Elite Traveler September-October 2018

Sport watches are a vital component of the watch industry. Brands frequently use them to experiment with new concepts, materials, methods of timing, displays and added functions. This year, we are witnessing pioneering concepts come to life, particularly in land- and sea-related sports. Underwater, new watches can dive deeper than humans can, providing confidence to the diver and offering extreme reliability and precision. There are also new advancements in patented technology for helium- escape valves. On land, the association between watch brands and cars is growing steadily, and this affiliation is yielding exciting new designs and materials. Some are taking their cue from the automotive teams that build some of the fastest and most technically advanced race cars in the world, pairing watch designers with auto engineers. Working side by side, they are looking past traditional watchmaking to create new materials and designs never before seen in timepieces. LAND AND SEA MONTBLANC 1858POCKETWATCHLE100 Inspired by military watches and today’s active hikers, climbers and mountaineers, Montblanc focused on functional watches for outdoor use. The new 1858 Pocket Watch, created in a limited edition of just 100 pieces, is the standout player. This exceptional watch houses the Montblanc M16.24mechanical manual-wind movement influenced by a key Minerva caliber built in 1929. The 60mmwatch is equipped with a monopusher chronograph, pulsometer scale, 24-hour time display and built-in compass. The rich blue dial is made of dumortierite stone and features numbers, indexes and four compass points coated with Super-LumiNova for easy reading in the dark. Water resistant to 100 meters, it has an anti-reflective coating on both sides of the crystals. Crafted in titanium, and offering 50 hours of power reserve, the pocket watch is sold with a brown sfumato aged-calfskin strap. It has undergone 500 hours of testing and is certified by the Montblanc Laboratory Test 500. $48,000, available at Montblanc in NewYork, contact Jennifer Garippa, store manager, +1 212 223 8888, montblanc.com

OMEGA SEAMASTER DIVER 300M TITANIUM TANTALUM LIMITED EDITION This year marks the 25th anniversary of the legendary Omega Seamaster Diver 300Mwatch. To celebrate, Omega unveiled the new 42mm Seamaster Diver 300MTitanium Tantalum Limited Edition. Attesting to its durability and reliability, the watch houses the brand’s Co-Axial Master Chronometer Caliber 8806, which is officially certified by METAS (The Swiss Federal Institute of Metrology). It has a silicon balance spring and is magnetic resistant to 15,000 gauss. Omega totally redesigned the helium-escape valve in this watch, making it conical, and has developed and patented a technology that enables it to be operated underwater. Created with titanium, tantalum (as the base of the bezel and in the links on the patented screw-and-pin bracelet) and Omega’s proprietary 18K Sedna gold, the watch features a dial in polished ceramic with a wave pattern laser-engraved on it. The transparent caseback features the iconic seahorse medallion and the patented Omega Naiad Lock system. $13,000, available at Omega in NewYork, +1 212 207 3333, omegawatches.com