A TIME FOR EVERYTHING

As travel bubbles pop up all over the world, it’s time to look at India and the rest of Asia with a fresh perspective. Here are five recently launched timepieces to suit the mood of your travel destination.

1. LIMELIGHT GALA PIAGET

This year’s editions of the Limelight Gala, a model with stylish curves, asymmetrical lugs, and a gem-set bezel, hark back to Piaget’s heyday of jewellery watches in the 1960s and 1970s. Arranged around four themes—The

Art of Movement, The Art of Gold, The Art of Colour, and The Art of Light—the ultrathin jewellery watches come with a delightful gemstone twist. The Art of Light watch (in pic) is a rose-gold model with a mother-of-pearl dial and a setting of 42 brilliantcut diamonds on the bezel. Perfect for a luxurious night out in Hong Kong. piaget.com ――

2. PORTUGIESER YACHT CLUB CHRONOGRAPH IWC

The big story at Watches and Wonders 2020 was the comeback of Portugieser. A decade after its maiden voyage, the third-generation Portugieser Yacht Club Chronograph sails into port. The novelties are a larger case size, relocation of the date window, some fine-tuning on the dial, and a new metal bracelet. The watch comes in three iterations—take your pick for that yachting expedition in SE Asia. iwc.com 3. REVERSO ONE

JAEGER LECOULTRE

Born in polo fields during the British Raj, Reverso has its history intertwined with Rajasthan. The Reverso One Red-Wine, launched earlier this year, is an interesting offering for women. The design is influenced by the Art Deco movement, in vogue at the time the Reverso was born. This can be seen particularly on the dial, where Arabic numerals framed at the corners, a sunray guilloche pattern in red, and handset all speak to the 1930s origins of the timepiece. jaegerlecoultre.com

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4. CONNECTED TAG HEUER

The Connected collection has expanded this summer with four variations of colours featuring new materials, watch faces, and straps. It offers timepieces designed in the purest watchmaking tradition with a state-of-the-art digital experience that comes with weather forecast, a second time zone, and sunrise and sunset times. The TAG Heuer mobile app helps with greater personalisation. Whether it’s biking in the hills, a workout by the sea, or golf at a secluded retreat, the watch keeps up with you. tagheuer.com

1. BLUETOOTH TRACKER VAYA LYNK

Keys, wallets, hand baggage, laptops— keep them all safe on your travels with this nifty Bluetooth tracker. It’s got a 30m range, a record of where items were last located, a replaceable battery (which lasts nearly 10 months), and separation alerts that warn you if you’re leaving something behind. Definitely a saviour when you’re on your flight back.

`1,090; vaya.in

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2. RUCKSACK WILDCRAFT TRAILBLAZER 60

There is nothing like the vast outdoors, with its guaranteed social distancing and fresh air. Next time you’re out camping, carry all your gear in this Wildcraft rucksack. This toploading drawstring pack is made of lightweight fabric, and has a separate pocket to store essentials, a proper airflow system, compression straps, and loops for walking sticks. `7,499; wildcraft.com

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3. CHARGER AMKETTE FAMILY CAR CHARGER

This four-port car charger with an extension puts a charging port in reach of everyone accompanying you on a road trip. That includes spouses who need to make urgent work calls and bored kids with iPads on the back seat. `549; amkette.com

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4. E BIKE HERO LECTRO GLIDE

Bikes make Himalayan getaways all the more fun. But have you tried pedalling uphill to your homestay after gorging on parathas at a riverside dhaba? Definitely not fun.

Get an e-bike and make life easier. The baby of Hero’s range provides a 30-km range, a top speed of 25 km/hr, and four power assist modes to cater to all levels of fitness and post-lunch sluggishness. `21,000; herolectro.com 5. TELESCOPE

STAR TRACKER 76 900 EQ1

The homegrown brand of telescopes, Tejraj & Co., might be a great investment for anyone who spends ample time away from polluted cities. The new 76/900 EQ1 is powerful enough for the budding astronomer, has a

6x24 finder scope for easy use, and there’s micro-motion altitude control for easy finetuning. A bunch of nifty accessories―filters, star maps, cleaning kit―offer great value for your money. `8,400; tejraj.com

This road trip app is just what you need for your weekend getaway. It lets you plan pretty much every detail of your trip, from the fastest route to highway motels and restaurants along the way, and any nearby sights for which you should stop. Inbuilt collaboration and community features also make this a lot of fun, and you can even share tips from your past road trips.

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