9 Watches That Were Built To Perform

Chopard

Cars from Mille Miglia are recreated in style on the dial of the Mille Miglia Classic Chronograph. The men’s and women’s versions both feature a fluted crown and a mechanical self-winding chronograph movement. And the timekeepers beat at a frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour. What sets the men’s one apart is its 42-mm dial compared to the 39-mm one with a gem-set bezel crafted for the ladies. The counters and numbers in slender cursive fonts are inspired by 1920s car dashboards, while the white and deep black rubber straps echo the 1960s Dunlop Racing tyre.

HYT

This revolutionary House has come up with a limited edition collection of 20 intricately designed watches. The H1 Alinghi is a classy example of haute horlogerie that pleasantly surprises and impresses at the same time, with details like a black minutes’ dial, diamond-tipped indexes, white numerals, a red rhodium-plated minutes hand and an hour chapter filled with Super-LumiNova. It is the third timepiece to be created as a result of the Swiss brand’s partnership with the yacht racing team. Here, signature fluid time is created via the liquid in the capillary, enabling smooth reading of time.

Piaget

Portraying a collaboration between a high-intensity sport and charisma that defines the Maison, the Piaget Polo S watch sports with pride a 42-mm case that encloses a Manufacture Piaget 1160P self-winding mechanical chronograph movement. A sophisticated slate grey dial is enhanced by the date at 6 o’clock, 30-minute counter at 3 o’clock and 12 hours counter at 9 o’clock. One of three new creations, this watch comes with a steel bracelet and is accompanied by an integrated folding clasp.

Graham

Encased within a 47-mm superlight black carbon composite case and smoked sapphire crystal case back is a G1747 automatic chronograph. Its distinctive appeal lies in the fast-action start/stop carbon trigger, rubber strap with Clous de Paris embellishments and the fact that the weight of this timekeeper is less than 100 grams! Water resistant up to 100 metres, the white Super-LumiNova-coated numerals, yellow minutes and seconds hands and blue graduation with tachymeter and minutes scales add a pop of colour to the fine Chronofighter Superlight Carbon.

Jaeger-LeCoultre

The Memovox Tribute to Deep Sea follows effectively in the footsteps of the original; the noticeable difference is in the size of the case — which is slightly escalated from 39.8 to 40.5 mm. Minimalistic in its aesthetics, but optimised in its functions, the hand-decorated, crafted and assembled mechanical automatic movement is encapsulated within a stainless steel dial bearing a matt black dial with luminescent hour markers. A replica of the Jaeger-LeCoultre Classique 1959, the black leather strap with steel pin buckle offers a dapper edge to the sporty timepiece.

Zenith

Insensitive to magnetic fields and temperature gradients, with a power reserve of minimum 50 hours, the Defy El Primero 21’s frequency is an awe-inspiring 3,60,000 vibrations/hour — this underlines its accuracy to the hundredth-of-a-second precision. A sturdy 44-mm titanium case houses perfectly a COSC-certified in-house movement. Carrying forward about a 150 years of experience and expertise, this offering from the Swiss brand with balance springs developed by LVMH in the fast-emerging carbon-matrix carbon nanotube composite carries a fluted crown and chronograph pushers, and is finished with a rubber strap with a leather insert secured by a double-blade folding clasp.

Cartier

Water-resistant up to 300 metres, the Calibre de Cartier Diver watch is a great companion to go deep into the blue with, and looks just as wonderful on land as well. The French company has an updated all-blue palette, bringing to its patrons a blue dial — with a blue ceramic bezel — which houses a 1904 MC movement. Available in pink gold and steel, it boasts a maximum-precision unidirectional turning bezel and time-control displays in Super-LumiNova. An impressive design in a classy hue, this timepiece is as technical as it is trendy.

Girard-Perregaux

Enlivened by baton-shaped hands and a steel case and dial in versions of silver or black, the Stradale Chronograph has an elegant appeal. Available in alligator strap and steel bracelet versions, this watch with a sporty twist has a 42-mm diameter steel case with subtly rounded lugs and mushroom-like push-pieces reminiscent of the golden ’50s. A window placed discreetly between the fourth and fifth hour markers tells the date. Set to be water-resistant up to 30 metres and the transparent sapphire crystal case back offers a view of the GP03300 manufacture movement.

Hublot

A legacy and toast to the 70th anniversary of Ferrari is the new Techframe Ferrari 70 Years Tourbillon Chronograph, bringing together Hublot’s watchmaking expertise and Ferrari’s strong sense of design. Two lateral push-buttons in the famous P485 Ferrari red are accompanied by a sapphire caseback bearing ‘Ferrari 70 Years’, while the back cover of the case is engraved with ‘Limited Edition, No. XX/70’. The wrist candy proudly flaunts the Ferrari logo at the 9 o’clock position and the Hublot logo at 5 o’clock.