Integrated Bracelets
Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak sport watch fairly rocked the watch industry in 1972 with an integrated bracelet that seamlessly flowed from its case. In 1976, the designer, Gérald Genta, followed his revolutionary vision with the Nautilus for Patek Philippe. Nearly 50 years later, they may be seldom sighted unicorns, but the stainless-steel, sport-watch market is so hot that other brands are jumping in with novel interpretations.
Chopard went retro with last fall’s Alpine Eagle (starting at $10,100). A bezel secured with four pairs of screws is a nod to its predecessor, the 1980 St. Moritz, the first piece designed by current copresident Karl-Friedrich Scheufele at age 22. Lucent Steel A223, a Chopard exclusive, is resmelted to make it robust and light-reflective. The slightly tapered integrated bracelet is composed of ingot-shaped links, each topped with a raised central cap. The automatic 01.01-C calibre that powers the 41-mm model is a certified chronometer.
A. Lange & Söhne marked last year’s 25th anniversary of its modern resurrection with Odysseus ($28,800), the German brand’s first sport watch. Blending sport with elegance, the design combines a complex 40.5-mm, tri-part case with a multilevel blue dial. The new automatic L155.1 Datomatic manufacture movement exhibits the brand’s characteristic engraving and German silver three-quarter plate introduced by Ferdinand A. Lange in 1864.
CEO Wilhelm Schmid says: “Thanks to the unique combination of outsize date, large weekday indication and small seconds, the watch has a character of its own. Yet, it is a genuine Lange down to the most minute detail.” H. Moser & Cie. debuted its first sport watch, the retro-futuristic 42.3 mm, cushion-shaped Streamliner ($39,900). With its fluid lines and geometric curves, the design of the watch mimics the aerodynamic Deco-era trains for which the Streamliner is named.
The watch introduces the first integrated automatic chronograph with a central display to offer a flyback function for the minutes and seconds. Edouard Meylan, the boutique brand’s CEO says the understated design aims to highlight the chronograph function with a focus on ergonomics and legibility.
Visit alange-soehne.com, chopard.com, and h-moser.com
