Elite Traveler Fall 2023

INSPIRE

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Skeletons Carving away metal fr om watch components to skeletonize, or open up, the movement is no easy feat, but yields classical to futuristic styles

JAQUET DROZ TOURBILLON SKELET SAPPHIRE Jaquet Droz is o ff ering something very special with this sapphire tourbillon skeleton watch: the ability to customize it. So many components — from hour markers to hours, minute and second rings; hands; crown; precious stone markers; and even the color of the logo — can be customized. Jaquet Droz even o ff ers three new colors of sapphire (in addition to transparent): blue, green and yellow. There are more than a million possible con fi gurations for the 42mm self winding sapphire cased watch; all house the superbly complicated Jaquet Droz skeletonized tourbillon movement witho ff -center hours and minute dial at 6 o’clock. Price varies based on customization, jaquet-droz.com

ZENITH DEFY

SKYLINE SKELETON

This year Swiss brand Zenith o ff ered up its most elaborate skeleton to date — one with a bold and contemporary spirit. Part of its Skyline skeleton series, technology in the El Primero 3620 SK automatic high-frequency movement. This is the world’s only skeleton to feature a 1/10th of a second constantly running indicator at 6 o’clock. The movement is also fi ttedwitha stop-second mechanism that allows for precise timing down to the second. $11,000, zenith-watches.com this new watch is a play on the openwork star shape, color and

BOVET 1822 VIRTUOSO XI The fi rst fully skeletonized timepiece the house of Bovet has ever made, the newest Virtuoso XI is completely hand- fi nished and hand-engraved — in every component and on both sides. The master watchmakers and artisans at Bovet carved away as much metal as possible without compromising the strength of the components themselves. They then spent dozens of hours fi nishing the parts on both sides with a classical pattern — Bovet’s own Fleurisanne motif. Both sides of the fl ying tourbillon movement are visible thanks to transparent sapphires. This version in 18-karat white gold is set with brilliant-cut diamonds on the case. Approx. $412,000, bovet.com