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The Watches

A Winning Ode to Climbing Everest

By Steve Huyton

For a long time, Chinese-made products have been unfairly dismissed as inferior quality or disposable products. Admittedly in a region as large as China, there is a broad spectrum ranging from substandard to superlative.

Nevertheless, tech giant Apple exclusively manufactures in this country and it hasn’t deterred consumers at all. Within the watch industry, the label Swiss-made still carries a lot of weight. However, there are a lot of brands like Ciga Design that are changing people’s perceptions.

This company shook the world of horology on its head by winning the Challenge Prize at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève 2021 awards for the phenomenal Blue Planet.

The Ciga Design Central Tourbillon Mount Everest Homage Edition

For that reason, I was delighted to hear of another formidable piece called the Central Tourbillon Mount Everest Homage Edition. This watch was unveiled in 2023 to commemorate the 70th anniversary of mankind’s conquest of Mount Everest.

I’ve always been fascinated with innovative design and that was the catalyst for writing books about this subject. My philosophy is to select based on creative merit rather than brand status. This strategy I believe is more advantageous for the reader because they are offered increased diversity.

That’s why I’m very pleased that brands such as Ciga Design are getting the recognition they deserve. The business is the brainchild of multi-disciplinary designer Zhang Jianmin who specializes in fields like architecture, graphics and product design. After twenty-six years of commercial experience, he decided to launch his own watch brand. In my opinion, the Central Tourbillon Mount Everest Homage Edition is their most ambitious creation to date.

Hilary Quote

Ciga Design have set the tone for this watch by using a quote from mountaineer Sir Edmund Hilary: “It’s not the mountain we conquer but ourselves.”

These words are very inspiring and captivate the essence of the Central Tourbillon Mount Everest Homage Edition.

Fortunately, I got to inspect one of these amazing timepieces and was incredibly impressed with the overall quality. Aesthetically this watch has a distinctive Avant-Garde appearance normally found in Haute Horlogerie watches that retail for multiple times the price.

The proportions have also been well considered. With a 45mm titanium case, this piece sits comfortably on the wrist and is suitable to wear with formal/casual attire.

What makes the Central Tourbillon Mount Everest Homage Edition so special is the meticulous attention to detail. Remarkably, Ciga Design’s chief designer personally embarked on a journey to the base of Mount Everest to source rock for the dial of the watch. This creates a 3D texture that perfectly frames the exposed central tourbillon carriage.

Other incredible characteristics include ice axe-style hands engraved with the signatures of both Sir Edmund Hilary and Tenzing Norway. Ciga Design has also added a nice touch by including the four world flags of Britain, Nepal, India and the United Nations. Overall the minimalistic composition is highly effective and the quality first rate.

Beneath the architectural façade lies a very sophisticated in-house customized hand-winding movement. The Calibre CD-05 comprises 33 jewels and oscillates at a frequency of 21,600 vibrations per hour.

This exquisite mechanism is visibly showcased via the sapphire crystal exhibition engraved case back. Functionally the Central Tourbillon Mount Everest Homage Edition features hours, minutes and seconds. The watch also has a very impressive power reserve of 120 hours and is water resistant to a depth of thirty meters.

As a perfect finale, the Central Tourbillon Mount Everest Homage Edition is presented on a textured rubber black strap with a complimentary titanium buckle. With a retail of $3,600, I believe this watch is very competitively priced.

Steve Huyton is an industrial designer, illustrator and author who publishes Total Design Reviews

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Interviews

iW Interview: Philipp Plein

As the founder and creative force behind the global Philipp Plein universe, Plein discusses his edgy global fashion brand’s auspicious entry into the world of high-end watchmaking.

Fresh from launching his latest collection in Geneva earlier this month, and just after a second launch in Milan during Salone de Mobile, Plein speaks about his motivation, his design process and his plans for the Philipp Plein luxury watch collection.   

Philipp Plein at the Philipp Plein Showroom during Salone del Mobile 2024 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Lorenzo Palizzolo/Getty Images for Philipp Plein)

iW: What first inspired you to enter the luxury end of the watch business?

Philipp Plein: I’ve always been a big collector of timepieces and high-end luxury watches and expanding the collection from fashion watches to luxury tourbillon only seemed a natural extension of the Philipp Plein universe.

How do you first consider creating a new Philipp Plein watch design? What is your design process?

A creative process starts first with market research which includes qualitative and quantitative data. The research phase is a key activity to get all possible data from consumer trends, market dynamics, color palette and fabrics. These information and materials are the greatest source I use to start any product development.

The Philipp Plein Dare Devil XII, one of four flying tourbillon models debuted in Geneva in April.

These watch designs started with the creation of an iconic watch case which could represent at the highest design and the iconic brand DNA. Every detail is expression of PHILIPP PLEIN brand, and the ability to transfer these iconic shapes and design concepts across every timepiece creation makes this detailed execution one of the greatest projects I have been working on.

How has your own history as a designer in other areas influenced your watch designs?

Since starting my design journey, accessories have always been a major focus towards creating and completing the Philipp Plein look. With timepieces, we’ve taken our signature design codes; maximalism, quality, shine and sparkle; and have continued to translate them into products that are reflective of who we are.

What aspects or imagery of the Philipp Plein brand are visible within the newest watch debuts?

The tonneau case shape is making a return for the latest models, it’s a silhouette we come back to and one that is a show of luxury for us. The hexagonal Philipp Plein logo is also present on the dials of each new model, with the iconic shape also continued on the texture and pattern of the case exterior. On the reverse of the Flying Tourbillon, the brand’s iconic $miley and $kull-bone complete the new look.

Do you coordinate the look of these watches with other Philipp Plein products?

The Philipp Plein timepieces are both distinctive and complimentary to the full Plein look. Each piece is carefully designed to fit within the Philipp Plein and Plein Sport universe, while expanding on the innovation and continual forward advancement of each brand.

Plein Sport sneakers are another perfect alignment, creating products that are both made for functional active use, while still being within the maximal, eye-catching design styles that continues to bring people towards the Philipp Plein group.

Why use the tonneau case shape (rather than round or square) for these high-end models?

The tonneau case shape is best for our high-end models because it offers a distinctive blend of elegance and comfort on the wrist, embodying the essence of luxury. Its curved design allows for intricate dial detailing and showcases the craftsmanship synonymous with our watchmaking, appealing to collectors with both aesthetic beauty and technical excellence.

The Philipp Plein Noir Samurai Crypto King Hexagon

Will you continue to offer new models within the existing watch collections?

Yes, Philipp Plein Timepieces and Philipp Plein Sport Timepieces will continue to present two seasonal collections a year, as will as a new collection of Swiss Made Luxury Collections in Geneva each year.  Additionally, we presented a new exclusive style at Salone del Mobile connected to the opening of the Philipp Plein Hotel in Milan.

How do you determine the names for each model?

We’ve been accepting cryptocurrency as a payment option since 2021, so the Crypto King collection is representative of this forward thinking and cutting-edge way of operating. Crypto King is and always has been a glance into the future, both for our watchmaking and the brand more generally.

The Ice Breaker

Can we expect additional complications beyond the flying tourbillon in future Philipp Plein watches?

Absolutely. We look at the tourbillons as just the starting point for our exploration and innovation in watchmaking. While the flying tourbillon represents a pinnacle of precision and craftsmanship, we’re committed to pushing the boundaries further by incorporating additional complications into our future timepieces.

A side view of the Philipp Plein Night Wolf Crypto King Flying Tourbillon.

Our goal is to continually surprise and delight watch enthusiasts with new and exciting advancements in horology, staying true to our brand’s ethos of daring creativity and uncompromising quality.

Thank You.

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American Brands

Benrus Relaunches Type I-C Military Watches

Benrus relaunches its Type I-C dive and field watch with a new series that recreates the look and feel of the original pioneering 1960s-era Benrus Type I military watches.

One of four new Benrus Type I-C watches

The historic U.S.-based brand is recreating the Type I-C with a design faithful to the original asymmetric-cased model, including its spare, logo-free dial, full 300-meter water resistance, big indexes and large luminous hands.

Benrus offers a choice of three dial colors, white, blue and black, each cased in a 42.5mm by 47.5mm bead-blasted steel case with a screw-in textured crown, bidirectional rotating hour bezel and double-domed sapphire crystal.

Inside Benrus fits a Soprod P024 automatic movement with a 38-hour power reserve.

Benrus offers the black-dialed model with two bezel and strap options. One features a matching black bezel, a direct echo of the original design. That watch comes with a black two-piece rubber tropic strap. The second black-dialed model comes with a red bezel and is available on a red two-piece rubber tropic strap.

Other variations include a white dial with black bezel on a white two-piece rubber tropic strap and an all-blue model featuring a blue dial with matching blue bezel and blue two-piece rubber tropic strap.

Each Swiss-made Benrus Type I-C watch benefits from a healthy dollop of white Super-LumiNova markers and hands. On the back of each watch you’ll also find an image of an American flag.

Benrus was the first watchmaker to land a U.S. military watch contract during the Vietnam war. Its Mil-Spec MIL-W-50717 watches were used by soldiers in the various branches, including the U.S. Navy, U.S. Army, the Green Berets and the CIA.

Price: $1,495.

Specifications: Benrus Type I-C

• Case Diameter: 42.5mm (without crown)

• Case Length: 47.5mm (top lug to bottom lug)

• Case Height: 15mm

• Lug Width: 20mm

• Bead blasted 316L stainless steel case w/ screw-in high-grip textured crown

• Double domed sapphire crystal

• BW G9 Super-LumiNova on dial markers and hands

• Soprod P024 w/ 38-hour power reserve

• 30ATM water resistance

• Quick release two-piece rubber tropic strap

• Special American Flag case back

• Swiss Made

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The Watches

Maurice Lacroix Bronzes its Aikon Automatic

Maurice Lacroix adds a bronze-cased model to its best-selling Aikon collection with the new Aikon Automatic Bronze.

The new Maurice Lacroix Aikon Automatic Bronze.

Paired with a new brown fumé pattern gradient dial, the watch comes nearly six years after the previous automatic Aikon in bronze, which sported a dark blue patterned dial with Arabic numerals.

This latest example, which Maurice Lacroix issues as a limited region of 888 pieces, matches the bronze hue with a dressier ‘smoked chocolate’ dial.

The elegant Clous de Paris pattern is set with a brown hue that gradually darkens toward the edges. Thin stick indexes in gold also set a more sartorial tone to the watch, as do the gold hands.

Maurice Lacroix adds a few details to the watch’s 42mm case that enhance its dressy appeal, including a brushed bronze finish and sandblasted ‘riders’ on the bezel, meant to add a sense of depth to the moderately sized 11mm thick case.

Maurice Lacroix fits the new Aikon Automatic Bronze with a Sellita automatic movement, which is manufactured to Maurice Lacroix’s specifications to create the Automatic ML135 caliber. These newer specs include rhodium-plated components with snailing and perlage circular graining finishes. The rotor is visible through the open caseback and is fit with the Maurice Lacroix logo.

Finally, Maurice Lacroix attaches the watch to an integrated vintage brown leather strap embellished with the brand’s M logo in 4N gold. An EasyStrap system allows the wearer to swap straps as desired without the need for a special tool.

Price: $2,550.

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The Watches

Omega Celebrates Paris Olympics

As the official timer to the Olympic Games in Paris 2024 this summer, Omega launches a celebratory watch, the Speedmaster Chronoscope Paris 2024, with a vintage 1940s ‘snail’ dial design that displays a tachymeter scale, a pulsometer scale and a telemeter scale.

The new Omega Speedmaster Chronoscope Paris 2024

With its white opaline dial and black, grey and gold accents, the watch oozes retro appeal while also hosting a full slate of modern technical updates within its contemporary 43mm case.

The watch is also available with a Moonshine Gold case and bracelet and a ceramic bezel.

The updated size fits a technically astute Omega Co-Axial Master Chronometer Calibre 9908 / 9909, certified by METAS, which marks it as meeting high Swiss standards of precision, performance, and magnetic resistance.

Omega is offering the new watch in four models. These include a version in full stainless steel with an anodized aluminum bezel and one cased in Omega’s own gold 18-karat yellow gold alloy known as Moonshine Gold with a ceramic bezel.

The steel model is also sold on a leather strap while the gold model is available on gold bracelet or a leather strap.

Each dial offers blackened sub-dials, Arabic numerals in Moonshine Gold and leaf-shaped, gold-coated hands and subdial hands.

On the back, Omega adds a commemorative design featuring a stamped medallion on a frosted base that displays a mirror-polished Paris 2024 logo and the words, “Paris 2024” and the Olympic rings.

Prices: $9,500 (steel with aluminum bezel on leather) to $51,400 (Moonshine gold case, ceramic bezel and gold bracelet).

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