Roger Dubuis x Lamborghini

ROGER DUBUIS X LAMBORGHINI

Roger Dubuis x Lamborghini

Technically advanced, with the flashy aesthetics to match: This describes the products by Swiss watch brand Roger Dubuis as well as Italian sportscar marque Lamborghini – so it is hardly surprising that the two unapologetically alpha-male brands have come together in a partnership. A few months before this, Lamborghini had announced the end of its eight-year collaboration with Swiss watch brand Blancpain. Roger Dubuis is wasting no time in communicating its newly forged relationship with Lamborghini’s Squadra Corse – the latter’s motorsports division formed in 2013 – through its latest watch, the Excalibur Aventador S.

During the recent Formula One weekend in Singapore, the brand held a private preview of the sporty new timepiece variants, which are powered by a new skeletonised movement inspired by Lamborghini’s Aventador S engine, as well as its latest race car, the Huracan Super Trofeo Evo. The Duotor movement features two balance wheels instead of the usual one, which is supposed to improve its accuracy, but what really stand out are the X-shaped strut bars and bridges – design elements resembling that of an Aventador S engine. The watch also features jumping seconds, an uncommon mechanical-watch feature whereby the seconds hand advances in steps, as in a quartz watch. The Excalibur Aventador S comes in two variants – an 88-piece edition in a 45mm case made from multi-layered carbon with yellow accents; and an eight-piece limited edition housed in a 45mm case in C-SMC carbon, a material used in – what else? – Lamborghini cars.

Roger Dubuis x Lamborghini
FULL OF VERVE Bold mechanical statements can be expected from this new collaboration.

IWC X MERCEDES-AMG

IWC x Mercedes-AMG

As part of the recent overhaul of its technically driven Ingenieur range, IWC launched the Ingenieur Chronograph Sport Edition “50th anniversary of Mercedes-AMG”, a 250-piece special edition to mark the half-century milestone of the high-performance division of Mercedes-Benz. Just like the other new Ingenieur models, this watch is characterised by a dressier, vintage-inspired aesthetic instead of the blatantly high-tech styling of its recent predecessors. This doesn’t mean, however, that it isn’t technically sound. Housed in a 44.3mm titanium case, the flyback chronograph watch is powered by the efficient automatic Calibre 89361 that features an Ingenieur signature – an anti-magnetic soft-iron inner case.

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BREITLING X BENTLEY

Breitling x Bentley

At the Frankfurt Motor Show in September, Bentley unveiled the latest iteration of its Continental GT. To mark this new luxury ride, its horological partner Breitling announced the Bentley GT “Dark Sapphire” Edition, the latest addition to the Breitling for Bentley range. The automatic chronometer comes in a 48mm case crafted from Breitlight, a tough and light material exclusive to Breitling. The black case material is described as having a blue shimmer that evokes Bentley’s “Dark Sapphire” finish, although a more obvious aesthetic link is that between the diamond pattern on the watch dial and the quilted leather of the car interior.

BVLGARI X MASERATI

Bulgari x Maserati

At first sight, Bulgari’s latest Maserati co-branded timepieces could be confusing to read. Modelled after Maserati tachometers, the retrograde display on the two new models features single-digit numerals that reflect the minutes (in units of tens), rather than the hours. The hour, on the other hand, is displayed in the little circular window above Maserati’s Trident logo on the right. Choose from two new editions: the Gran Lusso, which features a pink gold case and a grey sunburst dial (pictured); or the Gran Sport, which is housed in a black DLC-coated steel case. Both models measure 41mm and are powered by the automatic Calibre BVL 262.

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