Elite Traveler Fall 2019

INSPIRE TOP WATCHES

VAN CLEEF & ARPELS Lady Arpels Zodiac Lumineux Pisces

MB&F LegacyMachine FlyingT For the first time since MB&F’s founding in 2005, the independent Swiss brand has created a women’s watch. In true MB&F style, the Legacy Machine FlyingT is a three-dimensional work of art and a true technical feat. The 280-part movement is built in a vertically stacked manner, so it looks like a tower reaching high above the mainplate. To contain the tall movement, the sapphire crystal is highly domed, an unusual shape. At the top of the vertical movement is the highlight of the watch: a 60-second central flying tourbillon that is constantly in motion and is topped with a faceted diamond that rotates with the cage. The watch is devoid of the typical dial an d features; instead, a small, angled dial appears at 7 o’clock and is visible only to the wearer. The high-jewelry version is set with 8.2 carats of baguette-cut diamonds that appear on the mainplate, case and lugs. $315,000 in 18K white gold, Stephen Silver Boutique inMenlo Park, California, +1 650 292 0612, mbandf.com Van Cleef & Arpels is a master at the creation of artistic timepieces, especially those inspired by zodiac signs and astronomy. The newest collection of Lady Arpels Zodiac Lumineux watches is part of the brand’s Poetic Complications series, and they feature hand-painted and gemstone-set interpretations of each zodiac sign. The stars are painted with luminous materials so they twinkle on demand via a push piece at 8 o’clock. The 38mm Pisces model shows two swimming fish painted in shades of translucent blue and turquoise enamel against a dark, ocean-blue background. The fish are set with diamonds and blue sapphires for eyes. The case and case-to-bracelet attachments also boast brilliant-cut diamonds; the watch features nearly 6.7 carats of diamonds. Within, a complex self-winding movement with an on-demand, light-up animation module powers the watch. $145,000 in 18K white gold, Van Cleef & Arpels in Miami Design District, +1 877 826 2533, vancleefarpels.com

AUDEMARS PIGUET Haute Joaillerie Sapphire Orbe

Few brands can surpass Audemars Piguet’s over-the-top, high-jewelry masterpieces. This year’s Haute Joaillerie Sapphire Orbe once again surprises and delights with its incredible shape and extensive gem setting, which takes more than 1,050 hours to complete. The watch's name, Orbe, is for the river that runs through Le Brassus, Switzerland, Audemars Piguet’s hometown. The Sapphire Orbe takes the shape of a teardrop that sits sideways on the wrist, and it is meticulously set with more than 12,000 diamonds and blue sapphires. The blue and orange sapphires appear in six graded shades and 20 different sizes, creating a water-like effect. The dial is nestled in the right third of the timepiece, protected by a domed sapphire crystal and set with orange sapphires. From the dial, five elliptically shaped layers of sapphires edged in diamonds fan out to form the work of art. $904,000 in 18K white gold, Audemars Piguet in New York, +1 212 688 6644, audemarspiguet.com