Precious materials and mechanical complications define the best wristwatches by the world’s finest brands. These are also timepieces that do far more than just display time. The most common complication is a chronograph, which is a stopwatch function. However, at the uber high-end, mechanical complications have been developed for useful and whimsical functions. As we approach the new year, we gathered timepieces from some of Sri Lanka’s top retailers that offer some interesting mechanical complications. Here’s hoping the bonus was good this year.
ROLEX YACHT-MASTER II
Sleek and sporty, the Yacht-Master series is Rolex’s tribute to yachting. The Oyster Perpetual Yacht-Master II featuring the colours of white, blue and red is reminiscent of sailing. A primary feature is the bezel, which acts as the key to the programmable countdown, allowing it to be set and synchronized to the sequence of the race start time, and reset as needed. The silver and 18-carat Everose gold strap is a risky mix, but complements the rest of the timepiece perfectly.
116681; Rs3,585,600; Chatham Luxury Watches
CHOPARD GRAND PRIX DE MONACO HISTORIQUE
Chopard’s tribute to an exceptional race, the Grand Prix de Monaco Historique is in its ninth edition introduced in 2014. The special edition watch is dedicated to the Automobile Club de Monaco, of which Chopard is a proud sponsor and the official timekeeper for the Gran Prix de Monaco Historique. A key feature is the yellow and black on the outer rim of the dial, and the seconds and 5-minute markers. The black steel casing is complemented by the luminous yellow featured throughout the watch, while the case back bears the ‘Automobile Club de Monaco’ logo and is engraved with ‘Grand Prix De Monaco Historique’.
168570 – 3001; Rs1,125,000; Chatham Luxury Watches
OMEGA’s Speedmaster range comprises professional chronograph timepieces, of which the manually-wound Moonwatch was the watch that landed on the moon in 1969, while others in the range were a part of other lunar missions. Also in this range is the OMEGA Speedmaster Moonwatch Co-Axial Master Chronometer Moonface Chronograph. The uniquely brown dial features the Moonphase indication at 6 o’clock in the form of a crystal disc microstructures to show a high resolution image of the moon. The steel-Sedna gold case also features a tachymeter scale.
304.23.44.52.13.001; Rs1,971,000; Chatham Luxury Watches
CARTIER SANTOS-DUMONT SKELETON
Who says pink gold is just for women? This 18K pink gold-cased dial with Roman numerals and blue sword-shaped hands Cartier Santos-Dumont Skeleton is for the stylish man who stands out from the crowd. With a brown alligator skin strap with a double-adjustable 18K pink gold folding buckle, the skeleton watch face allows you to see right through the watch. With an approx. 72-hour power reserve, the watch is water-resistant up to 100 feet (30 meters).
W2020057; Rs8,501,000; Chatham Luxury Watches
While the complications are pretty standard on this timepiece – with a date window, seconds sub-dial, 30-minutes counter and 6-hour totalizer – the watch itself has a clean look, making it easy to read, and stylish. The chronograph seconds hand is in the shape of Tissot’s ‘T’, which is a personalised touch, and a minimal tachymeter lies bordering the dial. This is the perfect starter watch if you are just stepping into the wonderful world of chronographs.
T055.427.17.057.00; Rs143,000; W A De Silva
The stylish black dial is complemented by yellow hands and a leather strap, with the tachymeter bordering the outer rim. At the 3 o’clock position, two apertures show the day of the week and the date. There are three sub-dials: the 30-minutes chrono counter, the 12-hour counter and the small seconds clock. The timepiece itself looks elegant, and complements both day wear and evening wear.
7730.STC.20021; Rs443,885; Turret
The special edition of the Portugieser Perpetual Calendar is limited to 250 pieces worldwide. First introduced in 2003, this watch has been subject to minor changes every couple of years. The latest model in an 18-carat rose gold case features a moonphase subdial in a navy, which contrasts strikingly against the white dial. A unique complication is the year displayed in a full four-digit formation on the dial, in addition to the month and date indicators.
IW503302; Rs4,826,000; Chatham Luxury Watches
The dark grey dial Raymond Weil Nabucco is a must-have for those who want to stand out in a crowd. The steel and titanium case and bracelet sports watch looks like a car dashboard with its mini sub-dials and tachymeter along the bezel. The grey and striking blue mix will fit in perfectly on race day, with the tachymeter resembling a rev meter.
7800.TI.05607; Rs847,000; Colombo Jewellery Stores
TAG HEUER CARRERA CALIBRE HEUER 01
TAG Heuer is the official timekeeper, official watch partner and team performance partner for Red Bull Racing, so it’s no surprise that the classic yet sporty TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre Heuer 01 was launched recently in partnership with Red Bull. Red Bull’s theme colours of red and blue are evident throughout the design of this watch, whether on the steel case or the (optional) blue leather strap with red stitching.
CAR2A1K.BA0703; Rs840,000; Colombo Jewellery Stores
JAEGER LE-COULTRE GEOPHYSIC® UNIVERSAL TIME
The Jaeger Le-Coultre Geophysic® Universal Time was made for the globetrotters among us. Inviting people to travel the world, the layout of the world time complication, with a 24-hour disc on the dial and the adjacent reference time of a city indicator, allows the user to immediately know the time in any of the major 24 time zones. An interesting part of its complication is also that the smaller hand stops at each seconds marker, making it easier to, literally, count the seconds to the main event.
8102520; Rs4,372,000; Chatham Luxury Watches
MONTBLANC TIMEWALKER CHRONOGRAPH UTC
Known for its mix of complications, the TimeWalker series announced the Montblanc Time-Walker Chronograph UTC recently. With a strap that’s reminiscent of a car tyre and a watch face that looks like a dashboard, this timepiece is an addition to Montblanc’s sporty collection. In addition to the minutes and seconds indicators, a dark central hand with a luminescent, red-framed arrow indicates a second time zone on the 24-hour scale of the black ceramic bezel. A third time zone can be easily indicated by adjusting the rotating bezel.
116102; Rs982,800; Turret
Complications on the automatic movement Baume & Mercier Capeland include a tachymeter, telemeter and date functions. The tachymeter surrounding the dial allows you to measure time using the stopwatch function, while the telemeter makes use of the principle of the speed of sound to measure the approximate distance between the user and the event, usually in kilometers.
MOA 10064; Rs615,000; Turret
HUBLOT CLASSIC FUSION CLASSICO ULTRA THIN
The 42mm Hublot Classic Fusion Classico Ultra Thin is a step away from Hublot’s usual heavy timepieces. With the Classic Fusion range, Hublot seems to be trying to attract customers who prefer more classically proportioned watches, and this is one to watch for. The slim profile and part-skeleton case is made of titanium and can easily slip under the cuff – a feature not too common with most Hublot watches. This watch is made for the stylish yet understated man.
545.NX.0170.LR; Rs2,280,000; Colombo Jewellery Stores
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BATTERY-POWERED (QUARTZ) ALTERNATIVES
This watch was made especially to time the performance of a horse and rider in a showjumping competition. Therefore, its primary complication allows the user to measure the length of time to the nearest one-hundredth of a second using a quartz movement. The seconds hand and the hundredths-of-a-second hand are in silver and red, respectively, while the sub-dial at 10 o’clock indicates penalties converted into seconds and the sub-dial at 2 o’clock shows the two alternative score-keeping systems, and the chronograph seconds.
L3.701.4.76.6; Rs150,950; W A De Silva
A key complication in the stainless steel, battery-powered Balmain Balman Gent is the perpetual calendar, as indicated on to moon-shaped sub-dials that show the month and date. The third sub-dial is a seconds counter. The full silver watch is a stylish timepiece that will suit day and night functions the same way.
B72813322; Rs101,000; W A De Silva