Why are watchmakers making million-dollar timepieces that look like plastic?
Up until watchmaker Richard Mille unveiled the RM056 Felipe Massa Sapphire at SIHH 2012, sapphire crystal was just thought of (if information technology e'er crossed sentry enthusiasts' minds at all) every bit that bit of glass that shields your lookout man face from literally everything. Because of its impressive scratch resistance, information technology is the default choice in luxury timepieces over cheaper, junior materials similar acrylic and mineral glass. So information technology was a large deal with Mille decided he wanted an entire example made out of information technology.
Limited to only v pieces, his audacious creation had a sticker price of United states of america$i.7 million (S$$2.4 million) and while it did boast a tourbillon move, it was outrageous amount to pay for a watch with no precious metals, gemstones and at least five more than complications. The concept was fresh and exciting, and many wondered why such a lookout man hadn't appeared sooner.
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The truth is, information technology had. In 1980, self-taught watchmaker Vincent Calabrese presented Corum with what would cease up being its most pop sentry, the Gold Bridge, and the famous baguette movement was originally mounted in a faceted sapphire crystal example. With such a case, the total beauty and ingenuity of the world'due south start linear calibre could be appreciated from all angles.
The reason that no well-known examples take shown upwardly once again for the next 32 years, and why such watches are still relatively rare despite their recent popularity, is but because they are just actually that dang difficult to make.
That scratch resistance nosotros mentioned earlier comes from sapphire crystal'southward Mohs hardness scale rating of ix out of a possible 10, making it 2d only to diamond. Paired with its innate brittleness, this makes the crystal a nightmare to manufactory. When Calabrese lent his expertise to independent brand Rebellion for its 540 Magnum Tourbillon Sapphire in 2016, it took them 99 days of milling to get the eight specially cutting sapphire blocks to brand each case.
Only the payoff isn't limited to exclusivity and the resulting bragging rights. Having a completely transparent case means watchmakers often accept to rethink the design of their movements to ensure no unsightly attachments and anchor points can be spotted. Consequently, it'southward often the independents at the very top of their game like Richard Mille, Jacob & Co., Greubel Forsey and MB&F, as well as Hublot, that accept dared to take on the claiming.
Now that it's a legitimate enough trend for such watchmakers to funnel R&D dollars into, sapphire crystal has enjoyed innovations such as coloured variants and crazier shapes (Richard Mille sculpted an unabridged dragon out of the material for its RM 57-03 last year) while its fans are enjoying less alarming prices. Hublot's Big Bang Unico Sapphire, for example, goes for just U.s.a.$57,900.
It'southward an interesting evolution of artful tastes in haute horlogerie, seeing how a sentinel that runs the risk of looking similar a plastic quartz scout to the untrained center tin can command the prices they did and sometimes still practice. Perhaps this is the new face up of stealth wealth.
Immigration THE STAGE
These 2022 novelties bare it all.
CHANEL J12 10-RAY
As we've pointed out before, Chanel has pulled no punches with its sapphire offering. A ring of baguette-cutting diamonds surround similar diamond markers and a beautifully spare skeletonised motion, giving the entire spotter face up an air of crispness, simply it's actually the sapphire bracelet – a supposed watchmaking start – that steals the testify. The "invisible" links are held together past white gold pins and screws. Only 12 will be made.
GIRARD-PERREGAUX QUASAR Lite
Girard-Perregaux's starting time foray into sapphire crystal cases was only last yr with its Quasar but it has really hit the ground running since with this year'southward follow-up Laureato Absolute Light and Quasar Light.
The latter in particular actually dials upward the play on lite. Like the Quasar, the Quasar Light has a tourbillon and the three signature bridges belongings everything in identify, except this time the bridges are fabricated of sapphire. It'south easy to miss them especially since the barrel is made of ruthenium, a rare element from the platinum group that gives off a diamond-like sparkle.
HUBLOT SPIRIT OF Big BANG YELLOW SAPPHIRE
The sapphire crystals used in watches are grown synthetically to ensure impurities don't end upwardly giving it an unwanted tint of color. But this besides ways manufacturers tin deliberately fuse different elements and compounds into the crystal to accomplish a desired shade, as Hublot has done with blue, pinkish and black Large Blindside Unico Sapphire watches. Its latest hue is a bright yellow, an centre-catching dissimilarity to the sentinel's black dial, pushers and exposed screws.
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Source: https://cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com/obsessions/sapphire-watches-250956
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