Elite Traveler Fall 2021

Time twists Adding a twist to the norm results in imaginative advances

etr li at ve eler FALL 2021 91

MONTBLANC 1858 SPLIT-SECOND CHRONOGRAPH LIMITED EDITION

Generally, we don’t cover watches that are a new edition of an existing timepiece in the Top Watches feature. But this one warranted coverage for a couple of reasons, not the least of which is the material. For more than a year, the experts at Montblanc worked with a collaborative team to create a new color of gold for what is only the third limited-edition collection of this 1858 Split-Second Chronograph. The new Lime Gold is created using an alloy of 18-karat gold, silver and iron, which gives the distinctive color. Because the gold has such a vintage look to it, it made sense to use it first in the complex Split-Second Chronograph that is inspired by a watch from the Minerva archives. The inherent concept in this watch is to marry the Montblanc and Minerva watchmaking know-how for a contemporary yet traditional appeal. Additionally, Montblanc opted to use Super-LumiNova for the numerals in a bold green color that matches the scheme of the watch. Even the telemeter scale and minute track are in green. The snail- shaped chronograph counter in the center of the watch is also in matching green. Just 18 pieces will be made. $50,000, available at Montblanc in New York, +1 212 223 8888, montblanc.com

LOUIS VUITTON TAMBOUR MOON

FLYING TOURBILLON POINÇON DE GENÈVE SAPPHIRE While sapphire cases are not new, they are a fairly recent development made possible thanks to manufacturing and milling technical advances. Today, just a handful of high-end luxury brands turn to sapphire for their cases because of the time and difficulty involved in their making. Louis Vuitton does so with the new Tambour Moon Flying Tourbillon Sapphire watch that is offered in blue, pink or clear sapphire. It takes more than 400 hours of milling with a diamond grinding wheel to create the case middle, back and sapphire bridge that features the LV initials. This introduction marks the first time that a sapphire-cased watch receives the Poinçon de Genève (Hallmark of Geneva) certification. The Geneva Seal, as it is also known, attests to the top-level craftsmanship and finishing executed on a watch movement; just a small number of top brands are awarded this certification. The skeletonized 160-part movement inside, caliber LV 90, is meticulously built and finished in the La Fabrique du Temps Louis Vuitton workshops. The mechanical manual-wind movement boasts a flying tourbillon escapement whose cage is formed in the Louis Vuitton Monogram flower. The horns of the case are crafted in 950 platinum or 18-karat pink gold, depending on the model. $458,000, available at Louis Vuitton in New York, +1 212 758 8877, louisvuitton.com