In honor of Earth Day, luxury fashion house Salvatore Ferragamo (MILAN:SFER.MI -0.80%) unveils the reworking of its classic F-80 Skeleton timepiece through innovative and eco-friendly materials.
Arriving in an elegant black satin casing with the automatic movement made visible through its transparent caseback, it’s the signature skeleton dial that possesses the Florentine-based brand’s trademark double Gancini symbol.
Keeping in line with its commitment to utilize lower environmentally impactful materials, the main focus is the watch’s strap. Constructed using responsibly sourced materials, the inside is crafted from a thin layer of cork and the outside of post-consumer recycled PET fiber fabric, even its hole covers are made of vegetable-tanned leather. Following suit, the watch is presented in responsible packaging — the outer box is comprised of recyclable cardboard whilst the wood and metal protective shell is lined internally with hemp and externally in the post-consumer recycled PET fiber. Rounding off the unique experience, the limited-edition timepiece is supported by a cushion made from bioplastic materials obtained naturally from sugar cane.
The climate impact of the complete construction of the latest F-80 Skeleton is measured in line with international standards. To make this particular model carbon-neutral, Salvatore Ferragamo has partnered with the non-profit organization Rete Clima to obtain the necessary carbon offsets. In turn, the brand will support the Burgos Wind Project — the largest wind farm in the Philippines in an effort to establish economic opportunities in local communities as well as reducing environmental impact.
Green and blue iterations of Salvatore Ferragamo’s F-80 Skeleton are available and limited to only 400 units. You can find out more information on its latest initiative and purchase the progressive watch from Salvatore Ferragamo’s stores, authorized retailers, and online.
UNDONE and Simple Union are back with a third collaboration in a series celebrating the “Japanese ideology of impermanence and imperfection,” known as Wabi-Sabi.
UNDONE and Simple Union first collaborated in 2019, while their second, 300-piece watch project last year sold out in just 48 hours.
The project has resulted in UNDONE x Simple Union: Sometsuke, a 300-piece limited edition focusing on the Japanese porcelain craft of blue painted designs on a white background.
Sometsuke’s white “porcelain-looking dial” has been achieved by polishing a painted cold enamel surface to a glossy finish and is completed with UNDONE’s own take on the California Dial layout, the Kyoto Dial, which is a mix of blue batons, Arabic numerals and Kanji calligraphy indices, here also featuring with the Simple Union logo at the 12 o’clock position.
The watch also references the Kintsugi craft of repairing broken objects, usually porcelain, with gold by “splitting” the dial to reveal its golden skeleton automatic movement beneath.
Not finished there, the watch is paired with indigo, quick release watch straps made from unique pieces of antique Katazome-dyed fabric, which are 150-year-old or more, from Simple Union’s own collection. The random nature of the collection means that no two straps will be the same.
A second, unlimited piece called UNDONE Urushi, is being released alongside as a companion piece and is inspired by the traditional Japanese lacquerware.
Here UNDONE imitates the Urushi technique of Maki-e, which sees precious metal flecks set in Urushi lacquer. As with the Sometsuke watch, UNDONE seeks to achieve the finished look, rather than the technique itself to allow them sell the pieces at a certain price point.
UNDONE x Simple Union: Sometsuke uses a Seiko TMI NH71 automatic movement with 41-hour power reserve and -20/+40 seconds per day accuracy while the UNDONE: Urushi uses a Seiko NH35A automatic with 42-hour power reserve and +/-15 seconds a day accuracy.
UNDONE x Simple Union: Sometsuke is limited to 300 pieces and priced $488 USD while the UNDONE: Urushi is priced $445 USD. Both are available via UNDONE.
Sotheby’s once again proves that the popularity of the platinum Rolex Daytona is here to stay. Following in the footsteps of the rare lapis lazuli Daytona that sold last year for a record-breaking $3.27 million USD, this particular ref. 16516 features a unique turquoise hardstone lacquer dial and fetched $3.1 million USD last week.
Powered by a Zenith movement calibre 4030, this Daytona was manufactured in 1998 and is often found with coral hardstone. There are said to only be two known examples of the turquoise dial version. Originally estimated to sell for between $512,800 – $1,025,600 USD, this platinum Daytona exceeded all expectations and sold six times over its pre-sale low estimate.
Following up with the Closer Look at this year’s Rolex releases, we now take a look at its sister watch brand, Tudor.
This year’s Watches and Wonders saw big changes as well as small tweaks to the mainstay models — the Black Bay Fifty-Eight, the Tudor Black Bay 32, 36 and 41, and the Tudor Black Bay Chrono (relaunch). Starting with the Black Bay Chrono, not only has Tudor released dial colors in the timeless “Panda” combination, but the entire case has been slimmed down from its 2017 version. Although still considerably chunky, this robust design is in line with the sports watch’s heritage, and perhaps, moves us closer to see a Big Block reissue in the coming years. Priced at just over $5,000 USD there’s a lot of value in this timeless, in-house movement-powered chrono.
The biggest update came to the Black Bay Fifty-Eight line where precious metals came out to play. One of the more unusual but delightful surprises was Tudors all-silver case update for the Fifty-Eight. 925 silver was chosen as the material of choice for a 39mm case with a display back, and while silver is softer than stainless steel, it does have its benefits as being a lighter metal — not to mention you don’t often see a silver dive watch. Matched with a matte gray bezel and dial combo that’s slightly faded, this one is a real looker… if you can tolerate the scratches. On top of 925 silver, the watch also has been remade in an 18K gold version with a lucky green dial and bezel combo. Depending on the lighting, this watch goes from vivid emerald to an almost dark Sacramento Green.
The Tudor Black Bay 32, 36 and 41 now all come in an all-new silver dial. This subtle tweak blends the dial with the polished bezel for a nuanced look. This Tudor-equivalent to the Rolex Explorer just got a little more understated and is for those looking for a subtle tool watch.
No comments:
Post a Comment