GQ_Australia-December_2017

T

he most successful

watch brands, like the

most successful sports

clubs, are typically

those propped up

by the most well-

financed backers. Cartier, IWC,

Jaeger-LeCoultre, Montblanc,

Panerai and Vacheron Constantin

all belong to Richemont. Breguet,

Blancpain, Omega and Longines

coexist within Swatch Group.

Hublot, while TAG Heuer and

Zenith form part of LVMH.

Proving an exception to this rule,

until recently, were independently-

owned horologic heavyweights Patek

Philippe, Rolex and Breitling. Then,

in April of this year, the last name on

that list was acquired by UK-based

private equity group CVC Capital

Partners, announcing the end of an

era – since 1979, Breitling had been

guided by father-and-son team

Ernest and Theodore Schneider.

The news put to bed rumours that

the aviation specialist was about to

be snapped up by Rolex, reports

fuelled by a partnership announced

in March between Breitling and

Rolex sister-brand Tudor. The

agreement was simple: Breitling

would grant Tudor access to its ‘B01’

base calibre, providing the latter

with a COSC-certified chronograph

movement. Breitling, going the

other way, was given the right to

use Tudor’s three-hand ‘MT5612’

movement, which it incorporates

in the stealthy, second-generation

‘Superocean Héritage’ – a collection

that celebrates its 60th anniversary

this year. Opposite, from left: steel

Breitling ‘Superocean Héritage II 46’,

$6310; steel Breitling ‘Superocean

Héritage II’ 42, $6040; breitling.com

WHAT WE’LL

BE WEARING...

IN THE SURF

Last year, Montblanc presented

the acclaimed ‘1858 Chronograph

Tachymeter Limited Edition’,

a hand-wound column-wheel

stopwatch that was named best

chronograph at the 2016 Grand

Prix d’Horlogerie, colloquially

referred to as the Oscars of the

watch world. The timepiece was

based on ‘Minerva’ pilot watches

from the ’30s, a storied movement

manufacturer that became part

of Montblanc in 2006, having

been acquired by Richemont,

parent group to the fabled pen

maker. Debuting in rose gold

and steel, the watch’s vintage

theme – it features Montblanc’s

historical mountain emblem and

a railway track running around

the edge of its dial – came to full

fruition this year with the launch

of a bronze edition, the first time

Montblanc has used the material

in a timepiece. Visible through

a 44mm bronze case back is the

Montblanc ‘Manufacture’ caliber

‘MB M16.29’, which is almost

identical to ‘Minerva’ movements

from the ’30s.

Montblanc ‘1858 Chronograph

Tachymeter Limited Edition 100’,

$42,780; montblanc.com

THE OTHER ‘UN’

Ulysse Nardin announced a new

CEO in August. Patrick Pruniaux

joins the brand from Apple,

where he helped launch the

Apple Watch – sparking

suggestions that Ulysse Nardin

might be considering a

smartwatch. No news on that

yet, but the brand has brought

out the ‘Marine Torpilleur’, a

lighter, thinner version of its

‘Marine Chronometer’,

powered by the self-winding,

in-house calibre ‘UN-118’.

Having first introduced

silicon to watchmaking , Ulysse

Nardin has now developed a

new material called DIAMonSIL,

a mix of silicon and man-

made diamond used for the

escapement of the ‘UN-118’.

$9995; avstev.com

One

Hander

Münster-based manufacturer

MeisterSinger is unique within

watch land for engineering

exclusively single-hand

timepieces. The brand’s watches

display the time by means of a

single, ultra-thin hour needle,

and are typified by their double-

digit hour markings, high-domed

glass and highly legible dails.

Following the launch of the

36mm ‘Neo’ in 2011, the brand

has announced the ‘Neo Plus’,

inflating the ’50s-inspired

date-displaying timepiece

to a beefier 40mm. Inside a

stainless steel case sits a self-

winding automatic movement

with a 38-hour power reserve.

Of the colourways available,

the sunburst blue dial option is

the most impactful. It features

white numerals, a matching

white hour hand and is water

resistant to 30m.

MeisterSinger ‘Neo Plus

Automatic Sunburst Blue’, $1795;

lionbrandsaustralia.com.au

TAG HEUER ‘CARRERA

CALIBRE HEUER 01’

Because Sporty classics

are our vibe for the

summer ahead.

Also because

The ‘Carrera’ is all about

adrenaline-fuelled

risk-taking and that’s

how we intend to spend

the warmer months.

The clincher

The scratch-resistant

titanium 45mm diameter

case is super masculine.

$6850; TAGHEUER.COM

WINNING BRONZE

WORDS: RICHARD BROWN. PHOTOGRAPHY: EDWARD URRATIA.

MEN OF THE YEAR 2017 GQ.COM.AU 115