The 2016 Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH) took place recently, from January 18-22 in Geneva. A premier event for the fine watch community, SIHH is a platform for the world’s leading luxury watch brands from the Richemont Group to showcase their newest timepieces. Whitewall was there, and this week we’ll be showcasing some of the standout watches we saw.
Swiss watchmaker Audemars Piguet released its modernized revamp of the traditional skeleton watch—the Royal Oak Tourbillon Chronograph Openworked. This latest model features pink gold gears exposed and encased in streamlined platinum and glare-proof sapphire crystal, accented with hexagonal screws to complete a sleek, industrial look. The watch, 44mm in diameter, is a hand-wound model designed for maximum reliability, with a power reserve lasting up to 72 hours. The timepiece also offers a stopwatch function, luminescent hands for night usage, and water protection for depths of up to 20 meters. Set on a hand-stitched blue alligator strap, this watch is an attractive capstone for Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak series.
A. Lange & Söhne Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon
A. Lange & Söhne zeroed-in on function and precision with its new, seductive Datograph Perpetual Tourbillon design. Visible through the watch’s sapphire-crystal caseback, the mechanical features of the hand-wound wristwatch include a flyback chronograph function for timing consecutive events, and a power indicator, reminding the owner to rewind the watch at the end of its 50-hour reserve. The timepiece also showcases the day of the week, month, year, and lunar phase—all sleek and easy to read on the watch’s trim black face. The 41.5mm platinum case and hand-stitched black alligator strap ultimately polish this piece into a black-and-white luxury design. The company will release only 100 of these hand-assembled watches.
