Own Toto Wolff’s Ferrari

Urwerk’s UR-122 Aggregat may look like a spaceship for the wrist or perhaps what Doc might have dreamed up in Back to the Future but, in fact, its cutting-edge design was actually inspired by designer Ralph Lauren’s personal Bugatti Atlantic. You might be surprised to find out that the founder of America’s most iconic house of preppy style often wears his own Urwerk UR-210, gifted to him by his wife Ricky. Lauren is a well-known watch and car collector but Urwerk seems like an unusual choice for the archetype of classic American style. But when you see him pair it with a black workman’s jumpsuit, it surprisingly all makes sense.

“The inspiration for the 112 line came straight from the USA. Felix and I were lucky enough to discover the impressive car collection of Mr. Ralph Lauren,” says Martin Frei, co-founder of Urwerk, in a statement. “Amongst the rarest models was the Bugatti Atlantic. Wow! It was love at first sight. Its perfect lines, its spine running along its body, its Art Déco features. This Bugatti is a true wonder!  It was the muse that inspired my first drawings of the UR-112.”

While there have been two other iterations of the UR-112, the Aggregat (in PVD-coated titanium with matte grey and black finish) and the Aggregat Odysse (in titanium and steel), the new Aggregat Back to Black (in DLC-treated titanium and steel) is arguably the closest to Mr. Lauren’s Bugatti, which is an ultra-rare all-black vintage Atlantic. It also comes with a new fabric strap featuring some stepped details near the unconventional lugs that somewhat mimic the curvature of the vintage Bugatti Atlantic’s wheel covers if they were turned upside down.

Otherwise, its wild mechanics remain the same. Beneath its hood, which actually lifts up like a car, you can spot the power reserve indication of 48 hours on the left and the seconds indicator framed in red on the right. Time is told via a digital display with rotating aluminium hours and minutes satellite prisms, enhanced with SuperLuminova, operating within sapphire crystal cylinders and driven by two 90-degree bevel gears. In the middle is the transmission shaft which the brand says is likely the longest component in contemporary watchmaking. As such, it is crafted from titanium for lightness and ensures the coupling with the sapphire crystal display module.

“Once again we’ve let our guts speak for us in making a spaceship, a UFO that is a technical challenge,” says Urwerk co-founder, Felix Baumgartner (not to be confused with the guy that actually skydived in space). “This UR-112 is pure madness in terms of the mechanics and the finishes. The energy generated by the UR-112’s central engine is being distributed in four directions along no less than 12 axes. It’s actual mechanical lace. We will only be able to make a very limited number of them, but this is sheer unadulterated watchmaking pleasure!”

Start revving your engines if you want one. Urwerk is a collector’s darling for those that embrace its funky new-age aesthetics, and as such, new releases like this won’t be on the table for long. Past versions, of course, have sold out. While there is no word on how many will be made yet, there will likely be very few. And given that previous versions have retailed for approx $404,000, seeing one on someone’s wrist will be a rare spotting in the wild.

Golden Age Hollywood glamour is just about everywhere right now.
In films like Babylon, Tinseltown has rediscovered its love of opulent, early-20th century panache, while A-listers have brought velvet tuxes and thigh-high splits back into being. Whether it be avant-garde or art deco, it feels like designers and tastemakers are, for now at least, looking backwards as a source of inspiration, rather than forwards.

It feels a fitting time, then, for a name synonymous with the Parisian avant-garde to bring back a cult classic — one that may not be as time-honoured as some of its siblings, but one that seems a perfect fit for the new-wave of menswear heavyweights that have made their watches some of the world’s most desirable in recent years.
We speak, of course, of Cartier, which is continuing its recent ascendency with a relaunch of a ‘90s era deep cut, the Tank Française.

While the world seemingly can’t get enough of the maison’s unisex dress watches, the Tank Française, which was first launched in 1996 (the Tank line dating to 1917) pushes things in a slightly more angular, sporty and blocky direction (Cartier call it Monobloc) than the other, more svelte models in the range. This is, in fact, the first total overhaul of the Tank Française in its almost 30-year history — and Cartier has been keen to emphasise the sharp corners and ergonomic metal bracelets to reinforce the refined sense of muscularity that sets the model apart from its kin. This is refined by way of a satin finish to the case and bracelet and a revised sunray dial, creating a seamless feel that ensures the Française doesn’t forgo the Tank’s signature sense of elegance.

The updated models cover seven iterations and remain faithful across steel, as well as gold (its moment in the sun continuing to shine ever bright) with bejewelled, diamond-framed casework also on offer. Sizing runs 25.7mm – 36.7mm, with varying models being quartz driven and also boasting a mechanical 1853 calibre movement. Pricing, meanwhile, stretches from $5,250 – $46,300.
“The new Tank Française reflects a creative conviction. Like rediscovering the raw nature of a cut stone, it was about capturing the watch’s radical shape, simplifying its essential lines and stripping them of all embellishment to return to the myth’s origin,” chimes Marie-Laure Cerede, Cartier Jewellery And Watchmaking Director.

All said and done, how does one introduce the world to the horological equivalent of an action hero in a Dior tux? Calling on the services of Guy Ritchie would seem like as snug a fit as any, and that’s exactly what Cartier has done, enlisting the famed British director to lens a campaign starring one of the house’s current crop of golden children, Rami Malek, alongside Catherine Deneuve — a figure long at the forefront of French cinema and style.

The refreshed Tank Française is available now through Cartier boutiques; cartier.com

LVMH Watch Week rang in the new year in Singapore with a slew of new models from Hublot, Zenith, Tag Heuer and Bulgari.
The luxury conglomerate has wisely been releasing new models each January (debuting with an ultra-luxe show in Dubai in 2020) ahead of April’s Watches & Wonders when most watch brands traditionally show their new key product for the year.

The takeaway in 2023 is that most of the collections were permeated with bright saturations of colour in dials, gem-setting or sapphire crystal cases. The overall vibe is a decidedly cheerful outlook, at least as far as this luxury conglomerate is concerned, for a year that is expected to be looming with economic challenges. Here are some of the highlights.

Hublot

Want to make sure your wrist candy can be spotted across the room? Hublot has no shortage of options for you. From fully gem-set pavé rainbow watches to vibrant sapphire crystal timepieces with skeleton movements in neon yellow and a punchy purple, these models live up to the “Big Bang” in their name. With complicated movements and in-your-face design, they mean business but they’re also dressed for the party.

Big Bang Integrated + Time-Only Rainbow

Just when you think there cannot possibly be another flex on the gem-set rainbow watch, Hublot comes along and puts yet another new spin on the cult-favorite style. The Big Bang models—an integrated self-winding chronograph and a time-only version—are executed with the usual array of multi-colored gemstones from rubies and amethysts to blue topaz, orange sapphire and more but this time around they come mixed. Pink sapphire blend into orange sapphires and blue topaz blends into tsavorites on the center bracelet links mimicking the rays of color in the natural weather phenomenon. The integrated model comes set with a total of 1,290 gemstones, while the time-only iteration sports 1,100. Hublot, as we mentioned, is always keen to make a splash.

Price: TBD
Case Size: 42 mm and 40 mm
Case Material: 18-karat King Gold

Spirit of Big Bang Carbon Blue and Purple Sapphire

Hublot has yet to release the full info on its Spirit of Big Bang models as of press time, but judging from the photos the Carbon Blue model takes after the Spirit of Big Bang Tourbillon that debuted in January 2021 which was executed in a carbon case with white micro-glass fibers. Here those fibers take on a baby blue hue and the case is paired with a rubber strap in the same color to match.

But Hublot is known for its work with colored sapphire crystal cases, so the model was also created in a striking purple variant of the material. Sapphire crystal cases are notoriously expensive as a result of their difficulty to machine, which is why you see so few of these in the market. But the company was an early adopter of the use of the material and therefore capitalizes on it each year.

Big Bang Tourbillon Yellow Neon Saxem

At first glance, this looks like another iteration of Hublot’s exuberantly colorful sapphire crystal cases, but this Big Bang is made of something else altogether. It’s called Saxem, a material used in satellite technology that has even more brilliance than colored sapphire. It took three years for Hublot to develop the material in bright, neon yellow, which it describes as a fluorescent shade of acid yellow. Saxem (which stands for sapphire aluminum oxide and rare Earth mineral) was first used in 2019 in a shade of emerald green on the Big Bang MP-11. Like sapphire, it is transparent and incredibly scratch and chip resistant. The automatic tourbillon caliber HUB6035 is skeletonized and uses a micro-rotor so that plenty of light passes through the case and, because it’s transparent, you can see it from all sides. It comes on a neon-yellow rubber strap, color matched to the case.

Price: approx $433,000, limited to 50
Case Size: 44 mm x 14.40 mm
Case Material: Saxem

Big Bang Unico Sorai

Hublot has long sponsored sports heroes, but recently the company dovetailed into conservation issues, in some cases overlapping the two areas. This watch is Hublot’s third limited edition dedicated to an animal conservation organization run by former England International cricket champ, Kevin Pietersen. It’s called Saving Our Rhinos Africa & India (SORAI for short), and it focuses on protecting rhinoceroses from poachers. The dial is trimmed with colors of the sunset representing the heightened danger from poachers faced by rhinos at nightfall when the poachers pounce. Sadly, rhino horns are worth more per kilo than gold. The Unico Sorai contains the automatic caliber UNICO 2 and comes with either a gray fabric strap or a black rubber strap with black, orange and purple camouflage pattern.

Price: $34,583, limited to 100
Case Size: 44 mm x 14.50 mm
Case Material: Gray ceramic

Zenith

Zenith is juicing up its Defy collection, the brand’s launchpad line for showcasing its most advanced technology, materials and modern designs.

Defy Skyline Skeleton

The new lineup is headlined by the Defy Skyline Skeleton, an openworked version of the El Primero caliber 3620 SK, with a frequency of 36,000 vph and a 60-hour power reserve. Built with an architecture similar to the El Primero 3600 chronograph caliber, the automatic movement drives a 1/10th of a second hand directly from the escapement. It famously displays the fraction-of-a-second indication on the dial, a spectacle almost upstaged by the bold, colored (black or blue) bridges. They’re formed in a four-pointed star to evoke Zenith’s double Z logo of the 1960s. Otherwise, everything about this watch is modern, including the openworked design, state-of-the-art movement and heavily lumed hands and markers—a must for reading time on a skeletonized watch, which generally has a lot going on in the background.

Price: $23,000
Case Size: 41 mm
Case Material: Steel

Defy Extreme Glacier

The Defy Extreme Glacier is the priciest of the new models and a boutique-only edition. It harnesses the power of the most advanced version of Zenith’s El Primero movements, caliber 9004, capable of timing events to 1/100th of a second. It’s the highest-frequency chronograph in regular production today, and it struts its stuff on the dial: You can see the chronograph seconds hand whipping around the dial once every second. The Defy Extreme is all about, as its name suggests, extreme watchmaking and rugged sports, and was “inspired by the raw beauty of wild terrains” according to Zenith. The Glacier represents the opposite landscape of the Defy Extreme Desert launched in 2021 and is a cooler take on the model. Accordingly, it has an unusual decorative element representing the winter palette: The pusher guards and outer bezel are made of chalcedony, a semi-translucent, fairly tough quartz stone with a pale blue hue. Each piece is cut and polished by hand, and because their matrix and hue can vary slightly, each of the 50 examples of the Defy Extreme Glacier is unique. The case is titanium, which eliminates the potentially uncomfortable heaviness of a large watch—this one is a whopping 45 mm wide. It comes on a Velcro or white rubber strap.

Price: $37,100, limited to 50
Case Size: 45 mm
Case Material: Titanium

Defy Skyline

The Defy Skyline, the sporty everyday piece Zenith introduced last year in 41 mm, now comes in a more unisex-friendly 36 mm size. Keeping pace with the trend for bright dial colors that has been pervasive across the watch industry, the model now comes in pink, lime green and light blue dial colors. The dials are notched in a star-shaped pattern for extra glitter. It comes on a steel bracelet or optional starry-patterned rubber strap to match the dial colors. The movement is the Elite 670 automatic, with a 50-hour power reserve.Price: $12,500 to $17,000
Case Size: 36 MM
Case Material: Steel

Defy Skyline Boutique Edition

Back to the more manly size, there is a new 41 mm Boutique Edition of the Defy Skyline, with a dial designed in a gray and gold version of the star pattern – like stars in the night sky. It contains the El Primero caliber 3620, so it includes the dramatic 1/10th of a second indicator in a subdial. With a price tag of $16,000, this handsome piece and the 36 mm ones above, make for compelling alternatives to significantly more expensive pieces of similar designs from other Swiss brands.

Price: approx $16,000
Case Size: 41 MM
Case Material: Steel

Tag Heuer

Tag Heuer Monza Flyback Chronometre

It’s not easy to continuously update an icon over the years without compromising the original design, but the Monza Flyback Chronometre is a futuristic refresh that enhances rather than detracts from the spirit of the 1976 original. The carbon case emphasizes the model’s signature cushion shape while taking it into the future. Adding to the sporty vibe are translucent fumé blue sapphire crystals over the subdials at 3 and 6 o’clock, which also emphasize the model’s original purpose: motorsports timing. As does the new movement, flyback chronograph caliber Heuer 02, previously used only in the Autavia. The lumed date window at 9 adds to the functionality and the modern cool vibe. The lacquered hands and indexes also glow blue in low light. Racing red details, along with a tachymetre and pulsometre, add to the racing vibe.

Price: TBD
Case Material: Carbon
Case Size: 42 mm

Carrera Chronograph 60th Anniversary

The Carrera was launched in 1963, and over the past six decades, it has become an important pillar for the company. The anniversary edition is a remake of the fan favorite, the ref. 2447 SN, introduced in the late ’60s. It represents the second series of Carreras and comes in a panda design featuring a silvered dial with black subdials (SN in the reference number stands for “silver” and “noir”). It also repeats the striped markers and hands of the original, along with the double index markers at 12 o’clock. The position of the 60-minute counters is reversed compared to the original, but otherwise, it’s a faithful reproduction, with the addition of Super-LumiNova and a modern movement, the Heuer 02. This is a 600-piece limited edition but stay tuned for more anniversary pieces later in the year.

Price: TBD
Case Material: Steel
Case Size: 39 mm

Bulgari

In between shattering one world record after another for micro-thin watchmaking, Bulgari can also be consistently relied upon to honor its roots as a master jeweler, with colorful, gem-laden jewellery watches. Here are the latest drool-worthy diamond and gemstone watches in its Allegra, Serpenti and Diva’s Dream collections, set to be launched next week during LVMH Watch Week in New York.

Serpenti Tubogas Infinity

The serpent, a symbol of vitality and passion, has become Bulgari’s most recognizable motif, expressed here in a rendition that, comparatively speaking, is quite refined. The latest version of the iconic Serpenti comes with diamonds slithering down the wrap-around bracelet to further hone in on its character. The “Tubogas” in the name refers to the particular intricate engineering of the bracelet, with gold links that coil around the wrist like a snake. It is set with a total of 486 diamonds weighing 5.85 carats, set into the case, dial and bracelet. The movement is quartz.

Price: approximately $98,000
Case Material: 18-karat gold

Diva’s Dream

The gems in the Diva’s Dream collection demonstrate the subtle art of color blocking, using perfectly matched hues and sizes of stones and alternating them with gems of another color. There are three variations: amethyst (1.21 carats) paired with pink tourmaline (1.33 carats); topaz (1.56 carats) with tanzanite (1.45 carats); and all ruby (3.5 carats), with perky red hands to match the gems. In between the prong-set colored gems are stations of gold flutes—sculptural representations of this collection’s signature motif, the fan-shaped ginkgo leaf. The bezel and leaves are set with 1.51 carats of diamonds. The design is inspired by Bulgari brooches and necklaces of the 1980s and ’90s, with large, brightly colored gems in various sizes. The movement, as in most high jewellery watches, is quartz. The 33mm cases are rose gold.

Price: Approximately $69,800 for the ruby version; approximately $45,100 for amethyst and tourmaline; and approximately $45,100 for topaz and tanzanite.
Case Material: 18-karat rose gold
Case Size: 33 mm

Allegra

The Allegra line showcases Bulgari’s trademark ingredient: big, brightly colored gems in seemingly random cuts and sizes, arranged in a design that is freeform yet harmonious. It looks easy but from matching the gems to cutting, arranging and setting them, there is a lot of expertise involved in creating each piece. They are variously set with tourmalines, citrines, rhodolites, peridots, yellow sapphires and pink sapphires for one of the brand’s most exuberant expressions of La Dolce Vita. The gems are set prong style with open backs, the goal of which is to have as little metal as possible surrounding the gems in order to allow for plenty of light return, making the colors pop like neon. They contain quartz movements and are priced at €32,100

Diva’s Dream Mosaica

This model also celebrates the ginkgo leaf motif, but in a way that is closer to its initial source of inspiration, the mosaics on the floors of Rome’s Baths of Caracalla. There are two versions, one fully set with a gradient of 3.5 carats of sapphires ranging from pale pink to magenta, in white gold; and the other with 3 carats of blue sapphires ranging from sky blue to deep azure, set in white gold. They are interspersed with arc-shaped panels set with diamonds. Even the diamond-set links on the bracelet of the white gold/blue sapphire model are shaped like gingko leaves, with an overall effect that, in pure high-jewellery style, is crafted more like jewellery than a typical watch bracelet. The pink version has a strap connected to decorative lugs that also take the shape of the gingko leaf. The middle case is set with diamonds, so the watch sparkles from every angle. This one is a slightly larger canvas, with a 37 mm rose or white gold case. Each contains the automatic caliber BVL 191.

Price: Approximately $80,570 and approximately $139,650 for the blue sapphire
Case Material: 18-karat white gold or rose goldhttps://robbreport.com/style/watch-collector/hublot-zenith-bulgari-tag-heuer-debut-new-watches-for-1234793076/
Case Size: 37 mm

Pre-owned timepieces are rapidly growing in popularity. So much so, in fact, that experts believe collectors may soon buy more old watches than new.

The market for vintage pieces is expected to surge to $120 billion by 2033, according to a new industry report by Swiss firm LuxeConsult. The secondary market is about half the size of the primary market, but the report shows it has been expanding at a much faster rate. In 2022, pre-owned watch sales rose by 20 percent year-over-year to $38 billion. New watch sales, meanwhile, only climbed 12 percent to $114 billion.

According to the report, secondary market sales are expected to rise three percent in 2023, then hit 10 percent in 2024 before averaging a 12 percent compound annual growth rate from 2025 until 2033. This is compared to an average four percent growth rate in the primary market. As Bloomberg points out, LuxeConsult’s projections are more bullish than a recent Deloitte report that estimates the pre-owned market will grow 75 percent to $43 billion by 2023.

So, why are collectors opting for the pre-owned? Essentially, the demand for high-end timepieces has outstripped the supply. Production slowdowns have resulted in limited quantities among top-tier watchmakers and clients are now faced with annoying, yearlong waitlists. As a result, more and more collectors are turning to the secondary market, where coveted pieces by horological heavyweights can be snapped up (at a premium, of course).

The prices of pre-owned watches by Rolex, Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet have been steadily falling over recent months, but the going rate for these pieces on the secondary market is still well above retail. The “big three” clearly dominate the secondary market, too, with Patek, AP and Rolex models making up 55 percent of total sales. Rolex has even launched its own certified pre-owned watch program.

Secondary watch suppliers, like Watches of Switzerland, Subdial, Watchfinder, Chrono24 and even eBay, stand to benefit greatly from the move toward pre-owned. Indeed, longstanding secondary-market retailer WatchBox saw sales increase to more than $600 million last year. The respective auction houses have also noticed a shift. Phillips, for instance, sold every single watch it’s put up for auction over the past two years, with 1,700 timepieces snapped up in 2022 alone.