6 Valentine’s Day gifts for a loved one

In a fast-paced city like Hong Kong not everyone has the time to wander round the shops looking for the perfect Valentine’s gift. And with the most romantic day of the year just around the corner, time is running out for those who have left buying a gift to the last minute.

Luckily for you, we have compiled a list of Valentine’s gifts for that special someone.

Everyone loves cake! Ms B’s Cakery offers a selection of delicious and romantic cakes such as the Amoure, a chequered chocolate and strawberry butter cake laced with strawberry puree and light butter cream, and topped with a giant red rose and 20 small sugar flowers. If that is a bit too sweet for you, try the Lovebird Lilac, with lavender taro chiffon layers and a hint of coconut cream with glazed young coconut.

www.msbscakery.hk

Nothing says ‘I love you’ like a piece of jewellery, and Larry Jewelry has plenty of exquisite gems to choose from. The company’s Precious Heart collection features diamond heart-shaped rings, and some come with a sapphire, emerald and ruby. The heart-shaped gemstones are set with round, pear-shaped or marquise diamonds. The Luminous Stars collection has two-way pendants featuring shimmering diamonds with 18-carat rose gold or white gold. The pendants can be worn as a mini flower bud or a sparkling star.

www.larryjewelry.com

Burberry has released a combined blush and highlighter palette. First Love is inspired by playful prints and fabrics from their womenswear collections. The box has a heart-print design and the palette is infused with illuminating pearls to add subtle highlights to cheeks.

hk.burberry.com

Bally, the luxury fashion brand, was reportedly founded because of a husband’s simple gesture of love towards his wife. And with this in mind, the brand has unveiled its Valentine’s Day gift collection, including a simple and elegant grained calf leather Boom bag, a black grained leather Larsh cardholder and Avro and Avelle sneakers made from lightweight neoprene wrapped in leather perforated with the “B” symbol.

www.bally.com

Watchmaker Omega is aiming to be a matchmaker this Valentine’s Day with its Globemaster Co-Axial Master Chronometer Annual Calendar 41 mm. The watch is ideal for the man in your life. It has a stainless steel case and hard metal (tungsten carbide) bezel, and each of its facets includes a month of the year.

www.omegawatches.com

Luggage maker Rimowa has the perfect gift for a loved one who travels a lot — the Rimowa Salsa Air in Guards Red. The multiwheel suitcase comes in intense red, and its light weight makes it perfect for those who are always rushing to catch a flight.

www.rimowa.com

Written by Andrew Scott

Our guide to the hottest new luxury timepieces, just in time for Valentine’s Day

This February marks the beginning of the new lunar year of the rooster, and also heralds the approach of that most polarising of special occasions.

St. Valentine’s Day is dreaded by single folk, scorned by cynics, adored by romantics and thoroughly enjoyed by children and lovers alike. Whether you believe it is a day conjured up by marketing boffins looking to sell more greeting cards, or a day thoughtfully set aside for lovers to show their appreciation for one another, it is best not to be the significant other that shows up gift-less. Indeed wars have been started over less!

Rather helpfully the artisans behind some of the world’s most coveted maisons of haute horlogerie have released some new exquisitely eye-catching watches just in time for the day of amore…

“For a truly romantic gesture this Valentine’s Day, think ‘his and hers’ watches”

If diamonds truly are a girl’s best friend, then the Precious Chopard watch is certain to be a BFF. Awash with a dazzling array of precious stones, the Precious Chopard timepieces are as spectacular as they are refined. Part of Chopard’s glittering Precious Chopard jewellery collection, the watches are testament to the high calibre of skill employed by the Geneva-based house. Set with only the finest rubies and emeralds, each Precious Chopard is uniquely evocative and intricately precious. Featuring playful designs that include flower petals and whirling tutus, these sparkling creations are the ideal addition of flair to any classic evening ensemble.

For a more subtle but no less stunning impression, look no further than the Golden Bridge watch by Corum. A timepiece that has truly stood the test of time, the Golden Bridge has been part of the Corum collection for no less than 35 years.

In its latest incarnation the Golden Bridge has been re-imagined in a round shape. At 39mm it is perfectly suited for a lady’s wrist, while still ably displaying the watch’s unique in-line movement construction. Surrounded by sapphire crystals, the Golden Bridge’s innovative calibre is eminently visible, thus displaying the immaculate skill of the watchmaker from every conceivable angle. Powered by the CO113 calibre and created in conjunction with renowned Italian jewellery designer Dino Modolo, the Golden Bridge 2017 has an elegant art deco style that incorporates astonishing geometry and is the perfect marriage of form and functionality. Embellished with precious resin and diamonds, the Golden Bridge is brilliant to behold whilst maintaining an air of divine elegance. A strictly limited release, this latest Golden Bridge model is limited to 30 pieces of the pink gold edition, 20 pieces of the white gold edition and 20 pieces of a version set with a rainbow of coloured gems.

For the gentleman who doesn’t believe that functionality need compromise aesthetics, the artisans at Breitling have created the Navitimer Héritage. A fitting tribute to the original Navitimer that debuted in 1952, this special edition is remarkable in its slightly smaller diameter and its colour hues. Available with a black or blue dial featuring tone-on-tone counters, the Navitimer is as functional as it is elegant. The now famous circular slide rule is operated via the bidirectional rotating bezel and serves to perform all airborne navigation operations. Powered by a self-winding movement chronometer, the Breitling 13 calibre is certified by the COSC and is testament to the superior precision and reliability of this timepiece. The Navitimer Héritage has a 42 hour power reserve, is adorned with 25 jewels and is encased in cambered, glare-proofed sapphire crystal. It is available with either a leather or rubber strap and weighs a comfortable 79 grams.

For the outdoorsman in your life who needs a rugged, dependable timepiece, the Omega Co-Axial Master Chronometer Annual Calendar is the ultimate luxury gift. Encased in stainless steel and fitted with a hard metal bezel crafted from tungsten carbide, the Globemaster is one of the toughest luxury watches on the market. The watch’s blued faceted hands and indexes have been filled with Super-LumiNova to further enhance user-friendliness. The face features a blued Constellation star and iconic Omega logo, while the caseback includes a Central Observatory medallion set in scratch-resistant sapphire crystal. Powered by the Omega Calibre 8922, the Co-Axial Master Chronometer Annual Calendar incorporates revolutionary anti-magnetic technology and comes complete with a brown leather strap for a touch of class.

For a truly romantic gesture that is much more subtle than the usual declarations of love, think “his n’ hers” watches. After all, the couple that make time together, stay together. Part of Montblanc’s 2017 Valentine’s Day Selection are the Montblanc Star Traditional Date Automatic Pair Watches. Classically understated, yet undeniably luxurious and elegant, these pair watches are the perfect blend of fine Swiss watchmaking heritage and Montblanc’s characteristic flair. The watches feature round casebacks with guilloché dials, while the hours are marked with black Arabic numerals.

The Montblanc Star Traditional for him unites grand design with harmonious proportions while the Star Lady Automatic for her exudes a more feminine style and features a mother-of-pearl dial with embedded diamonds.

Another unique pair of timepieces are the Breguet Tradition watches crafted for both him and her. The Breguet Tradition Automatique Seconde Rétrograde 7097 for him is a masterpiece of design. Encased in 18-carat white gold with fluted caseband, it features a sapphire-crystal back and is water resistant to 3 bar. The 40mm dial itself is 18-carat gold and is marked with Roman numerals on its off-centre face. Powered by a self-winding movement, the watch has a 50 hour power reserve and is adorned with 38 jewels. The Breguet Tradition Dame is a perfectly complementary piece to the men’s incarnation. Also encased in 18-carat white gold, the bezel is set with 68 brilliant-cut diamonds with a Tahitian mother-of-pearl dial also off-set at 12 o’clock and sized at a demure 37mm. The self-winding movement gives the watch a 50 hour power reserve. Each of these watches is numbered and individually signed as a testament to the precision and care that has gone into the crafting of each timepiece.

Written by Hans Schlaikier

Chopard releases L.U.C XP Urushi watch for Year of the Rooster

Chopard has rewarded watch aficionados with something truly worth crowing over this New Year. The marque’s L.U.C XP Urushi watch, emblazoned with the image of a rooster, is an apt acknowledgment of the year’s incoming Chinese zodiac sign. These limited edition timepieces were hand-crafted in Japan by an urushi (lacquer) master and are powered by a self-winding 96.17-L movement. The watch also boasts mother-of-pearl marquetry, an 18-carat rose gold case and a black alligator leather strap. This standout piece is sure to grant the wearer with year-round confidence and a true can-do attitude – the characteristic traits of the ever-resilient rooster.

www.chopard.com

Changing times: Jewellery merges with watches

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Check out the latest jewellery-inspired watches from brands such as Cartier, Piaget, Van Cleef & Arpels, Omega and many more.

Patek Philippe wristwatch sets new auction record

If you’ve got the cash, then clearly there’s no time like the present to snap up a rare multi-million dollar watch. This was clearly the thinking at the recent Geneva auction of a rare Patek Philippe stainless steel timepiece, with the final bid offering up a mammoth sum of nearly US$11 million.

The value of this particular timepiece is down to both its rarity – with only three examples known to still exist – and its historical significance. When the watchmaker introduced the 1518 series in the early 1940s, it was believed to be the first perpetual calendar watch – that is, the first to have both a stop-watch function and calendar designed to keep track of the dates for centuries to come, even taking into account leap years.

This particular watch – a 1943 model from the Swiss company’s 1518 series – sold recently for 11,002,000 Swiss francs (HK$84.3 million) following a lively 13-minute bidding war, with would-be owners jostling to snap up the piece as a timely addition to their watch collections. According to Phillips, the undoubtedly delighted auction house, the eventual price was triple the pre-sale estimate and a “world record for any wristwatch at auction.” The identity of neither the buyer nor the seller has been revealed.

Time of the Year: A second look at the best of 2016 and a minute peek at 2017

For some watch brands, 2016 was a wait-and-see year, with a number of companies happy to let the changing tides of economics, technology and consumer preferences subside before they committed to fresh innovation and major departures. Not every marque, however, was quite so willing to tread water.

Among those seemingly more confident about their own future direction was A. Lange & Söhne. Early last year, the company released the Richard Lange Jumping Seconds. At less than 40mm in diameter, its fascia is, perhaps, a little on the small side, while its use of three dials could be deemed a tad fussy. In terms of quality and style, however, the Jumping Seconds is undoubtedly finely-wrought, while also coming with a highly-reasonable US$85,000 (HK$659,300) price tag.

Often overlooked by the more casual collectors, F.P. Journe remains a somewhat undervalued Franco-Swiss timepiece manufacturer. Clearly looking to remedy that, last year the company introduced the Centigraphe Souverain Anniversaire, an apt celebration of the tenth anniversary of the opening of both its Hong Kong and Tokyo boutiques.

Perhaps the brand’s most significant piece to date, it boasts a well-proportioned 40mm titanium case, complete with burgundy alligator strap and a finely-wrought gold clasp. The dial is laid out in a triumvirate of sub-dials, forming two eyes and a mouth, which – in combination with its smoothly angled hands – delivers a surprisingly emotive face. Prices start at US$64,000, with a percentage of profits being donated to the Brain and Spinal Cord Institute in Paris.

“Millennials will certainly want their classic watches leavened with a little 21st century tech”

Moving on, a striking new entrant in the global explorer category comes courtesy of De Bethune, with the company’s DB25 World Traveller rightly hailed as a watch for the jet-setter with true class. Its 45mm white gold case is a beautiful mix of golds and whites, deftly managing to be neither overly flashy nor wholly understated. Its blue hands, meanwhile, provide easy time-keeping, while it even features a series of minute shock-absorbers, all ensuring its 430 moving parts can endure the sharpest of knocks.

Of course, no travel watch would be of any value if it lacked the facility to display multiple time zones. The DB25 World Traveller ably performs this task via a series of time zone coded destinations asymmetrically laid out across the central portion of the dial. A rather large, avant-garde piece, the DB25 is perhaps not for everyone. Nonetheless, for a bold, well-proportioned traveller’s watch – and a relative bargain at US$150,000 – it’s a worthy investment.

Moving away – albeit temporarily – from the industry’s Swiss heartlands, the Portsmouth has been deemed a bold departure by Garrick, one of London’s most iconic watchmakers. Indeed, this notably bulky offering (42mm) has more than a hint of old school Royal Naval charm.

With a case of highly-polished stainless steel and a more than generously sized crown, a sub-dial for running seconds takes up the 10 o’clock position, while a balance wheel and bridge at 6 o’clock provides the dressiness you’d expect from such a quintessentially British model. Two other aspects of the piece merit particular attention – its blued and bevelled hands, which provide an appropriately nautical crossed anchor motif as they turn, and its engraved and lacquered dial, customisable to individual customer specifications. All in all, not bad for just £18,000 (HK$176,000).

Moving back into the more familiar waters of Swiss haute horology takes us to the Golden Bridge Round, the latest offering from Corum, the La Chaux-de-Fonds-based, Hong Kong-owned maker of fine timepieces. The company’s Golden Bridge range has divided watch aficionados, with some finding this rectangular-shaped timepiece not at all to their liking. In a bid to woo the cynics, the Golden Bridge Round – an 18-carat rose gold timepiece, measuring a wrist-busting 43mm – features some truly remarkable engineering.

With a single strut, running from 3 o’clock to 6 o’clock, bearing the gears and mechanics, both sides of the watch boast playfully-angled bridge motifs. The rose gold model comes in at an eminently reasonable US$42,000, while the bolder, brasher, perhaps somewhat more overly indulgent white gold model, complete with diamonds, is priced just a little higher at US$48,000.

While a quick look back is traditional at this time of year, it would be wrong to kick off 2017 without at least a glance at what the next 12 months have in store. As ever, a reliable first port of call is Vacheron Constantin. In line with the company’s long tradition of launching timely zodiac-specific watches into the Asian market, the marque’s Métiers d’Art Legend Of The Chinese Zodiac Year Of The Rooster timepiece should shortly be available.

With a somewhat stern-looking cockerel taking pride of place on the dial, the extremities of the face are subtly accented with a flower motif, with an enamel base used to form the primary colour-scheme. Instead of hands, the watch uses a succession of apertures – four in all – to provide hour (10 o’clock), minutes (2 o’clock), date (5 o’clock) and day (7 o’clock) indicators. Each is ably positioned to maximise ease of reading, although the lack of a seconds counter to provide direct timing is, perhaps, something of an omission. If you’re hoping to secure one of these – in either its platinum or pink gold incarnation – you really need to be fast off the mark. Only 24 of both versions are going to be produced, with each numbered iteration selling for around US$100,000.

In the year ahead, it is likely that many Millennials will want their classic, precision watches leavened with a little 21st century tech, but certain horological archetypes bow neither to fashion nor fad. With a centuries-long heritage of incorporating all the very best of the new, while maintaining the time-honoured trappings of the finest achievements of watchmakers throughout the years, haute horology is as relevant today as it ever was. Indeed, with a series of intriguing new models waiting in the wings, 2017 could prove something of a high water mark.

Sports watches for the competitor and fan

Whether competitor or armchair commentator, we have time for you with watches by Breitling, Chopard, Rolex, Cartier, Omega and IWC.

A timely offering for the Year of the Rooster

Celebrate the dawn of the Year of the Rooster with a customised 8958 Cammea watch from Breguet, a unique timepiece handcrafted in Italy. Featuring an elegant engraving in high relief, the cameo dial of the 8958 is a true miniature faithfully sculpted on shell, making it something of a world first. Its white gold case is set with diamonds, while the discreet hour and minute hands sit just off-centre at 6 o’clock. Its transparent back reveals a hand-turned gold winding rotor engine, all fetchingly inlaid with mother-of-pearl. The perfect finishing touches come courtesy of a white alligator leather strap and a diamond-set folding clasp.

www.breguet.com

Explorer to travel pole to pole in 2 years

If you think you have a tough commute or you’re not relishing travelling home for the holidays, just think about Mike Horn, who is spending the next two years circumnavigating the globe through land and sea, passing through the two poles.

Mike is currently at Antarctica and he will cross the South Pole on skis, which sort of makes you feel bad for complaining about travelling across Hong Kong!

Mike set off from the Yacht Club of Monaco in May on his boat, Pangaea. He then headed south to Namibia, Botswana, South Africa and then on to Antarctica, which he will cross on skis via the South Pole.

During Mike’s journey he will be wearing a Panerai watch with the catchy name, the Luminor Submersible 1950 3 Days GMT Automatic Titanio – 47mm (PAM00719).

Bulgari has Christmas gift ideas wrapped up

Looking for the perfect gift for a lucky man or woman in your life? Bulgari has plenty of Christmas gift ideas.

For example, ladies can choose from a Serpenti Forever flap cover bag in silver calf leather, a Serpenti pink gold band ring with rubellite eyes and pavé-set diamonds head or Serpenti pink gold earrings with rubellite eyes and pavé-set diamonds head.

Men, fear not, you have not been left out. Bulgari has a number of watches, such as the Octo Ultranero Velocissimo in 18k pink gold with a steel case and black diamond like carbon coating and integrated rubber strap.