Hot watches hit the shops early
The wait for newly launched watches to go on sale is shortened for some brands, to the delight of buyers
WHILE major shows such as Watches & Wonders wow collectors with a taste of timepieces to come, the reality is that it takes some six to 12 months before they can actually get their hands on them.
That could change, as stronger competition and the easing of Covid-induced supply shortages have seen happy buyers already snapping up some of this year’s novelties. Although the hottest pieces are already sold out, replenishments are on the way.
Here are a few of the early birds that are already in the shops:
Tudor Black Bay 54
This one comes fresh from Tudor’s new state-of-the-art factory in Switzerland and is as close as you can get to the original – the brand’s first diving watch with a lollipop design, or Reference 7922, which appeared in 1954. While launched as “new to the Black Bay line”, the Black Bay 54 is actually a downsized version of the Black Bay Fifty-Eight, introduced in 2018.
Its 37-mm small stainless steel case (against the Black Bay Fifty-Eight’s 39 mm) has all the classic proportions of yesteryear – and there’s no date on the dial. The watch is waterproof up to 200 metres and runs on an Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute or COSC-certified automatic movement with 70 hours’ power reserve.
Price: S$5,320 (bracelet), S$5,030 (rubber strap).
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IWC Schaffhausen Ingenieur Automatic 40
IWC has dusted off a model of the 1970s designed by the late Gerald Genta – better known for the Royal Oak and Nautilus – and given it a new shine. The result is the Ingenieur Automatic 40. Like the Ingenieur SL “Jumbo”, from which it takes its cue, the new Ingenieur comes in a 40 mm stainless steel case matched with integrated steel bracelet – a combination currently fashionable with watch fans.
The watch has all the hallmarks of Genta’s design – bold aesthetic features and unique character crowned by a screw-on bezel with five recesses.
Still, IWC has invested much time and effort into engineering a new model that showcases a high level of detail and quality in processing and finishing. Even the case was reworked to ensure it’s perfectly proportioned to fit snugly even on a slim wrist.
A more striking change was made to the bezel. Five recesses tighten the bezel onto the case ring in the original Ingenieur SL, with the recesses positioned differently on each watch. In the Ingenieur Automatic, the bezel is secured to the case by five polygonal screws. The screws now have a technical function, and they are always in the same position.
Powered by a state-of-the-art IWC self-winding movement, the watch boasts 120 hours’ power reserve, twice the standard number of hours of most timepieces.
Price: S$17,300 (steel), S$21,700 (titanium).
Longines Spirit Flyback
A flyback chronograph can be reset and restarted at the same time, unlike the normal chronograph which has to be stopped and then reset, before it can start again. This faster shift in clocking time made the flyback chronograph very useful to pilots for navigation, especially in the early days of aviation.
Longines was among the pioneers of the flyback chronograph, rolling out its first model in 1925. And it was the first to patent it, in 1936.
The new Longines Spirit Flyback is the brand’s first flyback chronograph model in over 50 years – the last Longines flyback chronograph appeared in 1968. At S$6,710 in leather or fabric strap, and S$6,870 with an interchangeable steel bracelet, it’s probably the only flyback chronograph in the luxury watch market priced below S$10,000.
The 42 mm stainless steel watch comes in satin, matt and polished finishes – and black or blue sun-ray dial. The watch is powered by an automatic and magnetic-resistant movement certified by the COSC.
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