 37mm case diameter, smokey green dial, seahorse emblems, domed crystal and red-coloured date numerals.
The movement powering within is anything but antiqued with its 80-hour power reserve automatic ETA C07 calibre. In tribute to the original edition, the Rado Golden Horse 1957 Limited Edition is limited to 1957 pieces.
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FIFTH ELEMENT — HERMÈS: The imagery of dreamy cosmics is heightened by Hermès as the dial for its double moonphase Arceau L’heure de la lune takes an exotic twist.
Black Sahara meteorite — mined from fallen meteors in the Sahara — forms the dial backdrop as a pair of contrasting mother-of-pearl moon counters are set opposite each other.
With only 30 examples made, the extraterrestrial dial forged over millions of years in space, exhibits a textured surface that is unique to itself as no two pieces are the same.
Unlike traditional moonphase indicators, Hermès opts for a pair of static moon counters and mobile counters (time and date) to display the phases of the moon. As each day passes, the counters traverse the dial in a clockwise direction to reveal both northern and southern hemisphere phases.
The ingenious design is made possible by the Hermès Manufacture H1837 movement and Exclusive “L’heure de la lune” module, framed within a 43mm white gold case.
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PRECIOUS STONE — CARTIER: The significance of the sapphire cabochon crowns of Cartier timepieces surpasses its exquisite nature as it is a testament to the timelessness of Louis Cartier’s creativity and legacy.
Dating as far back to the dawn of the 20th century, the precious stone crown first appeared on the Santos-Dumont when Louis Cartier made the timepiece for aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont in 1904. Since then, it has been a hallmark and signature of Cartier timepieces.
The Cartier Privé Tank Asymétrique seen here showcases a unique interpretation of the Cartier Tank, offsetting the opposite sides of the rectangular case to present an elongated diamond shape — its dial orientation is rotated to the right as well for a whimsical effect.
To avoid any confusion (given the dial layout), a pair of dots can be seen below the 12 and 6 o’clock numerals to aid orientation. The sapphire cabochon crown makes an appearance alongside the yellow gold case limited to 100 pieces.
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This story about the one small watch detail that makes a difference first appeared in the September ’20 issue of Men’s Folio so if you’re bored, listless or sick of doing your job, click here to catch up with it!
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