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Dubai, UAE, October 8, 2016:
It's about time.
In just a few weeks, watch connoisseurs from Dubai and across the region will be the first to see some of the most exclusive - and expensive - watches in the world, when the annual Salon des Grandes Complications opens its doors.
This year, more than 25 high-profile brands, including A. Lange & Söhne, Vacheron Constantin, Louis Moinet, Parmigiani, Dewitt, Armin Strom, Arnold & Son, Roger Dubuis, Rebellion, Erwin Sattler, William Wagner, Kerbedanz and CVSTOS, will display their most coveted timepieces at the Salon, many of which are being showcased in the Middle East for the first time.
Guests will have the chance to meet the people behind the creations throughout the Salon, which is taking place from 7th-10th November at DIFC.
From Rebellion's Dh4.7-million Prometheus T3000 to Dewitt's Dh2.3-million Academia Tourbillon Force Constante à Chaîne, CVSTOS' Dh1-million Challenge RMT-S and Erwin Sattler's Dh1-million Mosaic Sonata, Dubai will play host to some of the finest timepieces that money can buy.
Dubai is no stranger to glitz and glamour; the luxury destination after all attracts affluent watch enthusiasts and experts from across the region and beyond – and is home to a staggering 42,000 multi-millionaires and 72,000 millionaires according to research by New World Wealth.
Earlier this year, an international auction house reported sales of almost Dh10 million during an auction of fine timepieces in Dubai; the city's standing as a regional luxury watchmaking hub is indisputable – and makes it the ideal location for hosting the Salon.
There is little wonder that the previous edition of the Salon des Grandes Complications attracted over 1,400 watch collectors, enthusiasts and high-net-worth individuals. This year, organisers aim to increase footfall by a further 50%.
As a sneak preview of what aficionados can expect, here is a short gallery of the most exclusive watches that will be showcased for the first time outside of Switzerland and Germany:
A. Lange & Söhne
Lange 1 Tourbillon Perpetual Calendar
The Timepiece: This exquisite timepiece combines two classic complications with the iconic design of A. Lange & Söhne's most famous watch family. Time indicated in hours, minutes and subsidiary seconds; tourbillon with patented stop-seconds mechanism; perpetual calendar with outsize date, day of week, month and leap year; day/night indicator; moon-phase display.
What's So Special: The mechanism is designed in such a way that it must be advanced only by one day in the year 2100. And the moon-phase display, located inside the subsidiary seconds dial, will even run true for 122.6 years before it needs to be corrected by one day.
The Price: US$ 352,900 (Dh1.3 million)
Arnold & Son
Constant Force Tourbillon
The Timepiece: It is precision chronometry at its best with Arnold & Son's Constant Force Tourbillon, featuring a patented constant force device with 60-second tourbillon and the brand's True Beat seconds complication. The symmetrical movement architecture of the Constant Force Tourbillon movement seen on the dial is tribute to the firm's historic marine chronometers. At the top, two visible mainspring barrels and the constant force device provide optimal power to the tourbillon at the bottom of the dial.
What's So Special: It's a double-whammy of barrels. For Constant Force Tourbillon, dual time comes with dual tourbillons. Two mainspring barrels (visible at 10 and 2 o'clock) power the gear train. The first barrel powers the gear train, while the second barrel tops up the torque of the first whenever it drops below an optimal level. But unlike other similar mechanisms, this timepiece's mechanism drives the running seconds in a jumping fashion. The sub dial at 7 o'clock ticks while the tourbillon at 5 o'clock sweeps on its axis. The edition is limited to 28 pieces.
The Price: US$ 197,500 (Dh725,000)
Rebellion
Prometheus T3000
The Timepiece: This angular-shaped timepiece is the point horology meets jewellery meets racing cars. The firm says its timepieces are born of the same passion for perfect mechanics as Rebellion Racing. Call it crazy-looking, but the unique angular design allows the wearer to enjoy the details of its unique original winding mechanism with six spring barrels (à la six cylinders in a racing car). The machinery (or engine, as the guys at Rebellion call it) is made of aerospace alloy avional to reduce weight, and everything is visible through the massive sapphire crystal.
What's So Special: Apart from the design, the T3000 boasts of a power reserve of a massive 1,000 hours (almost 42 days). Regular mechanical watches have a power reserve of less than two days, so you know you have a winner on your hands that can outlast the rest by 21 times! In addition, the case is a major improvement over its predecessor (T2000), and allows for the machinery to be seen. The Prometheus will be displayed at the SDGC in Dubai for the first time in the Middle East. The edition is limited to 25 pieces.
The Price: US$ 1,287,750 (Dh4.73 million)
Dewitt
Academia Tourbillon Force Constante à Chaîne Jewellery
The Timepiece: The Academia Tourbillon Force Constante à Chaîne is a typical Dewitt timepiece, featuring the famous 24 “imperial columns” around the caseband and its notched bezel. First unveiled in 2006, Dewitt's Tourbillon Force Constante mechanism answered the age-old question about how to ensure a perfectly regular transmission of energy to the mechanism. This timepiece takes that mechanism even further with a system that relays energy to its associated power reserve indicator.
What's So Special: This is a classic timepiece, the advent of which marks the culmination of years of research and the beginning of a new era of innovation. Its futuristic looks belie the timepiece's link with horology's past, making the present perfect with the innovations made to the complications it boasts. The edition is limited to 99 pieces.
The Price: US$ 632,500 (Dh2.32 million)
Armin Strom
Tourbillon Gravity Fire
The Timepiece: Armin Strom uses skeletonizing to a perfection to offer a unique take on the balance between mechanics and aesthetics. Its new Tourbillon Gravity Fire combines a one-minute rotating tourbillon and an automatic winding system that utilises a micro rotor. Time is indicated in hours, minutes and small seconds while the Gravity Date edition also has a date display with day/night indication.
What's So Special: Armin Strom's watches are known to reveal more than just time. Its skeletonized watches show the entire mechanism in a way that anybody who checks the time will always see the beauty of the technology. Both the one-minute rotating tourbillon and the micro-rotor are shown off on the dial side of the watch, giving a full view of what is going on inside. The edition is limited to 50 pieces.
The Price: US$ 148,000 (Dh545,000)
Erwin Sattler
Mosaic Sonata
The Timepiece: A unique timepiece in which German mechanical precision meets Italian micro mosaic art, this timepiece is unlike others in that it is a pendulum clock and not a wristwatch. In addition to its pleasant chime, the clock also has a hand-painted moon phase display. The pendulum of the Mosaic Sonata is equipped with temperature and air-pressure compensation. The gold-plated gear train, with a 30-day power reserve, is fully fitted with ball bearings and jewel bearings, while the classic Graham escapement is embellished with agate pallets.
What's So Special: The most distinctive feature of the Mosaic Sonata is revealed in its name. The warm sound of the long tubular gong, hidden in the back of the case, will fill the owner's house every half-hour. The back of the case, cornice (cover and bottom plate) are all personalised with mosaic, as are the dial and the weight sleeve.
The Price: US$ 272,300 (Dh1 million)
CVSTOS
Challenge Minute Repeater Tourbillon Sport Titanium
The Timepiece: Since its launch in 2005, Cvstos has made a mark in haute horlogerie through timepieces such as this one. In the Challenge RMT-S, Cvstos rises to the challenge of complexity by combining two particularly ingenious watchmaking complications within this timepiece, the Minute Repeater and the Tourbillon. The Challenge RMT-S' sapphire crystal dial and crystal back elegantly showcase the Minute Repeater and the flying Tourbillon as they waltz in perfect sync.
What's So Special: In an extraordinary illustration of the fine art of watchmaking, by pressing the push-piece at 9 o'clock, the wearer can instantly change time into music, and the timepiece chimes the hours, quarters and minutes on demand. A safety device indicating the operation of the movement helps prevent any false manoeuvres that might damage the functioning of this complex mechanism.
The Price: US$ 272,300 (Dh1 million)
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