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Limited Edition...
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OFF
THE BEATEN TRACK..
In an age where you’ve got the time popping out of cell phones,
billboards, dashboards and lap tops, exclusive limited edition watches
have become even more precious and the thrill of owning one has never
been so exhilarating, reckons
SHEREE GOMES-GUPTA.. |
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Date: September 12,
2004
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If you want
just the time, you’ve got loads of options, but if innovative designs,
state-of-the-art mechanics and exclusivity are what set your senses
ticking, then limited edition watches should definitely be high on
your wish list. The appeal for these timeless classics has been increasing
and watchmakers all over have realized this trend, manufacturing exquisite
watches in small numbers practically every year to give collectors
the opportunity to buy unique pieces.
One of the hottest selling limited editions launched this year is
Harry Winston’s Opus 4. Created by the master of the chiming watch
Christophe Claret, this classy timepiece is a completely reversible
minute-repeater striking on ‘cathedral’ gongs. One face - the technical
side - reveals a tourbillon. The other romantic face has a large moon-phase
indication with a date. The movement, which reverses the direction
of the hands of each face, is housed in a platinum, water-resistant
(30m) case, signed by Harry Winston. It comprises of 423 parts, including
40 jewels, and has a power reserve of 53 hours.
 According
to Ronald Winston, Chairman and CEO of Harry Winston, Opus 4 marks
the return to a watch of a more traditional aspect. “It chimes with
the perfect tones - the unmistakable ring of beautiful watch craft,”
he states. This unique timepiece is available in a limited edition
of 18 platinum watches plus two jewellery pieces, which are set with
Harry Winston diamonds - one with princess-cut stones and the other
in baguette diamonds.
At Basel this year, Harry Winston also launched a new watch collection
of the first complicated model in Project Z1. “It is a watch of finesse
and force, Infact, very Harry Winston. A new way of combining elegance
with action. I’ve been wearing a prototype for two years and I like
its strength and lightness. It’s sure to find its place in the imagination
of watch enthusiasts and collectors all over the world,” informs Ronald
Winston. The high-tech sports watch features’ three world’s firsts
- an automatic chronograph with three off center retrograde indications,
a radically different design and a totally new material (Zalium) in
watchmaking. Connoisseurs will be interested to know that only 100
pieces of Z1 are being crafted, making it rare and hence, extremely
valuable.
Avenue C Chronograph in 18-karat white gold with 172 white diamonds
adorning the bezel, the sides of the case and the crown is another
collectible from this renowned watchmaker. The watch is worn on a
hand-stitched crocodile leather strap whose buckle in 18-karat white
gold is set throughout with 60 white diamonds. This Rare Timepiece
brand is available at the Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai and Maurya Sheraton
Hotel in Delhi.
Baselworld 2004 also saw many other high-end brands showcasing special
editions. Master Swiss watchmakers Corum introduced the Bubble Dive
Bomber in honour of the ‘Flying Tigers,’ an American volunteer group,
which is also a legendary combat group in aviation history. Available
as an automatic and automatic chronograph with either of two executions,
the shark’s mouth or the tiger, it is priced at Rs. 183,000 and Rs.
237,000 respectively. The dial images are amazingly magnified as a
result of the model’s signature domed-sapphire crystal. A red-tipped
propeller serves as a sweep second hand. The unidirectional bezel
and the stylized military leather strap on composite material complete
the effect.
“Corum has become a symbol of cult watchmaking. The avant-garde designs
are a treasure trove of marvels and curiosities sought after by connoisseurs
and collectors world over. Quality, innovation, exclusivity, prestige,
sophistication and spontaneity are the Corum’s guiding principles,”
says Mr. Sunil Grover, Regional Marketing and Sales Manager, Indian
Subcontinent, Corum, while explaining the success of the company’s
special editions.
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Corum also has classical limited editions. There’s the ‘Chevaliers
de Monfort,’ which pays homage to knights of middle ages. It has
a miniature hand-painted dial encased in 18 karat gold. Each piece,
numbered, is unique in its overall execution. Another magnificent
classical edition is the Pearl Dragon. The mother-of-pearl dial
undergoes six stages of engraving combined with several repeated
hand polishing. Using a very fine brush under a magnifying glass,
the royal dragon with clouds swirling in the background is painstakingly
hand colored to give each dial exclusive character. The artwork
is lacquered and hardened. Set in 18 karat gold and surrounded by
more than two karats of diamonds only 50 pieces are be available
worldwide.
And if you are ready to face your demons, then a must-buy is Corum’s
Bubble Lucifer. Introduced in a limited edition of 666 Automatics
and 666 Chronographs, the design reflects the devlish ways of the
world today. According to the brand’s die-hard loyalists, Bubble
Lucifer is irresistible prey for collectors who have signed a pact
with the imaginative and daring creations of Corum’s ‘Collector’
series.
If you do invest in Corum’s special editions, you will be joining
some of its high-profile wearers including sports’ icons Venus Williams,
Flavio Biatore, actors Ben Affleck, Anthony Hopkins, Jada Pinkett-Smith,
Sharon Stone, socialite Ivana Trump, Popstar Janet Jackson and ex-mayor
of New York Rudy Giuliani. In India, Corum Watches are available
at Dia, Taj Hotel, Time Avenue, The Rose, Time Avenue and Palazzio,
Crossroads in Mumbai, Johnson’s Watch Company, Connaught Place and
Kapoor Watch Company, South Extension - I in Delhi, Time in Style
in Hyderabad, the Helvetica, Swiss Watch Boutique in Chennai and
Exclusive Lines in Kolkata.
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