Very rarely does a timepiece evoke utter awe. That’s why it’s such a treat when not one, but TWO, exquisite watches emerge at the same time to dazzle one and all.
From a chronograph commemorating a legend, to a sensationally-complicated first-rate creation – here are two new timepieces we’re simping over.
Kurono Tokyo’s Jubilee Sensu EOL “Shiraai”
The beloved Japanese watchmaking brand Kurono Tokyo is back, along with the iconic “SENSU NOS” watch, but in a brand new design!
In honour of its founder, Hajime Asaoka, who is celebrating his 60th birthday, the new Jubilee Sensu EOL “Shiraai,” a distinctive anniversary watch, will be unveiled later this month.
“Shiraai” is represented by the Japanese characters “白藍,” which denotes a whitish blue hue that appropriately reflects onto the dial in the form of an icy, metallic finish. Since the watchmaker started using a similar colour on his designs, it has been white; the last instance of this was on “Seiji” in 2021.
Additionally, a chrysanthemum-wave-like pattern has been used in place of the traditional guilloché found in the earlier “SENSU NOS” models. The radiant colour of the dial is elegantly intertwined with the guilloché’s radial-like effect. The recognisable “SENSU” power-reserve indicator completes this, and highly polished steel domes serve as accents. To complete this distinctive dial design, black Kanji script is painted at each hour marker.
The CaI.9133PWT, a movement that has been specially modified in-house at Asaoka’s modest Tokyo workshop, powers this exquisite watch. Only a small number of the original movement have been supplied to Kurono Tokyo for this release, and it is already out of production.
To reduce the number of indicators on the dial, Asaoka eliminated the caliber’s original date function, just like they did with the “SENSU NOS” watches from the previous year.
The limited-edition Jubilee Sensu EOL “Shiraai” anniversary watch is set for release later this month, but you can pre-order your unit as early as 21st May for US$2,230 (~RM9,544). For more details, visit Kurono Tokyo’s official website.
Vacheron Constantin’s Overseas Grand Complication Openface Watch
The Overseas Grand Complication Openface watch, the first minute repeater in the Overseas collection, has been unveiled by Vacheron Constantin – and watch aficionados are suitably impressed.
It’s the result of a major effort to incorporate a grand complication mechanism into a sophisticated case.
The watch has a titanium construction, a sapphire crystal dial, and a case diameter of 44.5 mm. The dial features an openworked design with hands and indices made of 18k white gold.
A splash of colour is added to the watch face by the chapter ring and the sophisticated blue day, date, and month counters.
The 2755 QP movement, which has a power reserve of about 58 hours, is visible through the watch’s open caseback. The movement has multiple intricate complications despite its thin 7.9 mm thickness. These consist of a tourbillon, a power reserve indicator, a perpetual calendar, and a minute repeater.
Vacheron Constantin also gave special consideration to the centripetal regulator’s appearance, which is a gold arc-shaped bar that holds the regulator in place. The initials of Jean-Marc Vacheron, who founded the Maison in 1755, are engraved on the circular-grained inertia weights beneath it.
Because the minute repeater is activated by a sliding mechanism, water resistance usually poses a problem for watches with this feature. Vacheron Constantin made sure the Overseas case is water resistant for this particular model. This was accomplished by modifying the case design to fit the calibre.
18 months of research and development went into this process, which included completely redesigning the caseback to fit the minute repeater mechanism while maintaining the series’ distinctively thin curves.
The Overseas Grand Complication Openface is a limited edition and will be a sought-after piece in any collection. If you’d like to enquire about it, visit Vacheron Constantin’s official website.
