Born into a family of watchmakers, Tan Zehua a natural impulse and followed in his father’s footsteps, becoming a watchmaker. Now 64 years old, he spent much of his career in watch restoration before moving onto independent watchmaking in middle age. One of the exhibitors at the giant China Watch & Clock Fair, Tan is now a candidate for entry into the AHCI, one of three Chinese entrants, including Lin Yong Hua.

Tan’s work is primarily focused on efforts on escapements and long power reserves. So while the aesthetics of his watches are ordinary, the movements are striking. While short, his track record as an independent watchmaker is impressive: four in-house movements, including a 10-day calibre, and brand new escapement christened the Di-Axial.

But like many other one-man independent, Tan does not merely make watches and movements, he is also a toolmaker, having put together his own machines to produce his watches, including one to apply Côtes de Genève as well as a milling machine for bevelling.

Named for their chronological order of completion, the Work No. 1 was Tan’s first movement, characterised by a huge 16mm balance wheel and a layout inspired by 19th century pocket watch movements. While it displays conventional hours and seconds, the Work No. 1 also displays traditional Chinese time on a sub-dial at one o’clock.

A conventionally constructed movement would require a rearrangement of the gear train movement to accommodate the large balance. However, the movement in Work No. 1 manages to keep its pocket watch inspired styling by raising the balance wheel and lowering the bridges. Consequently, the rim of the balance sits above the bridge for the gear train.

Also unique is the position of the swan neck regulator, which does not rest on top of the balance cock as is typical but is instead installed at the opposite end, hanging over the balance wheel.

Tan also used traditional finishing techniques like those found on pocket watch, including circular Côtes de Genève, perlage and bevelled countersinks for the screws and jewels.

The Work No. 2 demonstrates Tan’s mastery of the power reserve with its 10-day autonomy, thanks to two barrels running in parallel via a patented gear system. That patented gearing allows the movement to stay slim at just 6mm despite the twin barrel setup.

In terms of finishing, the Work No. 2 is also much more elaborate, with the addition of sunburst decorations on the barrel ratchet and winding wheels as well as sharp, polished bevelled on the edges of the bridges, a feature that highlights the hand-finishing.

Having conquered the long power reserve with the Work No. 2, Tan moved on to enhancing the timekeeping during the extended running time.

The Work No. 3 builds on its predecessor with the novel addition of a third barrel with a 30-hour power reserve that functions as a constant force mechanism. But unlike the two main barrels, this intermediary barrel does not add to the power reserve, but instead acts as a medium to channel torque from the main barrels over to the gear train.

That means the intermediate barrel is repeatedly wound by the twin mainsprings over the course of the 10-day running time. As a consequence, the escapement enjoys stable torque throughout the course of the power reserve, thereby improving the accuracy of the movement.

Tan’s fourth wristwatch, however, is a departure from his first three creations, having no complications and instead pivoting towards traditional movement finishing. Completely finished by hand and without any computer aid, the Work No. 4 features traditional materials and finishing techniques, having been inspired by Swiss masters of the art like Philippe Dufour.

The movement finishing is slightly reminiscent of the Glashütte style, with thinner ribbing and warm patina of the German silver bridges.  Intriguingly, the main bridge of the movement also has the famous “horns” found in the Simplicity by Philippe Dufour.

The latest work of Tan Zehua is not a watch but a brand new escapement, the Di-Axial. Details are still scarce as it’s patent-pending, but the escapement is an improved version of the Co-Axial escapement developed by George Daniels.

Unlike the Co-Axial escapement, the Di-Axial escapement’s locking jewels and impulse jewel are on separate components, facilitating service and repair. Coupled with other design improvements, the escapement operates with less friction, liminating the need for lubrication, and requires up to 30% less power to run. The escapement is still in development, and will be released in the coming year according to Tan.

The watches by Tan Zehua are all planned as limited editions, but Tan is not currently accepting orders as he is preparing for the AHCI entry presentation next year.

In the last couple of years the IWC Ingenieur line has evolved from a chunky watches into something slimmer, simpler and slightly retro. While most of the Ingenieur watches are pretty straightforward in style, the Ingenieur Chronograph Sport Edition “50th anniversary of Mercedes-AMG” has more zing, along with a strong tactile feel.

Made for the golden jubilee of the Mercedes division famous for its aggressively powerful sedans (albeit ones with smaller engines now that emissions rules are starting to bite), the chronograph takes on a heavily automotive look. It’s not a novel look – the dial is modelled on a speedometer – but attractive and legible.

The AMG edition next to another Ingenieur chronograph that’s essentially the same watch but less interesting

Looking clean and functional, the dial is silver-plated, with red accents giving it a bit of flair. And instead of hour indices, the dial has oversized five-minute markers. The sub-seconds hand at six is shaped like a lightning bolt, a motif derived from the Ingenieur logo and one that’s faintly cheesy but fun.

The case is somewhat large at 44.3mm wide and 15.9mm, but feels agile because it’s titanium. While the stock versions of the Ingenieur chronograph are either 18k gold, which is ponderous, or steel, which feels entry-level, the titanium models have a light, solid feel. IWC definitely thinks steel, however, has greater ordinary appeal, as all of the titanium models are limited editions.

While titanium is a common material for watch cases, the finish of the AMG chronograph is not. The case is mirror-finished on the bezel and tops of the lugs, instead of being blasted or brushed as is common for titanium. Matte finishes are easier due to the nature of the metal, but a polished finish looks better. But because of that very nature of the metal the polished surface of the titanium is not quite as flat and mirror-like as when done on steel, though that’s barely discernible for most observers.

Like most other limited edition Ingenieur chronographs, the AMG edition contains the cal. 89361 (the ordinary models are powered by a Valjoux 7750). That makes the watch significantly pricier compared to the ordinary model, by some 40% or so, but the movement is significantly superior.

The cal. 89361 has co-axial hour and minute registers at 12 o’clock, leaving the dial both symmetrical and free of clutter, while also having a flyback function and lengthy 68-hour power reserve. Like most high-end modern chronograph movements, it also boasts a column wheel and vertical clutch.

It is an in-house movement, though like the rest of the 8000 series calibres it shares some basic parts (like the gear train) with the Valjoux 7750. However good it is the movement is unfortunately hidden behind a disc perforated to resemble a brake disc.

Like the typical Ingenieur watch, the AMG chronograph features a soft iron cage around the movement to shield it from magnetism. Exactly the same as the original Ingenieur had 60 years ago, it’s a low-tech solution to magnetism but effective.

Price and availability

The Ingenieur Chronograph Sport Edition “50th anniversary of Mercedes-AMG” (ref. IW380902) is limited to 250 watches, and priced at SFr12,600. It is available from IWC boutiques and retailers.

After a record setting New York watch auction that saw Paul Newman’s Daytona sell for an extraordinary number, Phillips’ auction action moves to Asia for the Hong Kong watch auction on November 28.

With over 160 lots, the auction includes a strong mix of vintage and modern timepieces typical for a Hong Kong sale. Amongst the top vintage lots are a Patek Philippe ref. 5073P grand complication set with baguette diamonds, a Rolex Daytona ref. 6241 “Lemon”, and an especially striking Patek Philippe ref. 1579 with Breguet numerals.

Amongst the modern notables are the very rare (just 20 were made) Lange 1 Tourbillon Handwerkskunst with a black enamel dial, a Philippe Dufour Simplicity in pink gold, as well as a Greubel Forsey from the collection of LVMH watch division boss Jean-Claude Biver.

The preview exhibitions start in Singapore and finish in Hong Kong, just before the auction. All previews are open to the public.

Singapore
November 4 – 11am to 5pm
November 5 – 11am to 6pm
Grand Hyatt
10 Scotts Road

Geneva – November 9 to 12
Hôtel La Réserve
301 route de Lausanne
1293 Bellevue

Taipei – November 18 to 19
Bellavita Gallery
B1/F, No. 28, Songren Road

Hong Kong – November 23 to 27
Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong
5 Connaught Road Central

The Hong Kong Watch Auction: Five takes place on November 28 at the Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong.

This was brought to you by Phillips.

Long the poor cousin of Rolex and Omega collecting, vintage Heuer watches are now in demand. The milestone event for the genre takes place in mid November when Phillips will sell over 40 chronographs from the collections of Richard Crosthwaite and Paul Gavin, a pair of English Heuer enthusiasts who have written two books on the subject.

Properly titled The Crosthwaite & Gavin Collection: Exceptional Heuer Chronographs from the Jack Heuer Era, the auction has been a long time coming, with the run-up over the last three years having seen a spike in values and interest. Just in June 2017 Christie’s sold an Autavia bearing the logo of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for US$199,5000. The success is thanks to a combination of savvy promotion by TAG Heuer chief executive Jean-Claude Biver as well as lots of exposure in vintage-focused watch sites like Hodinkee.

Heuer chronographs from the 1960s to 1970s – the last era of Heuer family ownership that ended with the Quartz Crisis – have proven to be the most desirable. The Heuer auction is consequently arranged around that period, with 42 vintage watches plus one modern limited edition that’ll be sold for charity. Here’s a look at five of them.

Lot 3 – Heuer Autavia ref. 2446M “Big Sub” 

Perhaps the watch that will end up being the most expensive in the sale, this is an early Autavia ref. 2446 dating from 1962. Extraordinarily, this is a watch that was selling for well under US$5000 ten years ago, and well under US$10,000 five years ago – and in December 2016 Christie’s sold a similar watch for US$125,000.

What makes this Autavia desirable is the “first execution” dial, characterised by the oversized chronograph registers.

The hands are “second execution”, with luminous fill down the middle, setting them apart from the “first execution” hands that are covered with luminous paint edge to edge.

Another feature distinct to earlier examples are the smaller pushers and crown with a domed top.

The reason this watch might end up being the top lot is two-fold. First is its intrinsic rarity, being an early example, and the second is the fact that the Autavia has evolved into the most desirable Heuer model.

A contraction of “automobile” and “aviation”, the Autavia encapsulates all of Heuer’s prowess as a maker of stopwatches for professionals. A later version of the ref. 2646 was the first model subject to a modern remake when Jean-Claude Biver took charge of the company, and the Autavia line the focus of a lengthy book, which now makes the model almost the signature Heuer watch.

This is estimated at SFr80,000 to SFr120,000.

Lot 6 – Heuer Monaco ref. 740.303N “Dark Lord”

The next lot stands in stark contrast to the Autavia ref. 2446 above. Once the most expensive of vintage Heuer watches – it peaked at about US$75,000 – the “Dark Lord” was the holy grail for many collectors when Heuer was still an esoteric pursuit.

Now that the brand has become more mainstream, it has been eclipsed by other Heuer chronographs, since they are regarded as more historically important and also round in shape, a quality that draws greater mass appeal.

Once believed to have been a small series of prototypes, Phillips says some 100 to 200 may exist, according to the recollections of Jack Heuer. According to lore, Mr Heuer ordered up a black Monaco after seeing a black-coated Audemars Piguet Royal Oak on the wrist of the King of Spain.

The black and orange colours along with the aged tritium make this an extremely striking watch, and this example is in “new old stock” condition, with a pristine black powder coating (usually extremely delicate) as well as its box and paperwork. The estimate is SFr35,000 to SFr50,000.

Lot 39 – Heuer Carrera ref. 1158CHN “Ferrari”

Nicknamed the “Ferrari” watch because it was the model Jack Heuer handed out to Ferrari drivers as part of the watchmaker’s sponsorship of the racing team, the Carrera ref. 1158 has an 18k gold case and was the most expensive Heuer in its time, especially when paired with the matching 18k gold bracelet.

This example is the rarest and best looking version of the ref. 1158, with black sub-dials and date – the suffix “CHN” is short for chronographe noir. In fact, a unique variant of the ref. 1158 CHN that was one of Jack Heuer’s gifts to a driver still holds the record for the most expensive Heuer ever sold at auction, having sold for about US$230,000 at Sotheby’s last year.

But despite being rare and intrinsically valuable because of the precious metal, the ref. 1158 is nowhere near as valuable as the top-end Autavia chronographs, which is a repeat of the trend for collectible Rolex and Omega chronographs. The no-frills steel models, ostensibly made for professionals, are always the first to take off in value, while the luxe versions tend take longer to creep upwards.

Consequently, it is relatively affordable as such things go, with an estimate of SFr15,000 to SFr25,000.

Lot 40 – Heuer Monaco ref. 1133B “Steve McQueen”

Having got its name by virtue of the fact that the actor wore one in the 1971 film Le Mans, the Heuer Monaco ref. 1133B was arguably the signature Heuer until the Autavia took prominence.

The blue dial, horizontal baton markers and square case are distinctly 1970s, yet still attractive today, a quality few watches of that era possess.

And unlike many other comparable watches that are desirable for their provenance and history, the Monaco has a movement that is historically significant.

The cal. 11 “Chronomatic” movement inside was perhaps the first Swiss made automatic chronograph movement; the El Primero is the other candidate, while Seiko had its own on the other side of the world), all of which were introduced in 1969.

Distinguished by the crown on the left, the cal. 11 was a joint development between several brands, and was a last gasp of sorts for the mechanical chronograph before the Swiss watch industry went to hell in handbasket, carried along by the Quartz Crisis.

The Monaco is estimated at SFr12,000 to SFr18,000.

Lot 42 – Heuer Autavia Chronomatic “Siffert”

Introduced in 1969 as one of the debut models for the cal. 11 “Chronomatic” movement, the Autavia ref. 1163 was initially produced with “Chronomatic” on the dial. According to Phillips perhaps 50 to 100 such watches were made before the label was scrapped because it did not sell.

That production number encompassed various dial types for the Autavia, but arguably the most desirable is the variant in blue and white, nicknamed “Siffert” by collectors. This comes from the fact that 1960s Swiss racing driver Jo Siffert was often pictured with a similar watch.

Lot 42 is one such Autavia, with both the “Chronomatic” label and “Siffert” colours making it notably valuable. Christie’s sold a similar watch for US$87,500 in June 2017. This specimen, on the other hand, is in crisper condition and carries an estimate of SFr50,000 to SFr80,000.

Preview and auction

The preview exhibition takes place from November 9 to 11, from 10am to 6pm. It is open to the public.

The auction starts at 6pm on November 11, at Hôtel La Réserve, 301 Route de Lausanne, Geneva.

The full catalogue is available online.

This was brought to you by Phillips.

Bell & Ross takes the transparency of the skeleton watch a step further with the BR-X1 Skeleton Tourbillon Sapphire – floating a minimalist, open-worked movement inside a clear sapphire crystal case.

The brand mastered the art of cutting, and polishing the notoriously brittle material last year, launching itself into the high-dollar orbit of Richard Mille and Hublot, the foremost adepts of the sapphire watch case. That’s thanks to the fact the Bell & Ross’ parent, the Parisian fashion house Chanel, also owns one of the best case and components makers in Switzerland.

The new skeleton tourbillon is the third instalment in the Bell & Ross sapphire series that started with the half-million dollar BR-X1 Chronograph Tourbillon Sapphire, and followed by the extra-flat BR-X2 Tourbillon Micro-Rotor.

The large, 45mm case of the BR-X1 Skeleton Tourbillon Sapphire is made up of nine pieces of clear sapphire crystal, the case middle, back, top, crystal and four bumpers, held together by vertical and lateral screws. Notably, despite the complexity of its construction, the case still manages a water-resistance rating of 30m.

The transparency of the watch is undergirded by the skeletonised hand-wound BR-CAL.288, a hand-wound movement with 100-hour power reserve. Designed so the main plate and bridges form three horizontal struts, the movement has an architectural, airy feel.

The hour and minute hands sit just above the barrel, with the gear train arranged vertically and the flying tourbillon at six. Despite the modern styling of the movement, the balance wheel is traditional in detail, featuring solid gold screws for poising.

It is a variant of the BR-CAL.285 found in the preceding BR-X1 Tourbillon Chronograph, but with a different architecture to ensure a panoptic view of the tourbillion from the top, bottom and sides. Like many of Bell & Ross’ complications, it was developed by movement specialist MHC Manufacture Haute Complication.

Price and Availability

The BR-X1 Skeleton Tourbillon Sapphire (ref. BRX1-SKTB-SAPHIR) is a limited edition of just eight pieces and is priced at US$385,000 or S$535,000.

In the second surprise of Phillips’ inaugural New York watch auction – after the US$17.52m Paul Newman Daytona – the Philippe Dufour Duality sold for US$915,000, all fees included.

While the massive result for the Rolex was the big news of the night, the near-US$1m price tag for the Dufour is big news for fans of independent and technical watchmaking. In platinum and numbered “00”, the Duality was expected to sell for well over its high estimate, but outperformed.

Remember that it last sold for US$150,000 or so a decade ago at Christie’s, and was being sold today by the person who bought it then. When asked for his thoughts after the hammer came down, the seller of the Duality said, “The buyer is clearly a discerning collector who well understands the significance of Phillippe Dufour and the Duality, set against the context of the emergence of independent watchmaking in the post quartz era.”

With an estimate of US$200,000 to US$400,000, auctioneer Aurel Bacs opened the bidding at the low estimate. In a repeat of her performance with Paul Newman’s Rolex, Tiffany To of Phillips Geneva immediately leapt in with a US$600,000 bid.

As it was with the Rolex, the sharp increment swiftly eliminated all the hangers-on, leaving just To, as well as her colleagues Myriam Christinaz and Jill Chen, all representing phone bidders. Christinaz’s client dropped out after a brief spell, with Chen’s and To’s respective buyers the last ones standing.

To’s client was persistent and aggressive in his increments, going one up on Chen’s client who stopped at US$700,000. To’s buyer sealed the deal at US$750,000, which is US$915,000 including all fees.

When reached for comment, the buyer explained his pursuit of the watch: “I have long been a fan of Dufour and already own his other creations; the Duality is arguably the most interesting and important watch he has made, being both a novel complication and produced in a small series. I liken it to buying a prototype or concept car built by Enzo Ferrari himself and that never quite made it into production.”

And the seller also pointed out Dufour’s place in history, saying “Everyone recognises Phillippe Dufour as a watchmaker of immense talent but just as important he was among a handful of independent watchmaking trailblazers during this crucial period in mechanical watchmaking history.”

With Philippe Dufour’s Simplicity having sold several times at auction for US$250,000 or so, the result for the Duality confirms his status as a living legend whose technical prowess is esteemed not just intellectually, but financially as well – a rare feat for an independent watchmaker.

Updated October 27, 2017: Added comment from the buyer and seller of the Duality. Additionally, the original purchase price was US$150,000, not US$180,000 as originally stated.

When the gavel went down, Paul Newman’s very own Rolex Daytona sold for US$17,752,500, including the buyer’s premium, making it the most expensive wristwatch ever sold at auction. The result handily surpasses the US$5m record set by the ref. 6062 “Bao Dai” owned by the last Emperor of Vietnam, and also the US$11m achieved by the steel Patek Philippe ref. 1518 last year.

And it got there quickly too – though Phillips had set aside a half hour for the lot, the world record price took just 12 minutes. With Aurel Bacs at the rostrum opening the bidding by asking for a paltry US$1m, a stunning US$10m bid came Tiffany To of Phillips representing a phone bidder, momentarily shocking Bacs and resulting in whoops and cheers from the room.

Tiffany To (extreme left), and Nathalie Monbaron (centre, on telephone), competing for the world’s most expensive watch

That instantly priced out all the room bidders, leaving just three phone bidders, represented by Tiffany To, as well as Leigh Zagoory and Natalie Monbaron, all of Phillips.

Swiftly it was just down to To and Monbaron’s respective clients, both insistently increasing their bids. Monbaron’s resolute client bid in substantial increments of US$400,000, while To’s client was more measured with US$100,000 bids.

Almost at the end the number was US$15m and To’s bidder went a hundred thousand up. Monbaron, not missing a beat, bid US$15.5m and clinched it. With all fees the final tally was US$17.52m.

While the identity of the bidders is confidential, Monbaron is based in Geneva while To was formerly in Hong Kong, and now also based in Geneva – locations that might give a clue as to where the bidders hail from.

Nomos watches have historically tended towards smaller sizes, with 35m being the median, even for the recent neomatik line. Nomos has now upsized the neomatik, albeit modestly, with the At Work — a line of 14 watches with 39mm cases.

Made of the Tangente, Metro, Orion, and Tetra, the At Work is available in three different dial styles: the classic silver-plated finish, Nachtblau (or “night blue”), and an all-new, horizontally brushed Silvercut.

The most unusual dial finish to emerge from Nomos to date, Silvercut is a metallic silver created by a nine-step process where the blank is brushed, blasted, plated and lacquered.

Orion Silvercut

Apart from the three standard dial finishes, the Orion At Work also features one additional option, the Weiss dial. Its Teutonic formality — an entirely white dial with silver indexes and hands — makes it perhaps the most corporate of the lot.

Orion Weiss

Like the vast majority of Nomos watches, all of the new models are stainless steel, except for the Metro in 18k rose gold. Until now, Nomos had only endowed luxe Lux and Lambda watches with gold cases, to complement the more elaborate movements. The rose gold Metro is the first of the simpler Nomos watches in gold (with the exception of some early Tangente models from perhaps 15 years ago).

Metro 18k rose gold

All watches in the At Work collection are powered by the automatic ultra-thin cal. DUW 3001, which is equipped with the Nomos proprietary Swing System escapement and measures only 3.2mm high. As a result of the larger case size, however, the movement appears small from the back, and the sub-seconds sits close to the centre on the dial.

Price & Availability

The At Work watches are already available from Nomos retailers, priced as follows, in US dollars and Singapore dollars.

Tangente classic silver-plated U$3,780 or S$4260
Tangente Nachtblau or Silvercut US$3,880 or S$4750

Metro classic silver-plated US$4,180 or S$5120
Metro Nachtblau or Silvercut US$4,280 or S$5250
Metro 18k rose gold US$9,700 or S$11,900

Tetra classic silver-plated US$3,860 or S$4920
Tetra Nachtblau or Silvercut US$3,980 or S$5060

Orion classic silver-plated U$3,920 or S$4780
Orion Weiss, Silvercut, or Nachtblau US$4,020  or S$4910

Responsible for some of the most striking and imaginative creations in contemporary watchmaking, De Bethune nonetheless found the going hard in the last few years. Rumours of two investors competing to rescue the brand have been circulating for some months, and now one has clinched the prize in a deal sealed almost exactly a week ago. New owners will take control of the brand, which is best known for its extraordinary looking watches in blued titanium.

After fellow independent brands MCT and Delaneau went under earlier this year, the chances of De Bethune being next were substantial. De Bethune’s future, at least in the short and medium term – the long term is never certain for niche independent brands – is secure thanks to an injection of capital from a consortium led by De Bethune’s former chief executive.

Formerly the manager of a Geneva watch retailer and also president of MCT, Jacques was running De Bethune from 2010 to 2015. He will be in charge once again, with the new owners being represented by Giovanni Perin, a Swiss financier who was formerly the chief investment officer of a Saudi-backed family office and is now a partner at private equity outfit Threestones Capital.

While both Jacques and De Bethune’s resident watchmaking genius Denis Flageollet will have minority stakes in De Bethune, the brand’s co-founder and former driver force, Italian watch aficionado and dealer David Zanetta, will part ways with De Bethune.

Zanetta is a contemporary of Antiquorum founder Osvaldo Patrizzi, and like many of his generation possessed of a keen eye for a diverse variety of watches and clocks ranging from pocket watches of Antide Javier and 1930s Cartier wristwatches. It remains to be seen if De Bethune will retain its inimitable style.

And the other salient point is precedent: many a wealthy and well-advised investor has tried and failed to succeed in independent watchmaker.  Swiss dental implant billionaire Thomas Straumann, for instance, threw in the towel in 2012 after reportedly investing SFr100m into H. Moser & Cie and not turning a profit. Moser’s new owners, however, the Meylan family once associated with Audemars Piguet, have managed to turn it around. Perhaps De Bethune will be similarly fortunate.

When the first Bugatti Veyron rolled off the product line in 2005 it was the fastest and perhaps the most advanced supercar in the world. That same year Parmigiani unveiled the Bugatti Type 370, a tubular wristwatch that was one of the most cutting edge watches of the period (remember, this was before the first MB&F had even been unveiled).

Just under a year ago Bugatti took the covers off the Veyron’s successor, the Chiron. Named after 1930s racing driver Louis Chiron, Bugatti’s latest supercar boasts almost 1500 bhp and a 0-60 time of 2.4 seconds. And now Parmigiani has unveiled the wristwatch to go along with the Chiron, the Bugatti Type 390, which is unsurprisingly no ordinary timepiece.

The Chiron outside Château Saint Jean in Molsheim, once Ettore Bugatti’s office and now the company’s headquarters

First hinted at with an angular concept watch presented last year, the Bugatti Type 390 has since been refined and streamlined, giving it a slimmer, sleeker profile. The case measures 42.2mm wide and 57.7mm long, and is 18.4mm high at its thickest point.

The Bugatti Type 390 combines the movements of the two earlier Bugatti timepieces: the tubular, transverse movement of the first Bugatti timepiece, and the wing-shaped calibre of the subsequent Bugatti Super Sport watch.

Sitting horizontally at 12 o’clock, the transverse section of the new calibre contains the twin barrels as well as a flying tourbillon visible through a porthole on the left side of the watch. A large crown on the right winds the watch, which has an 80-hour power reserve

The one-minute tourbillon

The gear train is set perpendicular to the barrels, requiring a worm screw to transfer energy from the mainsprings to the gear train. This allows the open-worked dial of the watch to sit on the sloping face that resembles the wing which deploys when the Chiron brakes.

As notable as the movement construction is the case, which pivots through a 12° angle, to allow it to sit better on the wrist.

Price and availability 

The Bugatti Type 390 is limited to 10 pieces each in rose and white gold. According to Parmigiani, delivery will take place over the coming weeks, and most have already been pre-sold.

The Bugatti Type 390 costs SFr295,000 or S$485,700.