BACK TO THE FUTURE

Prestige takes a peek into the future with our best watch picks of the year. It's a hit parade that salutes new materials, innovations and sci-fi references.

- MINDY TEH

CHANEL 

LION ASTROCLOCK

The Lion Astroclock refers to Coco Chanel's Leo star sign and plays a significant part in Chanel's horological celebration of science fiction, the aptly named Interstellar. The clock, limited to just five in the world, gives off an almost Vernian vibe with a movement highlighting exceptional contemporary touches such as a comet in 18K white gold and constellation-shaped diamond hands.

On the plinth is a majestic black faceted brass lion, the very symbol of regal strength. Powered by a manual winding mechanical movement specially designed by Chanel's Watchmaking Creative Studio and exclusively manufactured for the maison by Swiss clock specialist L'Epée, the clock features a sleek black rotating sphere from which the time is read astrolabe-style with the comet indicating the hours on the black globe while the minutes are found on the rotating "orbit".

PATEK PHILIPPE

WORLD TIME 5330G-010

Unveiled at this year's Watch Art Grand Exhibition in Tokyo and limited to just 300 timepieces available only in Japan, the 5330G-010 is Patek Philippe's premier of its first world time watch featuring a date display that synchronises with local time. Beyond its white gold case and dial of 40mm in an elegant plum, a signature Patek Philippe hue, the timepiece features the newly created Calibre 240 HU C. An extension of the Calibre 240 HU found in the maison's World Time collection, the movement incorporates a differential pointer date mechanism, a patented world first, where no less than 70 components in its date train help synchronise with the local time. Meanwhile, two concentric gear trains lend the additional novelty of adjusting backwards or forward in one position with each new time zone selected.

IWC 

BIG PILOT AMG G 63