Ladies and gentlemen, this watch defies expectations because it should not have been available for me to buy. What you are looking at is the Rolex Cellini Prince reference 5443/9, also known as the Rayon Flammé de la Gloire by dint of its special aesthetic touches, and it was bought new this year. To be absolutely clear, so that you do not mistake me, this literally glorious example of fine watchmaking is new, not pre-owned. Let me explain, but for those who want the benefit of being able to decide if this missive is worth reading, my hook is in the visual, and the brand new state of the model. If you find this rectangular watch intriguing, or mourn its disappearance from the contemporary catalogue, then read on. If you did not realise that Rolex even made such a watch, then you should definitely pay close attention.
Objectively, this watch is at least one order of magnitude lower in the hype ranking than the Oyster Perpetual Milgauss that I wrote about last year. You see here reference 5443/9 in all its splendour and glory, as shot by our desperately overworked photographer, Jaya. Now, there are some peculiarities with this model, and plenty of history, but just the facts about this reference (and its variants) are fascinating.
Denne historien er fra Issue 67-utgaven av WOW Singapore.
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Denne historien er fra Issue 67-utgaven av WOW Singapore.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
NEW FRONTIERS
The outgoing CEO of TAG Heuer Julien Tornare shares his management style and values. No doubt these will remain consistent in his new role as Hublot CEO, just as they were in his Zenith tenure
STRUCTURAL STYLE
Parmigiani Fleurier CEO Guido Terreni explains the logic of the new Toric collection and takes us through his thoughts on style and elegance
THE CONVERSATION: APROPOS COMPLICATIONS
A watch with complications appeals to different sorts of collectors, and is quite different to a complex watch. The editors of Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand discuss the virtues of all sorts of complications and consider when more is really better...
EUREKA MOMENTS
Our extended look at gold in watchmaking comes to a close in this third and final part, with a look at five proprietary gold alloys. Of course, there are certainly more than five so we will leave the door ajar on going even further
MACHINE LEARNING
The mechanical calendar has been perfected over the last 100 years; it remains a challenge that invites multiple watchmaking and engineering approaches. We get into the nuts and bolts of how the perpetual calendar gets the job done
CULTURAL SENSE
The story of our calendar and why it is rife with anomalies
QUANTA OF TIME
Just as hours, minutes and seconds are quanta of time, so too are days, weeks, months and years. We finally explore the story of the perpetual calendar in particular, in a year that invites such ruminations
PURPLE REIGN
H. Moser Cie brings a brand new dial to the party with the Pioneer Perpetual Calendar Concept MD Purple Enamel Sincere Platinum Jubilee Edition
AUTUMN HUE
Grand Seiko continues its celebration of the 20th anniversary of Calibre 9R with the limited edition SBGA499
TWICE UPON A TIME
The world's greatest double tourbillon wristwatch, the Breguet Classique 5345 Quai de L'horloge is back, with new hand-finishing touches
