The Test Of Time

As the first-ever digital-only Watches & Wonders event took place recently, we examine a few of the standout pieces to emerge from among the world’s finest watchmakers

- Varun Godinho

Cartier

Privé Tank Asymétrique Skeleton

Round watches may have been the norm in the 20th century, but going against the grain as far back as 1917 was Louis Cartier with the rectangular Tank timepiece. The Tank Asymétrique which followed nearly two decades later in 1936, pushed the idea of atypical designs with all the details on the dial moved 30 degrees to the right. (There’s further proof of Cartier’s radical designs in its Crash and the Maillon de Cartier collections). This year’s Tank Asymétrique Skeleton features the Caliber 9623MC skeletonised movement where the hour markers double up as bridges holding together the different parts of the in-house movement.

The manual winding timepiece with a power reserve of 48 hours, features case materials of either platinum, platinum set with diamonds or 18k pink gold, all of which come with made to measure alligator straps, and none of which stray from Cartier’s singular focus on impeccable design.

Jaeger-LeCoultre

Master Control Chronograph Calendar

This year’s stunning Master Grande Tradition Grande Complication with its dome-shaped wire crystal on the dial and its numerous astronomical complications did attract much attention, but it wasn’t nearly enough to eclipse the arrival of the Master Control Chronograph Calendar. The first Master Control timepieces surfaced in 1992 and was named after a battery of in-house tests including the ‘1000 Hours Control’ certification that fully cased-up watches in this collection are subjected to including temperature variations and water resistance.