Luxury Watches
Van’t Hoff watches are subtle creations, more jewellery than watch. The discreet hands are hidden within the glittering spires that radiate from the jewels embedded in the black firmament. The oval shape of the watch softly curls round the wrist, with a sparkling diamond frame that enhances the face and the 3.78 carats of diamonds that make up the stars.
It may be slightly naff to wear the same watches, bit like Joey and Chandler as bracelet buddies in the TV series Friends, but sharing a horological masterpiece that looks fabulous can be stylish if you get it right. Here's our pick of the best matching watches as wedding gifts for him and her.
Rolex Oyster Perpetual Datejust Watch
Rolex Lady Datejust 31 mm for her.
£9,550
Rolex Datejust 41 mm for him.
£10,550
Following his experience restoring a client’s John Harrison clock, Surrey-based specialist clockmaker Matthew King has created what is believed to be the first ever replica of the earliest Harrison wooden clock, originally produced in 1713 by John Harrison, who later succeeded in solving the problem of calculating longitude while at sea.
To make the clock replica, self-taught clockmaker Matthew had no guides or instructions, but instead took much of his direction from the original Harrison clocks and his own research. The project was a true exploration of Matthew’s passion.
There will be thousands of objects at the Open Art Fair from an eclectic and inter- disciplinary mix of dealers, to surprise and delight visitors who relish ‘intellectual and decorative shopping’.
This apt phrase comes from a new book (The Man in the Red Coat by Julian Barnes) true story of three French grandees of the Belle Epoque (1880s and 90s), a prince, a baron, and innovative surgeon to the great and good: all three dedicated aesthetes, aware that the West End of London would be the most promising destination for a treasure hunt. . .
The internet has changed transparency for ever. Now there is a vast amount of information to be found about every brand, from mainstream media, blogs, reviews, forums, comments and trust sites. This has been a boon to luxury companies that are willing not only to engage directly with customers but to share their company values and processes. Companies that take a deeper stand on culture, society and the environment are performing better than their less conscientious counterparts.
We bring you our selection of the most extraordinary new luxury watches from the ateliers of the finest Swiss watchmakers. These are all mechanical works of art, displaying the most exquisite craftsmanship from leaders in the horological field.
Rolex Oyster Perpetual Day-Date 36 in 18 ct Everose gold with distinctive new dials and the 3255 calibre. A new generation of this timeless classic.
£22,000www.rolex.com
Patek Philippe manual-wound 5172G chronograph in white gold with 65 hour power reserve.
Our pick of the best new watches for 2019. The Patek Philippe 5235R in a rose gold case, with a two-tone graphite and ebony black dial and vertical satin brush finish. Made by Patek Philippe’s Advanced Research Division.
Dating back to 1865, Zenith has been creating innovative time pieces, driven by the passion for developing accurate and reliable watches. In 1969 Zenith became the first brand to develop a high-frequency automatic integrated column-wheel chronograph that beats at 36,000 vibrations an hour.
The Zenith Defy Zero G watch is exceptional due to the revolutionary escapement which is designed to maintain both the escapement and balance wheel upright at all times, whatever the position of the watch so that it keeps better time unaffected by a change in the direction of gravity.
Panerai unveils for SIHH 2019 a new professional Submersible watch that can face any challenge, above and under sea level. Strong, daring and exceptionally durable, this new Chronograph inspired by Guillaume Néry, the French free diving champion worldwide famous for his records and his amazing underwater images.
I’m not normally a fan of dive watches, they have become so ubiquitous and the use of the large coloured bezel (normally in red and blue) whilst necessary for its primary function, mean they look like every other dive watch, or worse a Rolex knockoff.
This Christmas give the man in your life a luxury sports watch from Formex, such as the aviation inspired Pilot Watch or the versatile and indestructible Element Watch, a unique gift from a watchmaker with a difference.
