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It’s The Write Time. By The Numbers.

Read more articles on Jewelry and watches.

October 27, 2007

About This Editor: I am a writer. Have been writing for other sites, but expect to do most of my future work HERE! My expertise extends from the esoteric such as burning hydrogen to the unpredictability of the stock market and my writing makes me a jack of all trades and exasperated master of none. I have had some influence over national wildfire and water policy and there are hints of a change in energy policy, BUT as Samuel Goldwyn once said, "A verbal promise is not worth the paper it is written on."

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Christmas is a good time to give a luxury time piece as a gift so most of the better known Swiss watch makers have begun advertising their wares.

This season has several distinctive stylistic emphases ranging from creative numbering to multiple time zones.

Audemars Piguet is leading the way with two distinctive models featuring interlocking subdials with, on the one hand, growing numerals from 12 to 3 shrinking back to 6 with the second subdial starting at VII and growing to IX and shrinking back to XI. The other has an interlocking subdial with growing, shrinking Roman numerals from I to XII and an outer dial starting at 05 and ending at 60 for those who like some diversity in their hours and minutes. As a counterpoint, the Monblanc Ministar features four large flowing integers, 3, 6, 9, and 12, dominating the dial, for people who like to see the big picture. Ulysse Nardin uses Roman numerals but dispenses with the III and IX by replacing them with two prominent subdials. Graham uses markers with big 12 6 at opposite ends and two subdials for 3 and 9. Breitling goes them one better with three subdials replacing the 3, 6, 9 and markers for the other hours of the day. Movado uses markers, its distinctive dot and subdials where 2, 6 and 10 should be. So does Chopard, but, of course, Chopard features floating diamonds and a ring of the white crystals adorning the bezel. Then there is always the Museum Movado with only its famous silver dot as a marker.

Not to be outdone, Rado’s Sintra Jubile uses diamonds as the crucial 3, 6, 9, 12 markers with the True White Pure Jubile having only a date marker in place of the traditional 6. Jacob & Co.’s Manhattan dispenses with numbers, except for 12, and replaces them with skyscrapers.

Then there is Patek Philippe’s Aquanaut Luce watch with an inner ring of numerals and an outer ring of markers and, of course, wouldn’t you know, diamonds on the bezel. Chanel goes to another direction by using two concentric rings, the inner numbered 1 to 12 and the outer 2 to 24. The Chanel J12 uses rubies to mark the dial and bezel and Bedat & Co. does it differently starting with Roman numerals I, II, going on to the Arabic 3, 4 and returning to Roman V, VII and so on.

Finally, Ikepod tries to create an optical illusion with no markings and Girard-Perregaux seems to believe people would like to play the slots at their convenience so their model imitates the look of a one armed bandit.