Before Geneva, there’s Singapore. Now in its fourth year, LVMH Watch Week represents the beginning of the horological calendar, before watch aficionados and industry insiders turn their eyes to Watches and Wonders. Now in its fourth year, LVMH Watch Week — despite the name — runs across three days from the 10th to the 12th of January, 2023. The event sees brands within the LVMH stable showcase their novelties and innovations, with exhibiting watch brands and manufactures comprising Bulgari, Hublot, TAG Heuer, and Zenith.
From Hublot’s out-of-this-world choice of materials and Bulgari’s fusion of watchmaking and jewellery to Zenith’s singular skeletonised Skyline and a solar-powered take on a TAG Heuer classic, these are the best releases of LVMH Watch Week 2023.
Hublot Big Bang Tourbillon Automatic Saxem Yellow Neon
The space age meets horology in the Hublot Big Bang Tourbillon Automatic Saxem Yellow Neon; crafted from SAXEM (Sapphire, Aluminium oXide, and rare Earth Mineral), it’s an alloy that sees aluminium oxide and sapphire meet rare earth elements like lithium, holmium, and chromium to create an ultra-resistant and brilliant material. The resultant watch meets Hublot’s exacting standards of vibrant colour and translucency. Powered by the HUB6035 calibre, the watch also features a micro-rotor to avoid concealing the back of the movement. The entire calibre itself is skeletonised and visible through the translucent watch. At its heart, the tourbillon appears to be suspended in mid-air, with the skeletonisation of the movement freeing the timepiece from visual clutter. Equipped with a 72-hour power reserve, it’s completely weekend-proof and thoroughly contemporary.
Brand: Hublot
Model: Big Bang Tourbillon Automatic Saxem Yellow Neon
Case size: 44mm
Movement: HUB6035 Manufacture Automatic Tourbillon
Price: 200,000CHF (approx. $209,200AUD)
Hublot Big Bang Unico Sorai
Hublot has been supporting SORAI (Save Our Rhinos Africa India) since 2019, having released two limited-edition watches in partnership with the organisation. The Hublot Big Bang Unico Sorai continues the tradition, with a portion of the proceeds from the sale of the 100 limited-edition pieces going to SORAI. Sculpted from polished and microblasted rhino-grey ceramic, the Big Bang Unico Sorai features an openworked dial that plays host to numeral hour markers in the colours of the sunset. At its heart, the in-house Unico self-winding calibre keeps it beating, with a 72-hour power reserve. The Big Bang Unico Sorai is presented on a black, purple, and orange camouflage strap — mirroring the hues of sunset and sunrise — or a grey fabric and velcro strap.
Brand: Hublot
Model: Big Bang Unico Sorai
Case size: 44mm
Movement: MHUB1280 UNICO 2 Manufacture
Price: 22,900CHF (approx. $35,400AUD)
Hublot Classic Fusion Original
Hublot delves into the archives to revisit its most seminal designs. Designed by founder Carlo Crocco in 1980, the original Hublot watch did the unthinkable; combining both gold and rubber in a single design. Equal parts timeless and audacious, the first Hublot watch set the tone for the brand going forward. Now, the Hublot Classic Fusion Original pays homage to its predecessor, with echoes of Crocco’s original design present in the rubber strap, the polished black lacquered dial, and the use of yellow gold. The first-generation logo has been swapped for the current style, with the Hublot Classic Fusion Original keeping the best parts of the original and reinterpreting them in a slightly more contemporary fashion. In addition to yellow gold, it’s also available in titanium and ceramic, with case sizes of 42mm, 38mm, and 33mm.
Brand: Hublot
Model: Big Bang Classic Fusion Original
Case size: 42mm, 38mm, 33mm
Movement: MHUB1110 Self-winding (42mm & 38mm) or Quartz (33mm)
Price: 6,200-22,900CHF (approx. $9,600-35,400AUD)
Hublot Big Bang Integrated Rainbow & Big Bang Unico Time Only Rainbow
More is more when it comes to the new rainbow Big Bangs. The Hublot Big Bang Integrated Rainbow and Big Bang Unico Time Only Rainbow both take fun and folly seriously, combining haute horology with haute joaillerie. Both pieces are studded with an array of translucent gemstones, arranged in a perfect graduation of colours to form a rainbow effect. Rubies, amethysts, blue topazes, tsavorites, and coloured sapphires are set in the King Gold (which the brand claims “offers a warmer gold colour than traditional 18K 5N gold”), which is polished and satin-finished to great effect.
Brand: Hublot
Model: Big Bang Integrated Rainbow & Big Bang Unico Time Only Rainbow
Case size: 42mm & 40mm
Movement: MHUB1280 Unico Manufacture (Integrated Rainbow) & MHUB1710 Self-winding (Time Only Rainbow)
Price: 160,000CHF (approx. $247,000AUD) & 150,000CHF ($320,000AUD)
Hublot Big Bang Unico Cheval Blanc Randheli & Big Bang One Click Cheval Blanc Randheli
Celebrating its continued partnership with luxury resort Cheval Blanc Randheli, Hublot has introduced two limited-edition styles of the Bing Bang Unico and Big Bang One Click. Both styles combine Hublot’s distinct style and flair for mechanical innovation with the idyllic setting of the Maldivian hotel they’re named for. Both releases capture the vibrance of the location with a pop of yellow on the ceramic bezel representing the mesmerizing sun rays, while shades of taupe on the dial reflect the colours of the warm wooden decks.
Brand: Hublot
Model: Big Bang Unico Cheval Blanc Randheli & Big Bang One Click Cheval Blanc Randheli
Case size: 42mm & 39mm
Movement: MHUB1280 Unico Manufacture
Price: 22,500CHF (approx. $35,000AUD) & 15,500CHF ($24,000AUD)
Zenith Defy Skyline 36mm
A Defy Skyline for smaller wrists. Zenith has introduced 36mm versions of the striking Defy Skyline, retaining the angular form of the original while broadening the target market. The mid-size Zenith Defy Skyline comes in three dial colours — the first being the same metallic deep blue found on the original, as well as two new pastel hues. The pastel shades of pink and green have a metallic base that is polished before being satin-brushed, with rays of light emanating from the Zenith five-pointed star at the top of the dial. The geometric pattern on the dial consists of engraved four-pointed stars, a reimagining of the Zenith ‘double Z’ logo of the 1960s. Each variation is available with or without white diamonds on the bezel and is powered by the Elite 670 automatic manufacture movement which has a power reserve of 50 hours.
Brand: Zenith
Model: Defy Skyline 36mm
Case size: 36mm
Movement: Elite 670
Price: 8,400CHF (approx. $13,000AUD) & 11,900CHF ($18,400AUD)
Zenith Defy Skyline Skeleton
The Zenith Defy Skeleton Skyline lets the El Primero movement take centre stage. Not merely a skeletonised version of the classic Zenith Defy Skyline, the Defy Skyline Skeleton loses the date window and moves the 1/10th of a second subdial to 6 o’clock. From the geometric case to the dial and the movement itself, the Zenith Defy Skyline Skeleton is defined by architectural forms.
The dial takes the form of a four-pointed star— a nod to the Zenith ‘double Z’ logo of the 1960s — and showcases the skeleton movement, finished in either black or blue to match the dial. Notably, the 1/10th of a second counter is a feature unique to the latest generation of the El Primero automatic high-frequency calibre, and the first time this feature has been seen in a skeletonised watch.
Brand: Zenith
Model: Defy Skyline Skeleton
Case size: 41mm
Movement: El Primero 3620
Price: 10,900CHF ($17,000AUD)
Zenith Defy Skyline Boutique Edition
A boutique edition of the Swiss watchmaker’s hero range, the Zenith Defy Skyline Boutique Edition sees the signature angular case and dodecagonal bezel play host to an anthracite dial, engraved with an all-over rose gold motifs and set with rose gold hand and hour markers. It’s powered by the same El Primero 3620 calibre as the Defy Skyline Skeleton and featured a 1/10th of a second indicator at 9 o’clock. Understated yet elegant.
Brand: Zenith
Model: Defy Skyline Boutique Edition
Case size: 41mm
Movement: El Primero 3620
Price: 8,900CHF ($14,000AUD)
Zenith Defy Extreme Glacier
Designed for those unafraid to traverse the path less taken. The Zenith Defy Extreme Glacier is designed to withstand the harshest of conditions. A follow-up to the Defy Extreme Desert, the Defy Extreme Glacier turns the temperatures and caters to frozen barren landscapes. The case is crafted from titanium while the component that protects the pushers and the dodecagonal bezel is made of chalcedony, a crystalline semi-translucent stone with a pale blue hue; with the latter material evoking the glaciers.
The open dial of the Zenith Defy Extreme Flaciet reveals the inner workings of the remarkable El Primero 1/100th of a second high-frequency calibre, as well as its two regulating organs that control the chronograph and timekeeping. In keeping with the icy theme, the chronograph counters are composed of transparent sapphire crystal with a frosted finish.
Brand: Zenith
Model: Extreme Glacier
Case size: 45mm
Movement: El Primero 9004
Price: 25,900CHF ($40,000AUD)
TAG Heuer Carrera 60th Anniversary Edition
TAG Heuer revisits an iconic style six decades later. The limited-edition TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph 60th Anniversary celebrates Jack Heuer’s legacy with the genre-defining chronograph and features the ever-covetable ‘panda’ dial. The 39mm steel case is topped by a raised profile ‘glass box’ in sapphire crystal, with vintage pushers, beige lume, and a slimline tension ring on the dial’s outer edge lending the timepiece a retro aesthetic. In a surprising twist, the silver brushed sunray dial brings back the original Heuer logo, with the Carrera name above it. While its styling pays homage to the past, it’s heart is distinctly contemporary — flip over the case and you’ll see the Heuer 02 calibre at work, with the in-house movement boasting an 80-hour power reserve.
Brand: TAG Heuer
Model: Carrera 60th Anniversary
Case size: 39mm
Movement: Heuer 02
TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 200 Solargraph
A follow-up to the solar-powered Aquaracer that debuted at Watches & Wonders last year, the TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 200 Solargraph takes an adventure-oriented approach. Crafted from titanium, chosen for its lightness and durability, it represents the ultimate outdoor companion. The Solargraph movement means there’s no need to change the watch’s battery; two minutes of sun exposure is enough to power the watch for an entire day. If the timepiece stops ticking, it only requires a meagre ten seconds to get started again.
The efficient calibre TH50-00 was developed in partnership with the Manufacture La Joux-Perret in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland. The movement is developed and manufactured exclusively for TAG Heuer and comes with a five-year extended warranty to ensure peace of mind.
Brand: TAG Heuer
Model: Aquaracer Professional 200 Solargraph
Case size: 40mm
Movement: TH50-00 (solar)
Bulgari Diva’s Dream
It’s gemstones galore at Bulgari. The Diva’s Dream jewellery collection was first launched in 2016 and has been readily embraced by celebrities. The Bulgari Diva’s Dream sees eight of the signature fan-shaped motifs encircle a mother-of-pearl dial. Inspired by the golden age of Rome, the Bulgari Diva’s Dream ups the ante when it comes to glamour, with each fan interspersed with an oversized gemstone.
Brand: Bulgari
Model: Diva’s Dream
Case size: 33mm
Movement: Quartz
Bulgari Diva’s Dream Mosaica
The Bulgari Diva’s Dream Mosaica takes a different approach to the fan-shaped motif. Rather than literally stuck to the dial, the fan shapes are applied in an almost scale-like manner, recalling the design of the Serpenti Seddutori. Designed to hark back to the mosaics that adorn the Baths of Caracalla in Rome, a subtle sapphire gradient is seen throughout both iterations — pale pink to magenta on the rose gold version and sky blue to deep azure on the white gold. While most of Bulgari’s creations that fuse watchmaking and jewellery are powered by quartz movements, the Diva’s Dream Mosaica flips the switch, with the in-house automatic Caliber BVL 191 visible through the sapphire glass caseback. The slightly larger 37mm case size is necessary to accommodate the automatic movement.
Brand: Bulgari
Model: Diva’s Dream Mosaica
Case size: 37mm
Movement: BVL 191 Mechanical self-winding
Bulgari Allegra
A true cocktail watch, Bulgari Allegra features a veritable garden of floral-coloured gemstones (think citrine, tourmaline, peridot, and rhodolite), with irregular cuts and an asymmetrical design creating a vibrant and energetic effect. The mother-of-pearl dial is surrounded by a bezel of brilliant-cut gemstones which add to its unapologetic brilliance.
Brand: Bulgari
Model: Allegra
Case size: 36mm
Movement: Quartz
Bulgari Serpenti Tubogas Infinity
The Serpenti is undeniably Bulgari’s most recognisable watch. The Bulgari Serpenti Tubogas Infinity represents a constant metamorphosis, featuring gem-set diamonds that extend all the way from the dial to the end of the bracelet, creating an uninterrupted serpentine silhouette. The Bulgari Serpenti Tubogas Infinity is crafted from rose gold and has a case size of 35mm, with the option of either a single- or double-wrapped bracelet.
Brand: Bulgari
Model: Serpenti Tubogas Infinity
Case size: 35mm
Movement: Quartz
Words by T. Angel
