Watches and Wonders 2023 Roundup
WATCHES AND WONDERS 2023 ROUNDUP
Bold colours. Bold design. Bold materials.
From Cartier's jewellery watch, the Bagnoire, which was debuted in solid yellow gold, and TAG Heuer's Carrera Plasma, the first ever watch to feature a lab-grown pink diamond, to Patek Philippe's rare handcrafts which utilise decorative techniques such as guilloché and enamelling, we were truly amazed by the evolution of our watch brands and their latest innovations. Here are some highlights from our visit to the most anticipated watch event of the year.
EMBRACING NEW MATERIALS
The Yacht-Master 42 is the second watch in RLX titanium released by Rolex after the Oyster Perpetual Deepsea Challenge. The grade 5 titanium alloy selected by Rolex is a particularly lightweight metal and is noted for its mechanical strength and corrosion resistance. Its use for the case and bracelet has reduced the weight of the watch by around a third compared to a similar watch in steel. Especially suited to the demands and pressures of competitive sailing, it puts watchmaking excellence at the service of sporting performance.
COMPLICATIONS BECOME MORE COMPLIATED
Esteemed in watchmaking for its technical prowess, Patek Philippe has exceeded expectations with a new iteration of one of its most complicated wristwatches. The new Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime Haute Joaillerie has 20 complications, including two patented world exclusives: an alarm sounding the programmed time and a date-repeater striking the date at will. This watch creates a new alliance between Haute Horlogerie and Haute Joaillerie by reinterpreting its most complicated wristwatch in a white gold version set with 118 baguette-cut emeralds (7.87ct) and 291 baguette-cut diamonds (20.54cts), using the “invisible setting” technique.
SUSTAINABILITY MEETS AVANT-GARDE
As part of their year-long celebration of the iconic Carrera’s 60th anniversary, TAG Heuer are taking yet another defining step in avant-garde aesthetics with a world-first for the watch market – the new TAG Heuer Carrera Plasma with elegant diamond features in impeccably chic pink. Every shimmering detail of this new Carrera Plasma is the result of ground-breaking advances in chemical vapor deposition – or Diamant d’Avant-Garde – technology, which champions sustainability with lab-grown diamonds. Unlike traditionally sourced diamonds, this pioneering process produces diamonds on demand, in any shape, cut or colour, creating a whole new universe of creativity. 
