STILL WATERS RUN DEEP

The watch launches in the past year reflect this sentiment. There were the “safer” collections, and variants in stainless steel offering more bang for the customer’s buck. At Girard-perregaux, this was seen in the form of the new steel avatar of its signature 1966 collection. The sharply tailored timepiece boasts a clean, opaline silver face, leaf hands and baton numerals, making for an understated yet elegant dress watch. It marks the beginning of an exciting new direction for the watchmaker, which aims to provide more diversity in its collections in order to fill in the entry-level gap in its line-up. That said, however, numerous brands have also drummed up interest with numerous firsts and technical breakthroughs, packaged discreetly, however, in restrained frames. It was apparent at Bulgari, as the Italian house demonstrated its watchmaking pedigree with the launch of the Octo Finissimo Minute Repeater. Meaning “superfine” in Italian, the Finissimo range of Octo watches allows the watchmaker to flex its horological muscle and engineer ultra-slim movements for ultra-slim cases. With this timepiece, the brand delivers a promise to maximise sound in minimal space. It breaks the previous record of the 2013 Piaget Emperador Coussin Ultra-thin Minute Repeater, which measured 9.4mm with a 4.8mm movement within. The Octo Finissimo Minute Repeater shaves off about 2.5mm and measures 6.85mm. Apart from its statuesque figure, the timepiece is also free of any unnecessary clutter or distraction: entirely constructed in titanium (yes, the dial too), the indices have been etched out to reveal glimpses of the movement below. It’s a technical decision that allows the sound to be amplified. The entirely grey construction with a subtle black alligator strap makes for a wonderfully restrained timepiece solely reserved for the owner’s pleasure.