A whole host of watch brands are riffing on aquatic themes when it comes to this year’s new releases, choosing to play on a gradient of blues and bringing a maritime mood to classic watch designs. These blue-toned, elegant pieces make perfect summer watches.
For Bell & Ross, the distinctive square face of the BR 05 Chrono Blue Steel is set off by a shimmering blue sunray dial. Now equipped with a useful chronograph complication, the classic piece is imbued with a new functionality.
BR 05 Chrono Blue Steel, £5,600
A juxtaposition of texture brings a depth to the hue of the Hermès H08, its distinctive cushion-shaped case now cast in a blue titanium offset by a black ceramic bezel and vibrant pops of orange on the dial. For Vacheron Constantin, meanwhile, an adherence to minimalist design codes is encapsulated in the Patrimony Self-Winding, which stays faithful to the clean horological aesthetic of the 1950s with its uncluttered dial and simple face, an elegance that is also reflected in the piece’s slender hour markers and hands. When cast in a deep blue gradient, a play on light brings a depth to the Patrimony’s dial, embodying the brand’s classic-with-a-twist philosophy.
In the first ever sports diving watch presented by Montblanc, the brand took inspiration from the tightly knitted forms of ice in the main glacier of the Mont Blanc massif, the Mer de Glace, for its jagged silhouette etched onto the face of the timepiece. The silhouette is created using the ancient technique of gratté-boisé, a painstaking process that removes layers of the dial to bring to life the icy surface of a frozen lake.
H08 Blue, £6,310, by Hermès
INFORMATION
A version of this article originally appeared in the July 2022 issue of Wallpaper*, now on sale and available to subscribers.
vacheron-constantin.com
bellross.com
hermes.com
montblanc.com
-
Tasneem Sarkez's heady mix of kitsch, Arabic and Americana hits LondonArtist Tasneem Sarkez draws on an eclectic range of references for her debut solo show, 'White-Knuckle' at Rose Easton
-
Meet Minnette de Silva, the trailblazing Sri Lankan modernist architectSri Lankan architect Minnette de Silva is celebrated in a new book by author Anooradha Iyer Siddiq, who looks into the modernist's work at the intersection of ecology, heritage and craftsmanship
-
The Honda HR-V is a car for those who don’t care too much about brands or bold designA small but sophisticated hybrid that wears its tech lightly, the Honda HR-V will probably work perfectly forever even though it can’t raise a thrill
-
Playful design meets chic heritage in the Hermès Kelly watchThe new Kelly watch from Hermès rethinks the original 1975 timepiece
-
Hermès embraces the art of travel at Watches & WondersHermès has collaborated with artist Sabrina Ratté for the Watches & Wonders installation, Time Travels the World, which is inspired by the new Arceau Le Temps Voyageur watch
-
Hermès Arceau watch reinterprets a silk scarf designThe Hermès Arceau The Three Graces is inspired by British artist Alice Shirley’s trip to South Africa
-
Montblanc’s new watch celebrates spirit of adventureThe Montblanc 1858 Geosphere Desert Limited Edition, just unveiled at Watches and Wonders 2021, is inspired by one of the world’s greatest living adventurers
-
Hermès’ new watch calls on its equestrian rootsIntricate craftsmanship lays at the heart of the Hermès Arceau Cheval Cosmique
-
Moonstruck: Hermès takes on space and time at SIHH 2019
