Fresh Basel

Subtle Innovations
For the watch industry, mechanical mastery and complications are valued so much, sometimes at the expense of design. But there are a number of timepieces launching this year that are definitely in possession of both beauty and brains, and here are three:
Laurent Ferrier, a new but now well- recognised brand because of its big win at the Grand Prix d’ Horlogerie Geneve in 2010 for best men’s watch, has released its second timepiece, the Galet Secret Tourbillon Double Spiral. The watch has the same functions as its predecessor, the Galet Classic, with the manual winding tourbillon movement with the double spiral escapement – two inversed balance springs to average out the negative effects of gravity – that makes it more accurate in measuring time.
The Galet Secret’s big secret however, is that the dial opens to reveal a customised miniature painting. At the push of a button, the dial opens 240 degrees to reveal your very own piece of art, made possible by two opaque colour sapphire crystals that swivel on a pivot. You can also program the movement of dial to your chosen hour.
The Galet Secret Tourbillon Double Spiral offers 80 hours of power reserve, with the tourbillon visible through its sapphire caseback.
Another beauty worth having a look at when it hits boutiques later in the year is the Hermes Arceau Time Suspended. Created with the genius of movement developer Jean- March Wiedderecht, the watch features a new and unusual complication: it allows the owner to stop time whenever he or she pleases, without affecting the movement. So when you do feel like seeing what time it really is, the watch will be able to do so without skipping a beat. Feeling like a superhero has never been so entertaining. The watch features a 360-degree hour and minute retrograde mechanism, which give the illusion of “suspended time,” where the hour and minute hands stop at 12 o’clock, and the date hand disappears completely. The automatic movement has a 42-hour power reserve.
The Hermes Arceau Time Suspended watch comes in a sleek 43mm 18k pink gold or stainless steel case, water-resistant to 30 metres.
The use of Cerachrom, a tech material that is stronger than stainless steel and traditional ceramic, with ultimate scratch resistance and a glossy sheen is an obvious trend. Rolex is
presenting its Oyster Perpetual Yacht-Master II with a bezel in this non-fading, corrosion- resistant material.
The latest edition has a 44mm case with 18k Everose Rolesor case – a combination of stainless steel and 18k rose gold – and is equipped with the calibre 4160 automatic chronograph movement, with programmable regatta countdown mechanical memory.