Stylish Seconds

SMART MATERIALS

Now we come to watches that make use of special alloys and materials. IWC releases, for the first time, a carbon fibre watch, the Ingeniuer Automatic Carbon Performance, featuring a case made of epoxy-resin soaked carbon fibre matting, the same material used in the safety shell of a Formula One car. The dial too is covered with carbon fibre webbing, providing an extremely durable and scratch-resistant watch that looks great. The timepiece is fitted with the automatic 80110 calibre, with an integrated shock-absorption system, that can be viewed through the transparent caseback. A nice touch is the rotor design, which is inspired by the pistons in the engine of F1 cars.

A very popular piece inspired from Jaeger-LeCoultre’s archives, the Deep Sea Chronograph now comes in a special alloy called Cermet, a material used in race car engines and aeronautics, which is made of an aluminium matrix – hence its light weight – reinforced by a ceramic coating of about 40 microns thick, for scratch resistance and durability. The material is also resistant to extreme pressure and temperatures, making it very useful in diving. The 44mm case of the Jaeger-LeCoultre Deep Sea Chronograph Cermet weighs 66 per cent less than one in titanium, making this a large yet extremely wearable watch.

One of the watches I'll always remember from the show is Richard Mille's RM59-01, which comes in very bright yellow and green. The second special edition for Jamaican sprinter Yohan Blake, the watch features a manual winding tourbillon movement with hours and minutes, with a skeletonised titanium baseplate and anti-corroding aluminium bridges for extremely low weight. But the movement is not the only thing that makes it stand out. The case is made from a translucent composite compose of injected carbon nanotubes that offer the perfect form of shock protection for the movement and the tourbillon. The carbon nanotubes are supposedly 200 times more durable than steel and very light. These are more resistant to impacts than carbon fibre, too. The nanotubes are injected into a mould containing a yellow-green polymer to give the case its unique colour. If you’ve seen Blake in action, you’ll notice that he runs with his hands spread, fingers wide, resembling bridge detail on the dial of the watch.

And so starts another virtuous cycle of discoveries and acquisitions. Happy hunting, and may you find yet another perfect addition to your growing collection. Until BaselWorld!