What to Watch
The 14 best timepieces of the season
Fall 2017
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LAUREATO, PINK GOLD CASE, 42 MM
GP • Visual: Laureato Pink Gold SP_2017-3 • Ann Departure Watch Guide SP_2017-3 • Language: English • Doc size: 15.5 x 9.5” • Calitho #: 07-17-123398 • TS 19/07/2017
There is no mysteryabout a Girard-Perregaux,
simply more than two centuries of craftsmanshipand a perpetual commitment to perfection.
www.girard-perregaux.comLAUREATO, PINK GOLD CASE, 42 MM
There is no mysteryabout a Girard-Perregaux,
simply more than two centuries of craftsmanshipand a perpetual commitment to perfection.
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LAUREATO, PINK GOLD CASE, 42 MM
GP • Visual: Laureato Pink Gold SP_2017-3 • Ann Departure Watch Guide SP_2017-3 • Language: English • Doc size: 15.5 x 9.5” • Calitho #: 07-17-123398 • TS 19/07/2017
There is no mysteryabout a Girard-Perregaux,
simply more than two centuries of craftsmanshipand a perpetual commitment to perfection.
www.girard-perregaux.comLAUREATO, PINK GOLD CASE, 42 MM
There is no mysteryabout a Girard-Perregaux,
simply more than two centuries of craftsmanshipand a perpetual commitment to perfection.
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A Patek Philippe “Padellone”
Perpetual Calendar, reference
3448, in 18-karat white
gold with moon phases, circa 1972
and valued at $500,000, from
Phillips’s upcoming Winning Icons:
Legendary Watches of the 20th
Century auction in New York City
If you’re looking to buy a timepiece, you’ve come to the right place. The editors at DEPARTURES have been to
Baselworld and Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie, to collector’s groups and auction houses, and to the
finest shops in the United States. We did all of that because we love watches—and to showcase the 14 handcrafted
wonders here. We bring you trends (the gold dress watch is back), updates (a gray Panerai Luminor), innovations
(Breitling’s new “engine”), and a few surprises (Paul Newman’s Rolex). There has never been a better time to
invest in a timepiece because there has never been more excitement around them, thanks in large part to the
growth of enthusiastic—and evangelical—watch clubs. In fact, we just started our own. Join us. —Jason Sheeler
The Watches of the Season
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Cover photograph by J E N S M O R T E N S E N
ULYSSE NARDIN Executive Skeleton Tourbillon, $38,000; ulysse-nardin.com
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Gentlemen, Start Your BiddingOne of the world’s most
famous—and until now
elusive—watches comes
to auction this fall.
by N I C K R E M S E N
On October 26, Phil-lips Watches—in partnership with Bacs & Russo—will bring its prestigious timepiece auction
to New York City for the very first time. (Sales otherwise occur in Ge-neva and Hong Kong.) Fifty highly collectible watches from the 20th cen-tury will be on the block, including a nearly impossible-to-find Cartier Lon-don Crash in 18 karat yellow gold from 1991, an 18-karat-pink-gold Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendar Chronograph wristwatch from the 1940s, and a stainless steel Rolex Sub-mariner issued to the British Ministry of Defence in 1977.
It’s another Rolex, however, that is expected to hit the highest number of the night: a Rolex 6239 Cosmograph Daytona once owned by Paul New-man. While filming the race car movie Winning in 1968, he received the watch as a gift from his wife, Joanne Woodward. It was a sign of love—
with a caveat. Woodward had a mes-sage engraved on the case back: “Drive carefully, me.”
Prized by Rolex collectors, the 6239 was the first Daytona that the company created and was produced only from 1963 to 1970. It became known for its elaborate dial, featuring an Art Deco font and graphic red accents. Eventu-
ally, it took on a new name in the watch world and popular culture at large: The model became known as the Paul Newman Daytona after the Winning star was photographed wearing it.
In 1984, Newman gave the watch to James Cox, the then boyfriend of his daughter Nell. This year, the two agreed amicably to put it up for sale for charity. A portion of the final pro-ceeds will benefit both the Nell New-man Foundation (which works to sup-port sustainable agriculture) and the celebrated actor’s well-known New-man’s Own Foundation. x
Winning Icons: Legendary Watches of the 20th Century takes place on Octo-ber 26 in New York City. Bids from $5,000 to $1 million; phillips.com.
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Paul Newman photographed wearing his Rolex 6239 Cosmograph in 1974.
Below: The same watch, which is up for auction in October
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Fabergé Altruist Black, $17,500; faberge.com
With its trademark bidirectional slide-rule bezel, Breitling’s iconic pilot’s watch—a favorite of
airmen since 1952—is now available in red gold. The Breitling Navitimer Rattrapante has
been further reimagined with a sapphire display case back, a black rubber wristband, and a
split-seconds chronograph that was developed in house. (Two patents have been filed for what
the company calls an “engine.”) Only 250 are available. $32,895; breitling.com. —Annie Davidson
IN STORE
Feeling the Blues
Back in Black
The Fabergé Altruist Black is
the storied brand’s refined edition
of the design it released at
Baselworld last year. Like the other
models in Fabergé’s Altruist collection,
this 18-karat-gold, 41-millimeter piece is
water-resistant to 50 meters and features
a self-winding Vaucher 3000 complica-
tion manipulated by a house-developed
Fabergé crown with a pivoting finger
grip—a whimsical, kinetic bonus that
opens to be adjusted like an old clock.
Other Altruist highlights include 50-hour
power reserve technology, an alligator
strap, and a sapphire crystal case back.
New for 2017? Like many updates at
Basel, a sleek black-on-black look, with
an opaline guilloche dial radiating out
from the center in tactile waves.
—Jason Sheeler
D I A L U P
V E R S I O N 2 . 0
The Watches of the Season | p5
From top: Rolex Oyster Perpetual Sky Dweller in steel and white gold,
$14,400; rolex.com. Patek Philippe Gondolo in white gold with blue
sunburst dial and blue alligator strap, $27,220; patek.com. Audemars Piguet
in stainless steel and sapphire crystal, $24,300; audemarspiguet.com.
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abergé, world renowned for its exquisite artistry, ingenuity and opulence, applies the same mastery and technical brilliance
to its men’s and women’s watch collections. Just like the iconic Fabergé egg, every timepiece celebrates the unexpected—from almost hidden details to astonishingly imaginative designs.
To mark the centennial of the Russian Revolution, Fabergé unveils a new standard in measuring time: The Fabergé Visionnaire Chronograph presents the timing counter in the
very center of the dial, ushering in a clearer, more intuitive way to display a chronograph. The composition allows for unprecedented readability, precision, and e�ciency. As homage to Fabergé’s unfinished Constellation Egg of 1917, watchmakers laser-engraved an etching of the egg that is visible only to those who know where to find it.
The innovative concept demanded a new chronograph movement, which was developed by Agenhor, a Geneva- based movement specialist. Automatic Caliber 6361 required nearly a decade of research, design and testing, and features five horological patents.
On the periphery of the dial, Visionnaire Chronograph’s rotor is visible under the sapphire crystal ring. As the tiny engine spins to power the timepiece, the radial lines on the display subtly reflect the light, creating a constant dynamism.
This groundbreaking wristwatch is available in a black ceramic and titanium or an 18k rose gold and titanium case — both come with an alligator strap. Available to order from www.faberge.com, Houston Galleria Mall in Texas, Fabergé Boutique and Harrods in London, or by appoint-ment ([email protected]).
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The Fabergé Visionnaire Chronograph’s daring look demanded a new movement design.
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OU R H E R I TAG E . YOU R L EG AC Y.
F A B E R G E . C O M @ O F F I C I A L FA B E R G E
F A B E R G É P R O U D LY U S E S G E M F I E L D S C O L O U R E D G E M S T O N E S
L O N D O N N E W Y O R K AUSTR A LI A A ZER BA IJA N BA HR A IN CA NA DA CZECH R EPUBLIC FR A NCE ITA LY M A LTA
QATA R SAUDI A R A BI A SW ITZER L A ND TH A IL A ND UA E UK UK R A INE USA
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The Watches of the Season | p11
Breguet Classique 7147 in rose gold with brown leather
strap, $21,000; wempe.com.
Hermès Slim d’Hermès
L’heure Impatiente in rose gold with matte alligator
strap, $39,900; hermes.com.
Girard-Perregaux 1966
Large Date and Moon Phases in gold,
$24,400; girard-perregaux.com.
F.P. Journe Octa
Automatique Lune in red and white
gold with integrated mirror-finished
gold numerals, $40,900; fpjourne.com.
Vacheron Constantin
Patrimony Moon Phase Retrograde
Date in rose gold, $40,600; wempe.com.
It’s Not ComplicatedA man’s dress watch need
only accomplish three things: sit
flat on the wrist, look great with
a jacket, and tell the time.
Photograph by
J E N S M O R T E N S E N
Styled by
P A U L F R E D E R I C K
T H E C L A S S I C S
From left:
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rue innovation. Audacious style. Roger Dubuis has an unbridled passion for
extraordinary watch design and technical creativity. The collections of this young, Geneva-based brand convey an exuberance and confidence to suit an adventurous lifestyle.
Founded in 1995 by master
watchmaker Roger Dubuis, the company manufactures every element of its timepieces—from the smallest components to intricate, carefully finished movements and distinct case designs—earning the prestigious Poinçon de Genève certification.
Roger Dubuis takes a disruptive approach to watch engineering and design, using
novel alloys and materials uncommon in traditional watchmaking. The Excalibur Spider collection extends the brand’s sought-after skeleton designs, which reveal their signature star-patterned movements.
This year, in partnership with renowned Italian manufacturer Pirelli, Roger Dubuis introduced the
Excalibur Spider Pirelli collection. Rubber from certified winning Pirelli race car tires is inlayed in the strap and features the unique Pirelli Cinturato™ tread motif. Pirelli’s bright colors accent the timepiece’s open-worked hands, flange and case.
The Excalibur Spider Pirelli is the first Roger Dubuis automatic skeleton watch that uses a micro-rotor. A spectacular 3D e�ect en-hances the depth and visibility of the movement. The caliber’s 167 parts are individually hand finished. Limited to just 88 pieces, the Excalibur Spider Pirelli watches are sure to become collector’s items.
For owners who “dare to be rare,” Roger Dubuis exudes an incomparably bold style and timekeeping precision. This fall the Swiss brand opens a new boutique in Los Angeles in addition to their spectacular flagship store on Madison Avenue in New York City.
NO COMPROMISE THE�DRIVING�PASSION�OF�ROGER�DUBUIS
T
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Roger Dubuis Beverly Hills Boutique, 9490 C. Brighton Way, Beverly Hills, CA 90210 - Phone: +1 310-734-1855Roger Dubuis New York Boutique, 545 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10022 - Phone: +1 212-651-3773
Limited edition of 88 piecesPerformed with winning race
tyre rubber
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he corner of Fifth Avenue and 55th Street in New York is synonymous with one of the
fi nest names in timekeeping. Since 1990, Wempe has operated its U.S. fl agship in this landmark building, home to the fi ve-star Peninsula Hotel. In 2016, the store expanded to 5,500 square feet. There, an international clientele of watch collectors and afi cionados appreciate the unrivaled selection of the foremost luxury brands, superior expert advice, and dependable service.
Hellmut Wempe, grand-son of the founder, fulfi lled a
dream when he established the company’s fi rst New York showroom in 1980. His family’s history in watchmaking began more than 100 years earlier with a small workshop and shop in Germany. Today, he and his daughter Kim-Eva Wempe oversee a thriving enterprise with destination stores worldwide, including
London, Paris, Vienna, and Madrid and an eponymous col-lection of men’s and women’s timepieces and fi ne jewelry.
In 2005, Wempe acquired and renovated a historic obser-vatory in Glashütte, a German town revered for watchmaking. The site was converted into an innovative manufacturing and chronometer testing facility, as
well as training institute. Since 2006, Wempe Glashütte i/SA has manufactured and tested the brand’s chronometers, timepieces that meet the most stringent standards of accuracy.
Along with Wempe’s exclusive Zeitmeister and the Chronometerwerke collections, customers can explore 20 other outstanding Swiss and German watch brands in the spacious New York fl agship, which includes expansive shops for Patek Philippe and Rolex. In addition, the Wempe Rolex boutique is just a few blocks south, in the Rolex Building on Fifth Avenue.
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Watch collectors rely on Wempe, in New York, for the best selection of Swiss and German timepieces.
Wempe’s observatory in Glashütte is the only official site for chronometer testing in Germany.
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Wempe ChronometerwerkePower Reserve
18K gold, manual winding with stop seconds function and subsidiary second dial. Anti-reflective sapphire crystal and screw down crystal case back. 60 hours power-reserve. Water-resistant. Officially tested chronometer to German DIN 8319 standard. Exclusively at Wempe.
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It’s All in the WristA New York City watch club aims to take the
rarefied air out of collecting rare watches.
by A N D R E W B E V A N
H I G H C A L I B E R The very thought of an assembly of watch col-lectors and horological enthusiasts brandishing their new F.P. Journes
might conjure images of a tobacco-scented, tufted leather sofa; a roaring fire; and maybe a monocle or two. While those coteries certainly exist (the oldest watch club in the U.S., founded in 1943, is the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors in Colum-bia, Pennsylvania), the RedBar Group is a swift repudiation of that staid no-tion. The watch club seeks to broaden
Illustration by A N T O N Y H A R E
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the scope—and lessen the snobbery—of the world of rare and collectible watches. Elsewhere in NYC, looking less like Downton Abbey characters and more like members of an East Village rock band, president and founder Adam Craniotes and COO Kathleen McGivney have built an international network of about 2,800 elite watch aficionados. With nary a snifter of co-gnac, RedBar is modernizing the very analog ways of watch appreciation.
This paradox is possible thanks, in part, to one overarching decree: “The first rule of RedBar is no snobs,” Cra-niotes deadpans as we settle into the corner of a downtown coffee shop. “There are watch groups out there where you have to have three people vote you in and your collection has to be of a certain provenance and the doors are shut. We want to open doors.”
What began ten years ago as bar talk has grown into a weekly gathering (still at bars) with dozens of collectors. As their snapshots of tables covered in watches and whiskey glasses surfaced on Instagram last year, the insider group quickly snowballed into 35 worldwide chapters of devotees look-ing for a platform to express their zeal.
“There isn’t competitiveness,” says Mc-Givney, who today is wearing a Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute to 1931 with the New York skyline engraved on the back—one of only two made—on her colorfully tattooed arm. “Okay, there is a little bit of envy if someone gets a hard-to-find piece, but at a watch club you still get to play with it, try it on. And sometimes even borrow it.”
That egalitarian attitude has helped RedBar instill a younger energy and newfound appreciation within the watch and watch club community. “What Adam calls ‘the RedBar effect’ is that you show up and you’re able to try on watches, learn what is so special about them, and ask questions in a no-pressure environment. Then you think, Maybe I want to buy a watch like this,” McGivney suggests. “It’s not about showing off; there’s no intimida-tion factor. There is always going to be someone that has something more ex-pensive or rarer, and there is always somebody that knows more than you,” explains Craniotes as he deftly swaps his austere Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Jumbo for a limited-edition Robert Geller × G-Shock G-Steel timepiece.
“You buy a watch for yourself and
F rom the brand that built its name creating tough, agile watches for the Italian Navy,
the Panerai Luminor Due 2017 Limited Edition is the Swiss brand’s most feather-
weight model yet. It’s 40 percent thinner and lighter than its antecedents but keeps
the Due’s mainstays: a patented crown-protecting bridge, a sandwich dial, a cushion case,
and an in-house-developed movement. This year’s version is limited to just 500 available
worldwide, and the alligator-strapped timepiece boasts a larger-than-ever, 45-millimeter,
brushed-anthracite dial. An added bonus: The edition is water-resistant to 30 meters and
carries a three-day power reserve once fully wound. $14,300; panerai.com. —Annie Davidson
Gray Matters
The Watches of the Season | p17
your own wrist,” Craniotes says. “But at a watch club, I can bring a watch to an environment where other people appreciate it. It’s not so much, ‘Look at me, I’m so cool.’ It’s more like, ‘You get it, you understand it.’” In other words, you’ve got to find your people.
There’s a low-grade fear in these cir-cles that the digital world is making wristwatches obsolete. But the advent of smartwatches has actually gotten millennials to take notice of their na-ked forearms. In fact, notes Nicholas Manousos, president of the Horologi-cal Society of New York, “because of them, there is a whole generation of people that never previously considered wearing a watch on their wrist before. So now,” he says, “when they graduate or get a job or get a bonus, they invest in a nice mechanical watch as a treat.”
“I call the phone ‘the 21st-century pocket watch’ and now we have the smartwatch, but you aren’t making a statement about yourself anymore,” Craniotes says. “No one is going to go up to my great-grandson and compli-ment him on his Apple Watch.”
And that’s the whole point of a watch club, isn’t it? A roomful of people will-ing to admire your timepiece. x
I N S T O R E
Join the DEPARTURES watch club at departures.com/watchsociety
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