Platinum watches, the white duke of metals
December 26, 2017
The most noble of the materials wears the most exclusive and most limited production watches. They are the greed of collectors and lovers of exceptional pieces.
They say that his contact is different on the skin, that his weight covers it like a heavy but pleasant cloak secretly valuable. We are talking about platinum, the white duke of noble metals. When you name this material, you talk about bowing in the presence of superlatives: from credit cards, to airline points or musical recognitions, where platinum is the summit of aspiring success.
Considered, then, the most noble of materials, its use is quite infrequent and, in certain occasions, it is motivated by fashions. Enrelojería, platinum has been used for years, reserving for special editions, the very limited, the commemorative and the most exclusive pieces.
This year there are few models that have been made with this dress. It is about small big jewels that snatch the protagonism from gold and that dress the pieces that every collector covets. But platinum is also a very valuable disguise: with its steel appearance - in a neutral gray tone - it is easy to distort its real value and looks discreet in convulsive times, in which ostentation is almost impolite, while providing a pleasure not exempt from snobbery to its owners, the only ones who know the real price of their watch.
L.U.C Perpetual Chrono, Chopard
Platinum with a chronograph of manual load and a perpetual calendar of highbill. Made in exclusive 950 platinum, its 45 mm case is satin-edged vertically on the flanks and polished on the bezel and handles, creating an effect of textures that give it greater relief.
Both this one and its hand-wound caliber L.U.C 03.10-L, certified by the COSC, are stamped with the exclusive Geneva punch. The dial is in solid blue galvanic gold and the blue crocodile strap matte with platinum buckle. Limited edition of 20 copies.
Chronomètre Ferdinand Bertoud FB 1.3, Ferdinand Berthoud
Recently presented at the Ambassadeurs Association of Geneva, the model
Ferdinand Bertoud FB 1.3 - FERDINAND BERTHOUD
born from a unique initiative in modern watchmaking, being the new Chronomètre FB 1.3 the most exclusive of all created so far by the firm. Its design shows a unique shape and complexity, it is made of platinum.
Its box is 44 mm in diameter, is formed by a 950 platinum cylinder, which houses the movement. Its structure rests on two side pieces of polished platinum, octagonal, which give it its characteristic shape, inspired by marine chronometers. The sphere, made of alpaca, is partially perforated and presents a sober and classic color scheme. The movement has complications inspired by Ferdinand Berthoud's marine chronometers of the 18th century: a tourbillon with spindle-chain transmission with constant force device and tourbillon, spindle, barrel and suspended gear reserve device. Limited to 50 pieces.
Slim Quantième Perpétuel Platine, Hermès
The French firm has launched the model Slim d'Hermès Quantième Perpétuel Platine - its line more
recent and refined watches-, made in platinum box and driven by a beautifully manufactured manufacturing movement. Its apparent simplicity is adorned with a blue dial where the date, the month, the second time zone and the leap years appear in their respective counters, and the moon phases, of mother-of-pearl, pass at 3 o'clock in an aventurine sky .
Its extra-flat caliber presents one of the most demanding complications of watchmaking: the perpetual calendar, which is combined with a second time zone and an indication of the phases of the moon. It is topped on a blue Abyss alligator strap.
Tourbillon 24 Secondes Vision, Greubel Forsey
This family of platinum has expanded this year with four versions of dial: salmon, chocolate, blue
and black, unpublished fact, because, habitually, Greubel Forsey only creates an edition of his platinum models. These variants follow the success of the Tourbillon 24 Secondes Vision, which received the Aiguille d'Or award in the 2015 edition of the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève.
For the creation of this watch, the watchmakers took on the challenge of housing the Tourbillon 24 Secondes mechanism without sacrificing the pure and elegant lines of the watch, reconciling sophistication and simplicity. To overcome the challenge they gave the box a subtle vertical asymmetry, incorporating a glass dome at the bottom of the box to get the additional volume that would be able to accommodate the tourbillon. Only 4 copies are produced per year
Great compilation, Patek Philippe
The Geneva Manufacture has reconsidered its famous Great Complication, which combines the three
horological complications by antonomasia: a repetition of minutes (activated by trigger integrated in the box) with a tourbillon and a perpetual retrograde calendar in Reference 5316P. It is equipped with a new 40.2 mm platinum case with bezel and handles adorned with two moldings and a black enamel dial with a window of lunar phases also in enamel. The retrograde date has an original configuration with a diamond-tipped needle.
This model also has a shiny black alligator strap with square scales sewn by hand. The watch, like the total of the mechanical production of the house, is stamped with the Patek Philippe quality seal, which is applied to 100% of the watch.
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