Timepieces inspired by sea and space

ECONOMIC slowdown or not, luxury watch brands are still rolling out new models to draw the attention of watch collectors. Not all are driven by sales, but one thing’s for sure: they’re hard to resist.

IWC Schaffhausen Pilot’s Watch Chronograph Edition, Polaris Dawn

IWC has created four chronographs to support space exploration under the Polaris Program. After travelling beyond Earth and returning, the watches will be auctioned to raise money for the St Jude Children’s Research Hospital, which is developing treatments for childhood cancers and other children’s diseases.

The Polaris Dawn commercial space flight mission, the first of three planned, is due to take off on Monday (Aug 26).

The spaced-themed chronograph has a 44.5 mm white ceramic case framing a dark blue lacquered dial, printed with countless stars and the mission logo. The titanium case-back is engraved with the name of one of the four crew members. 

Omega Seamaster Diver 300M America’s Cup

This diver’s model, waterproof up to 300 m, is ostensibly a celebration of Omega’s official timekeeper role at the 37th America’s Cup in Barcelona. The “sailing” watch, as Omega calls it, is a nod to the boat race theme, and designed to woo sailing fans and watch collectors.

The latest addition to Omega’s sought-after Seamaster Diver 300M line is certified as a Master Chronometer, which means the timepiece meets the highest standards for precision, performance and magnetic resistance set by the Swiss Federal Institute of Metrology.

The 42 mm stainless steel watch is replete with America’s Cup tributes. The blue ceramic unidirectional bezel, with a regatta scale, is inspired by a regatta flag. The central second hand has an America’s Cup trophy counterweight, and is in the same blue as the Barcelona logo. The logo is on the sapphire crystal back, which offers a view of the watch’s power source: Omega’s Co-Axial Master Chronometer Calibre 8806.

The watch, which comes in a commemorative blue box with red stitching, is worn with a steel bracelet or blue rubber strap, both fixed with Omega’s patented Quick-Change system. 

Price: S$9,450 (bracelet), S$8,950 (strap)

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Konstantin Chaykin Stargazer 

Another celebratory timepiece, the Stargazer marks independent Russian watchmaker Konstantin Chaykin’s 20th year in watchmaking. He is known in the business for his prolific inventions, having more than 90 registered patents under his belt.

He caught the eye of the watch-making world with his series of four computus clocks, which calculate the date of Orthodox Easter. His popularity was sealed with the Joker, a watch featuring the likeness of the criminal mastermind in the Batman comic franchise. The anthropomorphic dial, with a rendition of the Joker’s expressive eyes, manic smile and red tongue, was an instant hit when it was released in 2017; since then, more than 25 models have been introduced in this collection.

The Stargazer combines the three key areas of Chaykin’s creativity: ultra-complex watch movements, anthropomorphic design and the theme of space exploration. It is his most complicated creation and, according to The Book of Records of Russia, is historically the most complex watch produced in Russia.

The stainless steel watch offers 17 functions, 11 of which are astronomical, all displayed on two partially open, anthropomorphic dials. The main dial, in a darker hue because of the ruthenium plate, reveals the signature Joker indication module, with its eyebrows signalling the length of the day and the night. The nose indicates the equation of time, and the third eye presents what is probably the smallest star chart in watchmaking.

A 24-hour display of mean solar and sidereal time is also found on the Dark Side, as the main dial is called. The watch’s smile acts as a retrograde indicator of the day of the week. Along the edge of the dial runs a zodiac.

Flip the watch over and there is the other dial. It is made of rhodium and in a lighter colour. The eyes on this Light Side are a continuous moon phase and a solar activity indicator. What looks like a wide mouth opened in astonishment is the tourbillon.

Price: On application