LVMH WATCH WEEK: two journalists head to Miami
The LMVH Watch Week, this year’s first watchmaking event, was held from January 28th to February 1st in sunny Miami. This event heralds the arrival of fantastic new creations by the six watchmaking Maisons Bulgari, Daniel Roth, Gérald Genta, Hublot, TAG Heuer and Zenith. To cover this event properly and in-depth, Frank Sans C made sure to bring back as many images and exclusive interviews as he and his friend Judikael Hirel from the French newspaper Le Figaro could. Two pals, two journalists head to Miami.
BULGARI, Bulgari Bulgari
All that glitters is gold for Bulgari’s new Bulgari Bulgari timepieces. The enveloping warm tones and shimmering reflections are the distinguishing mark of the Roman Maison’s emblematic collection Bulgari Bulgari. Created by Gianni Bulgari in 1975, this icon’s final design was masterfully completed by the brilliant Gérald Genta. The lavish bezel is embossed with the 14 letters of the eponymous collection, akin to the names of Roman emperors that figured on ancient Roman coins.
The cases of two additional new models – the 38mm and the 26mm – are bedecked in yellow gold. Both have a black matte dial and a leather bracelet. Rose gold sets the tone for the two variations with the opaline dials: the 38mm with a brown leather bracelet and the 26mm with the rosy beige bracelet. Traditional yet defiant – perhaps next time Roman numerals – the sleek dials are adorned with Arabic numerals as well as slender hands and indices.
The 38mm models boast an in-house automatic calibre, are equipped with an approximately 42h power reserve, and are water resistant up to 50m. The 26mm models are graced with a fine Swiss quartz movement and are water resistant up to 30m.
Click here to read the full Bulgari Bulgari 38mm technical sheet – €14,700.
Click here to read the full Bulgari Bulgari 26mm technical sheet – €9,100.
Lucea Collection
As the CEO of Bulgari, Jean-Christophe Babin put it, the Lucea collection is ‘the convergence of high jewellery and fine watchmaking’.
Bulgari Lucea, rose gold and steel – 28mm – €10,100.
Unveiled in 2104 this jewellery watch celebrates its 10 year anniversary, thinner and more feminine than ever. The elegant attributes of this new generation include thin cases and bezels, slightly more curved bracelets with their alternating polished centre links – that come in either rose gold or stainless steel – and V-links. Brighter than ever, these new variants proudly display their ‘intarsia’ iridescent mother-of-pearl dials or upcycled malachite marquetery dials.
Bulgari Lucea, steel and white mother-of-pearl – 33mm – €8,100.
Whether encircled by a rose gold and diamond-set bezel, a polished rose gold or a humble steel bezel, the superb mother-of-pearl dials – either green or white – shine brilliantly. These dials were handcrafted using the ‘intarsia’ technique, where each facetted mother-of-pearl segment is arranged one by one in a sunburst pattern.
Bulgari Lucea, two-toned steel and rose gold – 33mm – €12,700.
However, the masterpiece of this new generation of Bulgari Lucea watches is the one with the upcycled malachite marquetery dial. Each fragment is meticulously selected, hand cut, and assembled to create a stunning mosaic, a testimony to the skill of Bulgari’s artisans.
Since each malachite fragment is hand-picked, each Lucea model is unique. Twelve square claw-set diamonds mark the hours on the dial. The 33mm case is crafted in rose gold and steel, a lavish bezel set with round brilliant-cut diamonds, and a rose gold crown adorned with a cabochon-cut synthetic sapphire and a diamond. It is also water resistant up to 50m. At the centre of this miniature work of art beats an automatic calibre with a 42h power reserve.
DANIEL ROTH, Tourbillon Souscription
The Daniel Roth Maison, founded in 1988 by its eponymous creator, wields mastery over the most elaborate and technically complex complications. The LVMH Watch Week seems to be the perfect opportunity for this creator to take centre stage with his Tourbillon Souscription. This unique timepiece boasts a double ellipse case, the fusion of a circle and a square. This watch is a reinterpretation of the original 1988 model that insists on an overall thinner design, particularly with its slender lugs. The true exploit can be seen on the Clous de Paris yellow gold guilloche dial and the magnificent tourbillon complication at 6h. This timepiece is equipped with a yellow gold case, a hand-wound mechanical calibre with Côtes de Genève finishing and a 80h power reserve – created by Louis Vuitton’s La Fabrique du Temps workshop, further proof of the excellence and quality of this watch.
CHF140,000 (around €148,400)
Technical details:
- DR001 calibre: hand-wound mechanical movement,
engineered and assembled by La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton - Tourbillon 1-minute
- Thickness: 4.6mm
- 206 components
- 80h power reserve
- 21,600 oscillations per hour – 3Hz
- 19 rubies
- Tourbillon complication: flat spring
- Tourbillion carriage: 460mg
- 18K yellow gold 3N
• Dimension: 38.6 x 35.5mm – Thickness: 9.2mm
• Flat anti-reflective sapphire crystal
• Water resistant up to 30m
• Width between lugs: 20mm - Case: 18K yellow gold 3N guilloche Clous de Paris – DANIEL ROTH engraving and model number (each unique) – Côtes de Genève finishing on the side plates of the tourbillon – Frosted platinum beneath the tourbillion
- Brown calfskin leather strap
- 18K yellow gold 3N pin buckle
GÉRALD GENTA, Répétition Minutes Heures Sautantes Minute Rétrograde
The dial of this one-of-a-kind Répétition Minute Heures Sautantes Minute Rétrograde watch by Gérald Ganta is Donald Duck’s golf course. This timepiece is a jumping hours, retrograde minutes with a minute repeater model, but if you speak French, you already knew that. With its green bracelet and its 40mm iconic octagonal case forged in white gold, this watch has several great complications. The dynamic duo that is Michel Navas and Enrico Barbasini from La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton are behind this watchmaking masterpiece, inspired by the creative prowess of the ever-famous Gérald Genta – the very same who shook up the watchmaking world in 1984 by representing a Disney character on the dial of his watch. It took guts to do something like that at the time.
Price on request
HUBLOT, MP-10 Tourbillon Weight Energy System Titanium
Truly a watchmaking UFO, the MP-10 Tourbillon Weight Energy System Titanium by Hublot touched down and stunned everyone at this year’s LVMH Watch Week. This futuristic titanium masterpiece, a 50-piece limited edition, breaks away from tradition and foregoes conservative watchmaking aesthetics. As a matter of fact, there is no dial, no hands, and no oscillating weight to be found on this Manufacture Piece.
The ‘simple’ configuration of this watch is as follows: from top to bottom, it is equipped with a rotating display for the hours and minutes, a circular power reserve set where 6h would be on a normal dial, an inclined tourbillon, powered by the two white gold vertical weights, patented by Hublot.
This avant-garde timepiece is composed of 592 components and is the result of five years of research and development. ‘Complex’ seems the appropriate word to describe this watch, since the movement isn’t the only technical marvel. The sapphire crystal and its rounded angles along three different axes are no less impressive. Fully integrated to the case, the strap is extremely comfortable despite being quite large.
€275,000
Click here to read the full MP-10 Tourbillon Weight Energy System Titanium technical sheet.
TAG HEUER, Carrera Chronograph
Released in 2021, the teal green, in French ‘vert sarcelle’ is a nod to the typical colour of racecars from the 1920s to 1960s. This vibrant hue is back in the spotlight, this time on the dial of this TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph. The circular brushed finish on the dial is just stunning and, for the first time, the date aperture is set at 12h. This 39mm model is a fine successor to the original Carrera from 1966.
The ‘Dato’ model of the Carrera family is innovative for its time – 1968 – thanks to the date aperture set at 9h, a rather interesting position, which was noticed by members of the watchmaking world. Today, the Dato look is alive and well in this steel case, behind the sapphire Glassbox crystal, and with a redesigned flange whose curve perfectly fits around the dial.
Indeed, the dial seamlessly blends with the case, making the whole display perfectly readable. This model is equipped with an in-house automatic calibre with an ample 80h power reserve, and it is water resistant up to 100m.
€6,450
Click here to read the full TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph technical sheet.
The TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Tourbillon variation
€23,700
Click here to read the full TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Tourbillon technical sheet.
ZENITH, Chronomaster Original Triple Calendar
It seems that this year the LVMH Watch Week gave a green light to watches that arbor the veridian hue, this includes the new chronograph by Zenith, the Chronomaster Original Triple Calendar.
This fine chronograph has a 38mm case, which is water resistant up to 50m, and olive green sunry finish dial where three counters and a moon phase complication contrast elegantly with their silver coat. The small seconds is set at 9h, the 60 counter at 6h and the moon phase at 3h.
The gorgeous olive-green dial of the new Chronomaster Original Triple Calendar by Zenith comes with a matching olive-green calfskin bracelet.
Complete with a silvery white 1/10th of a second chronograph scale, the dial is marked with rose gold-coloured indices. The date aperture at 10h faces the month aperture at 2h. The automatic calibre, which is equipped with a 60h power reserve, oscillating at 36,000 alternance per hour can be glimpsed through the sapphire crystal case back. Its openwork oscillating weight is cut in the shave of a star, Zenith’s symbol.
€14,000
Click here to read the full Zenith Chronomaster Original Triple Calendar technical sheet.
See also:
Read also: