Page 114 - Sharp Winter 2023

YEAR OF THE ICONS
DEPTH, TONE, AND COLOUR BREATHE NEW LIFE INTO THESE HOROLOGICAL LEGENDS
By Justin Mastine-Frost
ANNIVERSARIES AND OTHERWISE SIGNIFICANT
celebrations areusually well separated in the watch world, yet 2022 proved to be a big year for the celebration, reissue, and redesign of watches we’ve long known and loved. In some cases — the 50th anniversary of the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, for example — it was safe to expect plenty of fanfare and grand unveilings. Meanwhile, the arrival of the Omega Speedmaster Chrono Chime caught the entire industry off-guard.
It’s hard to remember a time when so many of the industry’s iconic timepieces received as much attention in a single year — either way, we’re not mad about it. Each of these five models have a histo- ry of being difficult to acquire, so any kind of expansion of stock is a good thing. Whether through the addition of new complications, improvements in performance and specifications, or an entirely new reference, each of these watches tips a hat to its legacy, all while satisfying the demands of present-day collectors and enthusiasts.
Rolex Oyster Perpetual Deepsea Challenge $30,750
SHARP WATCH
In 2012, a Rolex Deepsea Challenge experimental watch accompanied James Cameron to the bottom of the Mariana Trench during his historic solo descent, marking the second time a purpose-built Rolex ventured to the deepest part of the world’s oceans. At the time, it was assumed this was simply the brand showing off its R&D capabilities, but a production version of said watch appeared out of the blue in early November to commemorate the dive’s 10-year anniversary.
We’ve seen the occasional surprise from Rolex over the years, including the left-handed GMT-Master II featured in our Best Of list in this issue, but the arrival of the new Deepsea Challenge is about as big as they come. 50 mm in diameter, capable of withstanding the pressures incurred from diving to the bottom of the Mariana Trench (11,000 metres), what was once the kind of thing merely reserved for “technical showcase” prototypes is now a full-fledged production model. What’s more, this is the first watch that Rolex has ever released in RLX — the brand’s proprietary grade 5 titanium alloy — and there’s already ample speculation about whether we’ll see more titanium Rolex references in 2023.
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Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Selfwinding Flying Tourbillion
Price on request
2022 marked the 50th anniversary of the Royal Oak, and as one might expect, narrowing down the releases to a single hit wasn’t especially easy. You’ll learn more about another reference in the subsequent pages, however it was the 26730TI that carried the correct tune for the topic at hand. Why, might you ask?
This Royal Oak Selfwinding Flying Tourbillon is not the most complex Royal Oak release of the year, nor is it the most representative of the model’s first reference from 1972. Birthdays are meant to be fun, playful even. They are a celebration of how far you’ve come, as well as a moment to look out at the world ahead. The titanium case of this reference brings with it an air of modernity, while its smoked blue-green Grande Tapisserie pattern dial brings a brightness and whimsy that its anniversary celebration deserves. Limited to only 50 pieces globally, this is exactly the reference we would recommend for someone eyeing an iconic Royal Oak that’s a little less conventional.