High-quality materials, exquisite craftsmanship, complex mechanical movements, brand reputation and heritage, plus exclusivity are some the factors that help define men’s luxury watches.
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Ultimately, the biggest paradox of a timepiece is that they’re able to capture infinity with finite materials. These three newest timepiece releases embody this concept not just as a reflection of time past, but of the current spirit of the present age.
Men’s luxury watches: Ulysse Nardin X The Ocean Race: The Ocean Race Diver Chronograph
Ulysse Nardin has launched the first collection made-of-sustainable materials. As the Official Timing Partner and Time to Act Partner of The Ocean Race, the brand is using old materials to create something completely new. This partnership measures time for both the competition and for creating a program that supports strong ecological changes by 2030.
Made of 60% polyamide recycled from nets and 40% carbonium, The Ocean Race Diver Chronograph is the byproduct of modern craftsmanship and repurposed materials. The cyclicality of using old fishing nets to make this limited-edition timepiece represents both collaborators’ passion for the sea
It’s powered by the Ulysse Nardin Manufacture Chronograph Caliber UN-150 that consists of 318 components and a silicon escape wheel. The complex movement juxtaposes the simple plea to protect the oceans represented by the ocean blue and black sandblasted dial.
The Omega Seamaster Aqua Terra Worldtimer 2023
Since 2017, Omega has released several iterations of their Seamaster Aqua Terra Worldtimer as a natural evolution of onward and upward. Their latest release is the most complicated of their casually utilitarian collection. It has the same wow factor a billionaire can give simple clothes. Without intense reinvention, Omega has entirely rebranded the collection with more daring, contrarian references.
Their launch of three new 43mm models explores sportier terrain with stainless steel options combined with green ceramic of monochromatic titanium. The hand-crafted enamel world map emphasized the Terra in Aqua Terra and adds a bon vivant twist to the otherwise pragmatic watch.
The three models share the same base specs of the signature Omega case with twisted lugs, conical crown, asymmetrical shape, and wide bezel. The trio is powered with the in-house calibre 8938 automatic movements with 2 barrels and a 60-hour power reserve.
Lightweight materials meet monochrome simplicity
The steel and ceramic green ceramic models are more explorative with bolder green accents. The first features a brushed and polished green ceramic bezel and doubly green dial. The second features the quintessential Aqua Terra striped pattern as a teak deck with hands and indexes made in 18K Moonshine Gold.
The Titanium Worldtimer combines Omega’s historical complication with technical lightweight materials and monochrome simplicity. Its impressive dial is made entirely by laser ablation over titanium which contradicts the matte surfaces with 3D-like mentions on the dial. The hands and markers are blackened and the cities are rendered in white with laser technology to give the black-and-white theme a sense of esoteric excitement.
Men’s luxury watches: Chopard Alpine Eagle 41 XPS
How can something remain an icon while also pushing and playing with the boundaries? Ask Chopard. The rise and rise of the family-owned Swiss watchmakers have cemented them as the final word of luxury watchmaking. Every Chopard timepiece is a reminder of the human need to insert beauty into the utilitarian.
Chopard seeks to invent based on need and seeks to beautify based on desire. The Alpine Eagle (pictured above), the descendent of their 1980s St. Moritz watch, is the first time in watchmaking history that three generations directly collaborate to prove that with the progression of time comes the progression of product.
Exuding elegance
Completely juxtaposing the heart of Chopard, the Alpine Eagle somehow seems to fit right in. This stainless steel watch exudes elegance without a single diamond in sight. The textured brass-base dial of the Alpine Eagle 41 XPS is inspired by the eagle’s iris, as focused as Chopard’s design language.
The gold hands are enhanced with Grade X1 Super-LumiNova, 60% more luminous than the original kind. The colour, named Monte Rosa Pink, pays homage to the natural shades found in the Alpine landscapes
The modern technicality of the slim 41mm case is only 8mm thick due to a new automatic movement of only 3.3mm in height. The transparent sapphire crystal case back exposes the L.U.C 96.40-L movement that beats at 28,800 vibrations per hour (4 Hz) and guarantees 65 hours of power reserve.
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Margo Vartanian is a bicoastal freelance writer between Toronto and Los Angeles, always in journalistic pursuit. She studied English Literature, Rhetoric, and Media at the University of Toronto while holding congruent internships at Narcity and StyleDemocracy. Post-grad, she worked as the social media manager of multiple companies before fully freelancing. She now develops written content strategies for various luxury and corporate brands and directs website copy. Her admiration for fashion stems from her interest in fusing the creative with the functional and mimics the concept of utilitarian frivolity through her written approach.
