A QUIET FACE
One can always count on classic brands to execute simple dress watches with aplomb. Breguet has had a lot of experience with that, as seen in this new reference of the Classique. There’s not a lot on the dial of the Ref. 5177 – just rhodium-plated numerals, centrally mounted hands and a tiny date window at three o’clock – leaving more room to admire the deep blue of the grand feu enamel dial, achieved by firing it at 800 deg C. The automatic Calibre 777Q boasts a silicon hairspring, escape wheel and pallet fork, with a 55- hour power reserve. The 38mm watch is cased in white gold.
SECONDE COMING
The overlapping figure-eight dials of Jaquet Droz’s Grande Seconde design has been a brand signature for a while now, going through one variation after another over the years. The brand’s 280th anniversary last year brought about arguably its most daring iteration, the skeletonised and dial-less Grande Seconde Skelet-One. First o ered in black ceramic, white gold or rose gold cases, it returns this year with new colours. The Grande Seconde Skelet-One Ceramic Black and Blue looks just as you’d expect from its name, with its blue and rhodium-plated parts enhancing the watch’s high-tech look. Still powered by the JD2663.SQ, the twin-barrel movement with silicon balance beats at 4Hz and offers a power reserve of 68 hours.
FULL METAL JACKET
For all its innovations in the field of high-tech ceramics, it’s easy to forget that Rado does make watches out of other materials. The Tradition Captain Cook MKII Automatic Limited Edition is the latest example in steel, and an update of last year’s titanium Tradition Captain Cook MKIII Automatic. As expected of a watch based on a historical reference, the MKII has enough stylistic nods to keep vintage enthusiasts satisfied, including a chunky box-style sapphire crystal, red and white accents for the rotating inner ring and a seven-link bracelet. It’s still a dive watch, so it has a respectable water-resistance of 220m.
