12 Automatic Watches On Your Radar | Verve Magazine
India's premier luxury lifestyle women's magazine
Luxury & Brands
September 15, 2015

12 Automatic Watches On Your Radar

Text by Simone Louis

Verve shines the spotlight on one of the mainstays of horology – the automatic watch – and the current timepieces that offer this movement

Watches have been an indispensable and inherent part of luxury living for a long time, and today’s wrist candy comes in every shape, design and movement conceivable. Even so, one such movement has stood its ground amongst digital innovations in horology — the automatic (or self-winding) movement.

After the quartz boom of the ’70s, mechanical craftsmanship made a comeback as wearers began to appreciate the joy of regular interaction with a mechanical contraption. Soon, manufacturers set their sights on bringing to life creations which would permit timepieces to wind by themselves. The most progress, however, happened after World War 1, when horological advances facilitated the manufacture of automatic movements — since it was discovered that the motion of a person’s hands provided a significant amount of kinetic power.

Today, an automatic watch signifies quality, and its presence on a person’s wrist indicates a genuine interest in the workings of timekeeping. It offers an easy-to-use option, since the mechanism eliminates the need for a battery and the need to wind your watch every day.  Of course, this holds true as long as you wear it every day, given that the movement of your arm is what will keep an automatic watch ticking.

BREGUET
Breguet’s iconic Tradition collection was launched 10 years ago, with the first timepiece to showcase the movement mechanisms on top of the baseplate — the 7027 model. Now, the new Tradition Automatique Seconde Rétrograde 7097 honours Abraham-Louis Breguet, by revealing the bridges, escapement, barrel and wheels, which are usually concealed below the baseplate. The watch is offered in a 40 mm white gold or rose gold case with a fluted caseband — a distinctive element of the Breguet style.

LONGINES
Longines is celebrating their equestrian connect with the Conquest Classic Moonphase. The timepiece is powered by the self-winding mechanical chronograph movement L678, capable of providing 48 hours of power reserve — displayed through the transparent caseback.

BVLGARI
Featuring sharp lines and hand-applied indexes, the Octo Solotempo is equipped with the Solotempo self-winding mechanical calibre, designed and developed entirely in-house by Bvlgari. The watch’s case is enveloped by an alligator leather strap with an 18 carat pink gold folding buckle.

JAEGER-LECOULTRE
The elliptical dial opening of the Rendez-vous Celestial houses a disc bearing a sky chart, while the mechanical automatic movement drives this disc at the almost indiscernible cadence of 23 hours, 56 minutes and 4 seconds — a highly symbolic figure for those fascinated by astronomy.

FREDERIQUE CONSTANT
Frederique Constant lends their support to the World Heart Federation (WHF) in the most beautiful way. The Ladies Automatic World Heart Federation watch features the brand’s ‘double heartbeat’ opening at 12 o clock, offset by a dazzling metal bracelet with a butterfly folding buckle.

CHOPARD
The rose gold Happy Sport Medium Automatic embodies elegance and finesse, staying loyal to the essence of the original Happy Sport. The sparkle of the diamond-set bezel and seven moving diamonds on the dial is enriched by the fierce burgundy alligator leather strap.

VACHERON CONSTANTIN
On the occasion of the 260th anniversary of its founding, Vacheron Constantin introduces the remarkable Harmony Dual Time Caliber 2460DT. Ingeniously combining functionality with grace, the 18 carat white gold watch features a bezel dexterously set with 88 diamonds.

CHRISTOPHE CLARET
With this watch, christened Aventicum, Christophe Claret pays tribute to the ancient capital of Roman Helvetia and its museum, where a solid gold bust of Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius was excavated. The watchmaker has replicated this bust in the form of a gold micro-sculpture, which appears to be projecting out of the dial. Magnificent, indeed.

PIAGET
The ultra-thin timepieces of the Altiplano collection are being treated to a new gilded look with the Piaget Altiplano Gold Bracelet collection. The watches beat to the rhythm of the Manufacture Piaget 534P mechanical self-winding movement, exemplified by the word ‘Automatic’ on the opaline white dial.

OMEGA
Perfect for a blossoming summer, the newest Constellation Pluma timepiece is presented in an enchanting light coral colour and decorated with 11 diamond indexes, mountings in 18 carat gold, and a delicate wave pattern on the dial. The 27mm watch is armed with the caliber 8520 movement which can be seen through the domed sapphire crystal on the caseback.

PARMIGIANI FLEURIER
With its iconic tonneau shape and haute horlogerie finishing, the Kalparisma is definitely something to write home about. The numerals — redesigned to match this piece’s sophisticated aesthetic — complement the incandescent ivory or graphite guilloché ‘sunray’ dial.

CARTIER
The Tank Anglaise is the newest Tank timepiece in the Cartier universe, and also one of the largest. Flaunting a resolute form and reinforced lines, the slick watch houses the 1904 MC automatic caliber — the brand’s first in-house automatic caliber.

HAUTE WRISTS:
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