Watches: Necessary Roughness
It’s commonly thought that a watch destined for rough use, such as sports, should be inexpensive. Why spend more for a timepiece that’s bound to take a serious pounding? But the truth is, the more you spend on a luxury sports watch, the more abuse it can take: more water resistance, more shock resistance, more durability. Here are five of the best releases of 2018.
Continuing a Tradition: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Diver
Audemars Piguet started the trend of luxury sports watches many years ago, and for the last several years, it has introduced some great new editions with sporty designs. This year, the Royal Oak Offshore Diver, water resistant to 300 meters, gets a makeover with a khaki dial featuring a “Méga Tapisserie” pattern and a matching khaki strap. This 42mm stainless steel watch comes with khaki rubber-clad screw-locked crowns: One crown is for setting the time and winding the watch, the other is for the internal rotating bezel, which helps a diver manage time underwater. ($19,900) Susan Wallace, New York boutique director, 212.688.6644, audemarspiguet.com
Racing against Time: Montblanc TimeWalker Chronograph 1000 Limited Edition
The TimeWalker collection is Montblanc’s sportiest, and this watch takes racing to the next level by timing and displaying elapsed time to an incredible 1/1000th of a second. This is due to a movement holding two balance wheels: a large one dedicated to timekeeping (and beating at a traditional 18,000 bph), and a smaller one that beats at 360,000 oscillations per hour. Featuring a 46.4mm titanium case, the chronograph is operated by a titanium monopusher at 12 o’clock. It has its own barrel, giving it a power reserve of 45 minutes, while the watch itself has a power reserve of 100 hours. Limited to 18 pieces. ($176,000) Jennifer Garippa, New York boutique director, 212.223.8888, montblanc.com
Surviving the Abyss: Ulysse Nardin Diver Deep Dive
This limited-edition diver is water resistant to 1,000 meters (more than 3,000 feet). No human being can survive at that depth, but at least your watch can. The movement incorporates Ulysse Nardin’s patented silicium lever and escape wheel setup, which withstands environmental changes such as temperature and magnetism. It also features just what a diver needs: a unidirectional rotating bezel; big, highly visible hands and indexes with lots of Super-LumiNova; a running seconds display; and an automatic helium-release valve. Limited to 300 pieces. ($12,000) Vivian Ariel, New York boutique manager, 212.257.4920, ulysse-nardin.com
Nautical Throwback: Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris Memovox
Part of a newly debuted collection by Jaeger-LeCoultre that draws from a bygone 1968 timepiece, this 42mm stainless steel watch houses the brand’s Calibre 956, which features an alarm so thunderous it can be heard underwater. This was the original Memovox’s claim to fame. Today, the design has been updated with a black dial that features sunray, grained and opaline finishes. The vanilla Super-LumiNova further evokes the 1968 timepiece. ($12,600) 877.552.1833, jaeger-lecoultre.com
Takes a Licking: Richard Mille RM 53-01 Tourbillon Pablo Mac Donough
Collaborating with champion polo player Pablo Mac Donough, Richard Mille sought to create a watch that could withstand the violence of this equestrian sport. It addresses a major concern—the critical damage potentially caused to the sapphire crystal by a mallet or a ball—with a custom-made laminated crystal: two sheets of sapphire separated by a thin polyvinyl film. The glass might crack, but it will not shatter. The case is Carbon TPT, a very rugged form of carbon fiber that resists cracks and tears. And to combat the shocks the watch will inevitably suffer during a match, Mille suspended the tourbillon movement with two cables, 10 pulleys and four tensioners. Limited to 30 pieces. ($900,000) Wael El Saadi, Beverly Hills boutique director, 310.285.9898, richardmille.com
Continuing a Tradition: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Diver
Audemars Piguet started the trend of luxury sports watches many years ago, and for the last several years, it has introduced some great new editions with sporty designs. This year, the Royal Oak Offshore Diver, water resistant to 300 meters, gets a makeover with a khaki dial featuring a “Méga Tapisserie” pattern and a matching khaki strap. This 42mm stainless steel watch comes with khaki rubber-clad screw-locked crowns: One crown is for setting the time and winding the watch, the other is for the internal rotating bezel, which helps a diver manage time underwater. ($19,900) Susan Wallace, New York boutique director, 212.688.6644, audemarspiguet.com
Racing against Time: Montblanc TimeWalker Chronograph 1000 Limited Edition
The TimeWalker collection is Montblanc’s sportiest, and this watch takes racing to the next level by timing and displaying elapsed time to an incredible 1/1000th of a second. This is due to a movement holding two balance wheels: a large one dedicated to timekeeping (and beating at a traditional 18,000 bph), and a smaller one that beats at 360,000 oscillations per hour. Featuring a 46.4mm titanium case, the chronograph is operated by a titanium monopusher at 12 o’clock. It has its own barrel, giving it a power reserve of 45 minutes, while the watch itself has a power reserve of 100 hours. Limited to 18 pieces. ($176,000) Jennifer Garippa, New York boutique director, 212.223.8888, montblanc.com
Surviving the Abyss: Ulysse Nardin Diver Deep Dive
This limited-edition diver is water resistant to 1,000 meters (more than 3,000 feet). No human being can survive at that depth, but at least your watch can. The movement incorporates Ulysse Nardin’s patented silicium lever and escape wheel setup, which withstands environmental changes such as temperature and magnetism. It also features just what a diver needs: a unidirectional rotating bezel; big, highly visible hands and indexes with lots of Super-LumiNova; a running seconds display; and an automatic helium-release valve. Limited to 300 pieces. ($12,000) Vivian Ariel, New York boutique manager, 212.257.4920, ulysse-nardin.com
Nautical Throwback: Jaeger-LeCoultre Polaris Memovox
Part of a newly debuted collection by Jaeger-LeCoultre that draws from a bygone 1968 timepiece, this 42mm stainless steel watch houses the brand’s Calibre 956, which features an alarm so thunderous it can be heard underwater. This was the original Memovox’s claim to fame. Today, the design has been updated with a black dial that features sunray, grained and opaline finishes. The vanilla Super-LumiNova further evokes the 1968 timepiece. ($12,600) 877.552.1833, jaeger-lecoultre.com
Takes a Licking: Richard Mille RM 53-01 Tourbillon Pablo Mac Donough
Collaborating with champion polo player Pablo Mac Donough, Richard Mille sought to create a watch that could withstand the violence of this equestrian sport. It addresses a major concern—the critical damage potentially caused to the sapphire crystal by a mallet or a ball—with a custom-made laminated crystal: two sheets of sapphire separated by a thin polyvinyl film. The glass might crack, but it will not shatter. The case is Carbon TPT, a very rugged form of carbon fiber that resists cracks and tears. And to combat the shocks the watch will inevitably suffer during a match, Mille suspended the tourbillon movement with two cables, 10 pulleys and four tensioners. Limited to 30 pieces. ($900,000) Wael El Saadi, Beverly Hills boutique director, 310.285.9898, richardmille.com
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