Here's what's hot in the world of luxury watches

Chiffre Rouge Revival

Credit: Courtesy of Dior

1/11

For the first time since its launch 20 years ago, Dior’s Chiffre Rouge collection makes a return with eight new models that will be released in boutiques throughout the year. The watches are an embodiment of the Maison’s timeless design codes, couture aesthetic and elegance. The asymmetrical case features an enlarged and tapered side with the red crown positioned off-centre. The same bright red can be seen on the hands and Monsieur Dior’s favourite number—eight—in the date display, which appears once every month like an auspicious charm.
Dior’s iconic Cannage quilting adorns the dial, and the oscillating weight in precise engravings provides a contemporary twist to this fleet of watches. The Cannage is also present on the rubber straps that come with the watch, along with a precious leather strap that can be interchanged when needed. The diverse, unisex selection will be presented in several finishes from a gem-set bezel to an ultra-matte black coating, in two sizes—38mm and 41mm. Some models are equipped with complications such as a chronograph and a tourbillion to suit the wearer’s taste and style.

Zenith's Titanium Wonder

Credit: Courtesy of ZENITH

4/11

Form and function are crucial elements of a sports watch. Not only must it have the most precise timekeeping capabilities through its movement, but its build needs to help players perform at their very best and that is exactly what ZENITH has done with the new Titanium Chronomaster Sport. Titanium is one of the most robust metals on the planet and it weighs much less than the more common watchmaking material—stainless steel. Titanium is also highly resistant to corrosion, a feature that comes in handy for athletes who work up a sweat. This reference with a 41mm case diameter that can be fitted on a titanium bracelet or a rubber strap is equipped with the El Primero 3600 movement with the 1/10th of a second chronograph function and a power reserve of 60 hours.

Hermes' Starry Starry Timepiece

Credit: Courtesy of Hermès

7/11

Form and function are crucial elements of a sports watch. Not only must it have the most precise timekeeping capabilities through its movement, but its build needs to help players perform at their very best and that is exactly what ZENITH has done with the new Titanium Chronomaster Sport. Titanium is one of the most robust metals on the planet and it weighs much less than the more common watchmaking material—stainless steel. Titanium is also highly resistant to corrosion, a feature that comes in handy for athletes who work up a sweat. This reference with a 41mm case diameter that can be fitted on a titanium bracelet or a rubber strap is equipped with the El Primero 3600 movement with the 1/10th of a second chronograph function and a power reserve of 60 hours.

Richard Mille's RM Up-01 Ferrari

Credit: Courtesy of Richard Mille

8/11

Richard Mille is a horological tour de force known for precision, architecture and technical innovations in watchmaking. So, it was no surprise when the manufacture broke the world record in 2023 for the thinnest watch in existence with the RM UP-01 Ferrari.
Motorsports and watches have a shared history since the ’50s as timekeeping is crucial for drivers to track their progress during training or, more importantly, at a race; but this collaboration that began in 2021 with the Italian car manufacturer goes beyond that. Both Richard Mille and Ferrari share a relentless quest for perfection and are steadfast when it comes to high-octane performance.
Thus, the RM UP-01 Ferrari at just 1.75mm thick—case and movement included—was born from the combined know-how of these two iconic brands to create dozens of prototypes and more than 6,000 hours of laboratory testing to complete.
While aesthetics are at the forefront of Richard Mille’s references, the brand broke away from its typical design codes to allow the technical prowess of the timepiece to shine. In particular, rather than assembling the in-house movement in the caseback, it was built within the case itself to ensure total shock resistance.

Credit: Courtesy of Richard Mille

10/11

“For such a project, it was necessary to set aside all the knowledge we had amassed over years of practice, and every conceivable standard of watchmaking,” explains Julien Boillat, technical director for cases at Richard Mille.
Boillat added, “This is precisely what we did throughout our collaboration with the laboratories of Audemars Piguet Le Locle. Shaving off those last millimetres of depth was an extremely demanding and lengthy process.”
Richard Mille tackled the ultra-flat concept by distributing components that could not be stacked across a broader surface area, culminating in a rectangular titanium case.
The movements department had to rethink the winding mechanism. The winding stem, which had a minimum height of 1.5mm, was dropped for two crowns—one for function and the other to utilise the functions—integrated into the case as movement wheels.
The redesigned escapement is another attribute that played a major role in achieving the flatness of the RM UP-01 manual-winding movement that could withstand accelerations of more than 5,000 g-forces.

Credit: Courtesy of Richard Mille

11/11

The small plate of the balance and dart—which prevents the anchor from slipping back during the free phase of the balance wheel’s movement—were removed from the construction. An elongated fork with new horns replaces these parts, significantly reducing the height.
A titanium variable-inertia balance also replaced the regulator index that receives energy from the escapement with six weights that allow greater accuracy and repeatable calibration.
Nothing was spared to achieve the technical marvels within these 150 limited edition watches; however, they were not built for just the race track. Like every model from the prestigious Swiss watchmaker, the RM UP-01 Ferrari can be worn under any circumstance.
On the wearability, Salvador Arbona, technical director for movements at Richard Mille, said, “Even in the realm of extreme flatness, we were determined to make a watch that met the same validation requirements as all our other models. In this quest for absolute flatness, we had to offer a watch that, far from being a ‘concept watch’, was up to the task of following a user’s daily life.”
This article was originally published in Harper's Bazaar Singapore.