CHINA (MACAU). DFS on Saturday unveiled the fifth Masters of Time, an extraordinary collection of more than 400 exclusive, rare and limited timepieces from 35 of the world’s most illustrious watchmakers.
The event, dubbed as Asia’s premier retail exhibition of Haute Horlogerie and themed ‘Land, Sea & Air’, is being hosted at the newly rebranded T Galleria Macau at The Shoppes at Four Seasons
Over 800 guests, including leading Asian premier watch aficionados and collectors, prominent bloggers, journalists (including The Moodie Report from the travel retail media), watch manufacturers and DFS Platinum Service Club VIPs at the glittering occasion highlighted by a gala evening at the T Galleria by DFS’s Platinum Services Club Lounge.
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The gala featured entertainment by Cantopop star William So, Nicole Renaud, the French soprano; and beatbox cellist Kevin Olusola.
The time pieces, several of them one-offs, remain on display and are available for sale through 15 February 2014.
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“It’s been fabulously exciting – this is a labour of love“ |
Harold Brooks President, Global Merchandising DFS Group |
DFS President Global Merchandising Harold Brooks told The Moodie Report: “The [watches] industry now really understands the importance of DFS and that we are truly a serious seller of beautiful timepieces, some of them one of a kind, unique. We have a customer that is interested in them – our Platinum Services Club has been a very important part of our accomplishing that. Many of our guests want to be served in a unique environment and given a unique experience – from shopping and choosing the watch to having an experience second to none [look out for an interview with Harold Brooks in the next edition of The Moodie Report e-Zine, plus more on Masters of Time].
“It’s been fabulously exciting – this is a labour of love. The merchant team starts on this a year in advance”¦ we’re already thinking about our Masters of Time VI.
Earlier at the event opening, DFS Chairman and CEO Philippe Schaus said: “We are very proud to share the Masters of Time collection with our many distinguished guests and customers worldwide for the fifth year in a row.
“One of the only independent retail exhibitions of this calibre and scale in the entire world, Masters of Time gets to the very heart of the DFS brand – it confirms our unique identity and expertise as a curator with the distinct capacity to marry delightful retail experiences with a discerning edit of products that showcases the very pinnacle of luxury innovation today.”
Sands Retail Vice President of Retail Development Timothy Jones said: “Masters of Time is a truly exquisite collection of Haute Horlogerie, and I can think of no better place to host it than at our Shoppes at Four Seasons. In hosting Masters of Time again this year, we hope our visitors will enjoy the unique opportunity it provides to experience the art of watchmaking at its finest. It’s part of our commitment to offer our guests a diversity of outstanding retail experiences.
The collection, DFS said, offers the latest designs, technical advancements, and artistic creations in watchmaking today. The presentation also features numerous limited-editions and one-of-a-kind timepieces available for the first time in Asia after Baselworld.
These include the luminous, one-of-a-kind Girard-Perregaux Cat’s Eye High Jewellery, a first-to-market piece. Other outstanding exhibits, representing the unique relationship between timepieces and the mastery of land, sea, and air, included the Richard Mille RM 59-01 Yohan Blake Tourbillon, Zenith Academy Christophe Columb ‘Hurricane’ Fusee-Chain Transmission and Jaeger-LeCoultre Rendez-Vous Celestial.
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DFS Senior Management and special guests from the opening Forum celebrate the launch of Masters of Time 2013 |
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DFS President, Global Merchandising Harold Brooks on stage with Kevin Lin, ultramarathon runner supreme, and the first modern-day athlete to run across the Sahara Desert, and Brian Jones, who set the world record for circumnavigating the globe in a hot air balloon |
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Harold Brooks on stage with (from left) renowned watch collectors Eric Ku and SJX plus DFS Group Merchandising Manager Watchmakers Matthew Green |
This year’s Masters of Time also features a full spectrum of the latest and finest timepieces from watchmakers, such as Blancpain, Breguet, Bulgari, Girard-Perregaux, Glashütte Original, Greubel Forsey, Hublot, IWC Schaffausen, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Richard Mille, Ulysse Nardin, Vacheron Constantin, and Zenith. Additionally the Franck Muller 10th Anniversary Crazy Hours Exhibition made its first appearance at Masters of Time.
Brooks told The Moodie Report: “The evolution of our events has been very nice. We started them by asking brands to join us. Today we have brands asking us, so it’s the other way around. It’s a unique position to be in and we’re very humbled and very excited by it.
“As merchants it’s always our responsibility to find out who’s next on the horizon and what we believe will be something different and unique to our consumers – and that’s what we’re doing.
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(Left) Sign of the times: This spectacular feature reveals the brands on offer at Masters of Time 2013; (Right) Many of the rare timepieces, such as this Kantharos model from Christophe Claret, have already been reserved by members of DFS’s Platinum Services Club | |
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(Left) The exquisite Pont des Amoureux (Lovers’ Bridge) from Van Cleef & Arpels which, courtesy of a retrograde movement, depicts two lovers meeting at midnight on the famous Pont des Arts in Paris. The timepiece shows the man counting the minutes impatiently while the woman calmly indicates the hours.They are pictured against a ‘contre jour’ enamel dial in a white gold case set with diamonds; (Right) Two models showcase the stunning watch and jewellery art of the famous French jewellery and watchmaking house | |
“This is a customer-centric show, not a trade show like a SIHH or a Basel. It’s very exciting and one of the things we saw this year in recognising business trends is that we really believe that women now need an important voice in what’s being shown. So for the first time ever we have over a third of our watches 100% geared towards women. We’re starting to see them become very serious collectors as well.”
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(Above and below) Masters of Time was not just a demonstration of luxury; it also demonstrated the wonderful craftsmanship that goes into the world’s greatest watches |
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Mother told me there would be Knights like this: DFS Senior Vice President, General Merchandise Manager, Watches, Jewelry and Accessories Christophe Chaix (right) and Martin Moodie prepare to engage at the Roger Dubuis exhibition, highlighted by the magnificent Excalibur Quator |
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(From left) Martin Moodie with DFS Chief Operating Officer Michael Schriver, Abbi DeLessio and DFS President of Store Operations Strategy Tim DeLessio at the gala evening |
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A note to follow So: Cantopop star William So thrilled the crowd with a dynamic performance of some of his most popular numbers in the Platinum Services Club Lounge |
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CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE CURATED KIND
DFS opened the exhibition by hosting a fascintating forum, chaired by Harold Brooks, on watchmaking and collecting, featuring world-renowned collectors Eric Ku and SJX.
In addition, DFS profiled three individuals whose achievements demonstrate why watchmakers continue to innovate for the fields of land, sea, and air – historically all areas closely tied to marking the passage of time.
They were Kevin Lin, an ultra-marathon runner, famous for the extraordinary feat of running across the Sahara Desert; Brian Jones, a renowned balloonist who set the world record for circumnavigating the globe in a hot air balloon; and Vicky Song, currently on a journey aiming to become the first Chinese woman to sail around the world.
Guests then proceeded to the exhibition where they encountered new watchmakers as well as industry leaders. Several of the watch houses flew in the master craftsmen and artisans behind the pieces on display. Highlights of this year’s collection (also see Slide Show above, we’ll add more examples later today) include:
Bulgari Daniel Roth Carillon Tourbillon
The new Daniel Roth Carillon Tourbillon is an original three-hammer Minute Repeater with a pure, contemporary face. Its new hand-wound caliber DR3300, entirely made in-house by Bulgari, features “excellent acoustics and an original design”, the brand said. In the case, the gongs are individually crafted to ensure identical sound quality. Limited edition of 30 pieces.
Chopard L.U.C 150 All-in-One
This timepiece beats to the cadence of the new hand-wound L.U.C05.01-L calibre, entirely designed, developed and produced by Chopard Manufacture. The L.U.C 150 “All-in-One” watch is described as “a rare complication” presenting the equation of time which equal to the difference between true solar time (that of nature) and mean solar time (or civilian time). Chronometer-certified by the COSC and bearing the Poinçon de Genève quality hallmark, the L.U.C 05.01-L movement houses four barrels, endowing it with a seven-day power reserve. It displays the hours, minutes, small seconds on the tourbillon, plus, a perpetual calendar showing a 24-hour indication, the day of the week, date, month, leap year and the power reserve. The equation of time, sunrise and sunset times and moon phases are displayed on the case-back. Limited edition of 15 pieces in 18-carat rose gold and 15 in white gold.
Christophe Claret Kantharos
A mono-pusher chronograph with striking mechanism and constant force escapement. The automatic-winding chronograph’s cathedral gong chimes with each change of function. The chimes are visible at 10 o’clock and equipped with a patented system that prevents the gongs from vibrating against each other.
Franck Muller Giga Tourbillon Matrix
The Giga Tourbillon from the House of Franck Muller is said to be a testament to the expertise of its research and development team. As the name suggests, it bears the world’s largest tourbillon, the house claims. Powered with four barrels, it embraces a 20mm diameter tourbillon on the dial that occupies almost half of the watch and is marked with a robust diamond-studded cage structure.
Glashütte Original Panolunar Tourbillon
In keeping with Glashütte Original’s Art & Technik philosophy, this timepiece is designed to catch the observer’s eye with its filigreed Flying Tourbillon. The asymmetric design positions the large hour/minute dial to the left of the centre. The panorama date display to the lower right presents black numerals on an ivory-coloured ground. To the upper right, the moon phase display shimmers against a dark blue night sky.
Greubel Forsey Tourbillon 24 Secondes Asymétrique
The Tourbillon 24 Secondes Asymétrique features the Tourbillon 24 Secondes, Greubel Forsey’s third fundamental invention, and offers improved timekeeping performance by means of an ultra-light, fast-rotating tourbillon. Positional discrepancies are said to be minimised by a single rapidly rotating inclined tourbillon where the higher rotational speed significantly improves the performance of the single tourbillon. A specially developed inclined gear profile and ultra-light tourbillon cage are designed to ensure that the challenges of the high rotational speed are overcome. Combined, all of the 88 components of the Tourbillon 24 Secondes system weigh only 0.39g. Fast-rotating tourbillon inclined at 25° at 8 o’clock. Convex synthetic sapphire crystals on both front and display back, lateral window, polished bezel and hand-finished vertical graining around the caseband. Manual winding movement.
Hublot Big Bang Ferrari Carbon Red Magic
This provocative timepiece is hailed as “the new standard bearer of Hublot watch production”, with its case and movement designed, developed and produced entirely by the engineers and watchmakers at Hublot. The Big Bang Ferrari Carbon Red Magic features a practical flyback chronograph, two push-buttons, a date indicator and a distinctly positioned mechanism with dual coupling and the well-known “column wheel” visible on the dial side. Its carbon fibre case is also entirely designed and manufactured by Hublot. What sets it apart, according to Hublot, is the forging of all the carbon fibre components using the multi-layer principle, stacking up to 12 sheets of carbon fibre at maximum thickness. The red sapphire crystal is coloured during the development of the material – which results in permanent, unalterable colour. The timepiece comes with two straps, in black or red Schedoni leather stitched onto black rubber, offering flexibility, comfort and durability. Limited edition of 1,000 numbered timepieces.
IWC Ingenieur Automatic Carbon Performance
To mark its collaboration with the Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team, IWC presents a big, new high-tech model with a carbon-fibre case. The middle section of the case is manufactured using the same principle used in racing cars. The carbon fibre dial complements the authentic Formula One look and gives the watch a profiled, three-dimensional surface. Carbon is only one-fifth the weight of steel. Details inspired by motorsports include ceramic screw heads, crown and crown protection, titanium screws and caseback ring, and rubber strap with stamped calfskin inlay. Strap is stitched with yellow or red nylon thread reminiscent of the stripes on the outer walls of slicks. Thanks to its integrated shock-absorption system, the IWC-manufactured 80110-calibre movement is claimed to be unaffected by extreme acceleration, sharp braking and vibrations, making it suitable for racing drivers.
Officine Panerai Luminor Submersible 1950 3 Days Power Reserve Automatic Bronzo – 47mm
Officine Panerai presents the Luminor Submersible 1950 3 Days Power Reserve Automatic Bronzo, a new Special Edition with decisively nautical associations and water resistance to 300m. According to the brand, “In the mind of every sailor, bronze immediately evokes images associated with the sea.”
Richard Mille RM 59-01 Yohan Blake Tourbillon
Jamaican Olympic sprinter Yohan Blake has teamed up with Richard Mille to develop a specially designed timepiece for sprinters as well as watch connoisseurs and collectors. The result is the RM 59-01 with skeletonized manually wound tourbillon movement. The 59-01 has stylistic cues that refer to the man nicknamed “The Beast”: The movement itself has “Beast bridges,” which are splayed out to resemble a claw, a nod to Blake’s trademark running style, with his fingers ripping through the air. The case, designed in Jamaican yellow and green, is a new interpretation of the tonneau shape featuring a surprising thickness and tapering between 2 and 5 o’clock. Crafted of translucent carbon nanotubes, the RM 59-01 Yohan Blake tourbillon watch is available in a limited edition of 50 timepieces.
Roger Dubuis Excalibur Quatuor
All 590 components of the calibre RD101 of the Excalibur Quatuor was decorated by hand, and the timepiece bears the certified hallmark of Geneva. Limited edition of 88 pieces.
TAG Heuer Carrera Mikrogirder
Powered by a pioneering patented linear vibrating system, the TAG Heuer Carrera Mikrogirder was awarded the Aiguille d’Or at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève. Featuring a dual-assortment chain with a 4 Hz watch and a 1000 Hz chronograph, it is claimed to be the first timepiece ever created with neither a balance wheel nor a hairspring, and is accurate to 5/10,000th or 1/2,000th of a second. Conceived, developed and manufactured in-house, it is said to be the fastest mechanical regulator ever crafted and tested. The design consists of an anthracite dial that looks like a combination of classic TAG Heuer Carrera and vintage Heuer stopwatch. The case is asymmetrical, slightly rising at an angle at 12 o’clock, where the crown and chronograph pushers are located.
Zenith Academy Christophe Colomb “Hurricane” Fusée-Chain Transmission
The Academy Christophe Colomb Hurricane, in sapphire crystal, showcases the shining mechanical refinement of the fusée-chain system. At 6 o’clock, the gyroscopic carriage, a 173-part horological gem, produces an riveting whirling motion. The dome is echoed by the curves of the openworked hour and minute dial at 12 o’clock, while the hand-guilloché small seconds and power-reserve displays are also subtly convex. On the bridge side, the sapphire crystal reveals a globe motif laser-engraved on the gyroscopic module, a tribute to the spirit of travel epitomised by Christopher Columbus. Limited edition of 25 pieces.
Blancpain Women Quantième Rétrograde
Blancpain marries femininity and artistry in its latest Retrograde Calendar, with a dial featuring mother-of-pearl marquetry and fine detailing. Hour and minute counters are decentralised at 6 o’clock. The calendar is indicated by a retrograde hand, which consistently jumps back to the first day of the month. A “dreamlike quality” is introduced by the moon phase at 12 o’clock, which nestles in a starry, diamond-studded sky, the brand described. In line with the whimsical theme, the serpentine blue hand is tipped with a star, ensuring clear visibility of the date. The bezel set with 40 diamonds and the white alligator leather strap accent the femininity of this piece. The final flourish is seen in the diamond-topped crown. The sapphire display back showcases the flower-shaped oscillating weight, and the beating heart of this timepiece, the calibre 2650RL.
Breguet High Jewelry Marie-Antoinette Dentelle
Haute Joaillerie Marie-Antoinette Dentelle self-winding watch features lacework decoration set with 89 brilliant-cut TW/IF-VVS diamonds (5.38 carats) and a ruby of 1.30 carats. Jewellery dial in 18-carat gold set with a frosting of 96 diamonds. Breguet numerals on white circular-grained mother of pearl decorated with a lacework of 27 diamonds (0.356 carats). Sphere paved with 65 brilliant-cut TW/IF-VVS diamonds (0.55 carats). Caseband set with 114 diamonds (2.67 carats) and flange embellished with 66 brilliant-cut TW/IF-VVS diamonds (0.13 carats). Crown set with a briolette TW/IF-VVS diamond (0.28 carats). Strap in watered red satin with a Breguet folding clasp paved with 26 brilliant-cut TW/IF-VVS diamonds (0.14 carats).
Girard-Perregaux Cat’s Eye Jewellery Tourbillon with Gold Bridge
Girard-Perregaux’s latest creation features a natural mother-of-pearl dial and a silhouette embellished with more than 1,000 snow-set diamonds. The tourbillon with the delicately hand-engraved gold bridge presides at six o’clock. This timepiece features a manufacture movement whose pedigree goes back more than 125 years.
Jaquet-Droz Petite Heure Minute Relief Seasons
Inspired by the blue songbirds of his native Swiss Jura, Pierre Jaquet-Droz has paid tribute to these creatures with this timepiece. Delicately positioned on either side of the dial, two blue songbirds spread their wings. The dial is fashioned in hand-engraved mother-of-pearl; the birds are sculpted and engraved in gold; and finally, the birds and the dial are painted – “a miniature trompe-l’Å“il that comes to life”. The domed sapphire glass reinforces the three-dimensional optical illusion of the scene.
Jaeger-LeCoultre Rendez-Vous Celestial
Inspired by the celestial sky, the passage of the constellations of the Northern Hemisphere, the signs of the Zodiac and the months of the year are displayed on a deep blue lapis lazuli guilloché dial. Features include a star-shaped hand, diamonds across the sides of the 18-carat white gold case, and a second crown adorned with an inverted diamond. A zodiac calendar on the dial shows the position of the constellations at any moment of the year. The mechanical automatic movement, Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 809, rotates the star disc at the gradual pace of one turn every 23 hours, 56 minutes and 4 seconds.
Vacheron Constantin Malte Lady
Vacheron Constantin Malte Lady in 18K gold, set with a total of 213 round-cut diamonds, has a diamond-paved centre and gold Roman numerals. The Vacheron Constantin logo is etched on the diamond-paved centre of the dial. Bezel is embellished with 50 brilliant round-cut diamonds. Alligator leather strap features a buckle in the shape of a half Maltese cross set with diamonds. Quartz movement.
Van Cleef & Arpels Lady Arpels Féérie Rouge
Inspired by the themes of enchantment and positive vision, Van Cleef & Arpels reinterprets the brand’s iconic fairies by introducing the Lady Arpels Féérie Rouge timepiece. Since the 1940s, these magical creatures have been been captured by the Maison. The ruby red dial of the Féérie Rouge timepiece is enhanced by translucent enameling on gold guilloché and gold sculpting.
