As travel bubbles pop up all over the world, it’s time to look at India and the rest of Asia with a fresh perspective. Here are five recently launched watches to suit the mood of your travel destination. By Mitrajit Bhattacharya
This year’s editions of the Limelight Gala, a model with stylish curves, asymmetrical lugs, and a gem-set bezel, hark back to Piaget’s heyday of jewellery watches in the 1960s and 1970s. Arranged around four themes—The Art of Movement, The Art of Gold, The Art of Colour, and The Art of Light—the ultra-thin jewellery watches come with a delightful gemstone twist. The Art of Light watch (in pic) is a rose-gold model with a mother-of-pearl dial and a setting of 42 brilliant-cut diamonds on the bezel. Perfect for a luxurious night out in Hong Kong.
IWC PORTUGIESER YACHT CLUB CHRONOGRAPH
The big story at Watches and Wonders 2020 was the comeback of Portugieser. A decade after its maiden voyage, the third-generation Portugieser Yacht Club Chronograph sails into port. The novelties are a larger case size, relocation of the date window, some fine-tuning on the dial, and a new metal bracelet. The watch comes in three iterations—take your pick for that yachting expedition in SE Asia.
Born in polo fields during the British Raj, Reverso has its history intertwined with Rajasthan. The Reverso One Red-Wine, launched earlier this year, is an interesting offering for women. The design is influenced by the Art Deco movement, in vogue at the time the Reverso was born. This can be seen particularly on the dial, where Arabic numerals framed at the corners, a sunray guilloche pattern in red, and handset all speak to the 1930s origins of the timepiece.
The Connected collection has expanded this summer with four variations of colours featuring new materials, watch faces, and straps. It offers timepieces designed in the purest watchmaking tradition with a state-of-the-art digital experience that comes with a weather forecast, a second-time zone, and sunrise and sunset times. The TAG Heuer mobile app helps with greater personalisation. Whether it’s biking in the hills, a workout by the sea, or golf at a secluded retreat, the watch keeps up with you.
This year, Montblanc has created a new iteration of the 1858 Geosphere. The watch designed for exploration is now offered in a lighter, sportier variant. But the heritage elements continue: the 1930s Montblanc logo, the typeface of the numerals, the railroad minute track. This blue variation is meant to evoke the colours of glaciers and snowy mountains. Since the original watch was a tribute to the Seven Summits, it befits an adventure in the Himalayas.
Related: Make The Most Of Your Time At Home By Revisiting These Iconic Watches
