With its constant flow of stunningly beautiful timekeepers, the SIHH 2010 event was, perhaps, among the most exciting trade shows of the past years. The hand-wound Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Tourbillon Chronograph (Ref. 26288OF.OO.D002CR.01) bears that signature bulky presence with a massive rose gold body and a fixed bezel, which is crafted from forged carbon fiber.
At the SIHH 2010, Jaeger-LeCoultre has introduced several collections designed for the most beautiful part of humankind. Among the new offerings, is an absolutely gorgeous (I know the word is rapidly losing its value, but the adjective seems to be the most appropriate in this particular instance) Master Lady Tourbillon Feathers that looks the most appealing thanks to its innovative dial design that includes, well, pieces of real feathers.
The 2009 Gerald Genta Octo Tourbillon Sunray (ref. OTR.Y.20.925.CN.BD) brings you an unusually styled yellow gold case combined with a complicated automatic caliber featuring a finely executed tourbillon escapement. Of course, the most interesting part of this watch is neither its brutal body nor the mechanism (although the tourbillon does look like a real piece of art), it is the dial with its two squares (one for hours and the other for minutes) and an octagon that gets the lion's share of attention here. Looking like an ancient puzzle box, the part makes a strong, almost (vaguely) frightening impression when the first time you see it.
The Graham Chronofighter Trigger Tourbillograph Havana (ref. 2TTAR.C01A.C87B) doesn't make an impression of a particularly elegant timekeeper, but it sure is as easily recognizable as a German luxury car. Regardless of the generation, you can always say which one is a Mercedes and which one is a Bimmer thanks to their signature corporate grilles that evolved through decades while maintaining their core DNA. The design element from Graham is, of course, not as old, but something tells me that this controversial (putting it mildly) trigger-shaped chronograph activator will haunt us for years to come.
The 2009 Patek Philippe 10 Day Tourbillon 5101R comes in the same art-deco-inspiring body as their 2003 10 Day model, but now offers a lot more appealing grey-and-silver dial with polished rose gold Arabic numerals and sand-blasted surface. The new version not only looks gorgeous, but also offers such a degree of, um, pedigree, which is rare even at this, extremely high, price.
Just like Aston Martin does it with their luxury grand tourers, Jaeger-LeCoultre offers you a breathtaking combination of ingenious engineering and beautiful exterior with their latest AMVOX 3 Tourbillon GMT Aston Martin (Ref. 193 C4 50).
