117IMAGE: SHUTTERSTOCK (GRAPHICS)
version is, unlike its platinum-
encased predecessor, not a
limited edition, and therefore
accessible to watch aficionados
across the globe. It also gets a
new blue dial, while the Calibre
8939 ticking away underneath is
METAS-certified. Staggeringly
detailed, practical and pedigreed,
just the way we like it.(^5) MONTBLANC
1858 Geosphere Limited Edition
Montblanc introduced a bronze
and green visual theme this year,
which pairs splendidly with its
vintage-inspired travel watches,
particularly the 1858 Geosphere.
Brought back in limited numbers
(1,858, in case you were
wondering), its two rotating sub-
dials, now rendered in bronze,
allow you to observe the time at
your second time zone reference
across the two hemispheres. It
may not be the most accurate
world timer out there, but its
colour-enhanced classicism
makes it one of the most stylish.
(^6) A. LANGE & SÖHNE
Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon
Headlining the salmon dial trend
at this year’s Salon International
De La Haute Horlogerie (SIHH)
was this watch, with its exquisite
dial machined directly from
untreated gold, untarnished by
paint or lacquer. The appeal of
this edition of the Datograph
lies in that hue, but if that isn’t
enough for you, there are also
some pretty slick complications
lurking behind those good looks,
including a chronograph, a
moonphase and a tourbillon. It’s
limited to 100 pieces, so you’re
more likely to obtain it at a
future auction than you are from
a retail outlet.
(^7) BREITLING
Navitimer Ref 806 1959
Re-Edition
It’s interesting to see a re-
edition from a brand that’s
slowly inching away from its
professional tool watch origins
and towards something with
a wider millennial appeal.
The Navitimer 1959 is nearly
identical to the 1959 original:
retaining that highly technical
and busy dial that established
its primacy as the go-to
watch for pilots, the iconic
slide rule bezel scale (used to
measure everything from fuel
consumption to speed) and the
exact number of beads found
on the bezel. With only 1,959
editions being made, it’s also
quite rare.
(^8) HUBLOT
Classic Fusion Ferrari GT
When it comes to motoring-
inspired watches, Hublot is
the nut to Ferrari’s bolt, the
wine to its cheese – so strong
is one’s association with the
other. This watch has similarly
been developed in collaboration
with Ferrari’s in-house design
division, Centro Stile: the
same guys who gave us the
sensational Ferrari Monza SP1
and SP2 limited-edition cars
earlier this year. The watch too
gets those sleek, flowing edges
(a refreshing change for Hublot),
while that flyback chronograph
movement is suspended in an
outer caseband forged, along
with the bezel, in titanium, king
gold or a polymer composite
called 3-D carbon. Easily the
best-looking car-themed watch
of the year.
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