Elite Traveler Fall 2021

INSPIRE TOP WATCHES

AUDEMARS PIGUET

ROYAL OAK BLACK PANTHER FLYING TOURBILLON

This year the venerable brand Audemars Piguet threw an unexpected curveball — and it was a home run. The innovative twist in time: the Royal Oak Marvel watch. The original Royal Oak Concept Black Panther, introduced earlier in the year, was a one-of-a-kind that was auctioned during its introduction to raise money for charity. The watch boasted an engraved and sculpted three-dimensional Black Panther sculpture (with purple accents) atop the mainplate and above the tourbillon escapement. The response was so incredible that Audemars Piguet created a second edition with a slightly different version of the Black Panther (without purple on the suit). Working with Marvel Entertainment, Audemars Piguet pays tribute to the hero with this 250-piece, 42mm Royal Oak Black Panther Flying Tourbillon edition. Crafted in titanium and black ceramic, it boasts a constantly moving tourbillon escapement at 6 o’clock thanks to the mechanical hand-wound Caliber 2965. Audemars Piguet had to develop new tools to create and assemble the 18-karat gold superhero on the movement. The character’s suit is laser-carved and the rest of the details are hand-carved by an engraver. A purple dial flange for the hours indication and a matching purple rubber strap complete the futuristic look. Approx. $162,000, available at Audemars Piguet in New York, +1 212 688 6644, audemarspiguet.com

IWC BIG PILOT’S

WATCH SHOCK ABSORBER XPL

Long known as a pioneering brand in the world of aviation, IWC Schaffhausen went above and beyond the call of robustness and precision in its newest Big Pilot’s Shock Absorber watch. Designed to withstand incredible shocks, the watch houses a number of important IWC developments. It is the first timepiece to incorporate IWC’s patented new shock absorber system that was more than eight years in the making. The Sprin-g Protect system is made using Bulk Metallic Glass (BMG) for the cantilever spring, which protects the movement against g-forces. It has been tested by an outside laboratory and withstood accelerations in excess of a whopping 30,000g. The XPL (which stands for experimental) watch is made of the brand’s proprietary Ceratanium® alloy that is light and rugged, and that possesses the same hardness and scratch resistance as ceramic. Even the IWC manufacture caliber 32115 movement is custom-made using lightweight components made from materials such as high-tech aluminium alloys. A unique crown system allows the movement to shift independently of the case when exposed to shocks. Because the XPL is so challenging and complex to make, its annual production will be limited to 10 pieces a year. $83,600, available at IWC boutiques worldwide, iwc.com