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Anders Modig Davin

Earlier this year, Audemars Piguet released the new collection Code 11.59, which at first glance seemed to be a completely new direction for the brand that first took on the art of watchmaking back in 1875.
But Code 11.59 is actually flirting a little bit with Audemars Piguet’s heritage – especially with the 1970s, the era of the Royal Oak designed by Gérald Genta. This was the first luxury steel sports watch with an integrated bracelet, and it featured an octagonal bezel held in place with eye-catching hexagonal screws.

Look at the Code 11.59, and you realise that this octagonal design has been applied on the case band – even though the cases are made of gold this time. The hexagonal screws from yesteryear are now in the spring bar position, holding the band in place.
SIHH 2019: Will Code 11.59 be the dawn of a new day for Audemars Piguet?
As for the rest, the devil is in the details. The sapphire glass is double curved – domed on the inside and vertically curved outside. The logo is made of thin layers of gold, as are the applied indexes. And the new collection is produced with a plethora of complications ranging from time-only to tourbillons and minute repeaters.

Meanwhile, the eighties are back, and the watch industry is putting its own spin on the fashion trend.
In September 2019, Chopard released the new Alpine Eagle collection, inspired by a bestselling watch from 1980. Chopard co-president Karl-Friedrich Scheufele remains involved with the design through his son Karl-Fritz, just as he was when Iron Maiden released its eponymous album, a milestone on the heavy metal scene.
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But the Alpine Eagle is not made of any old metal. Enter the new alloy Lucent Steel A223. This has improved hardness 50 per cent compared with 316L, the watch industry’s normal steel and enhanced light-reflecting qualities close to those of white gold.
This is achieved by re-smelting, which removes impurities and creates a homogenous crystal structure. The only downside of this greater resilience is a longer manufacturing time and increased wear and tear on the tools.
An avid hiker and alpine skier, Scheufele has looked closely into Swiss nature for design inspiration. The rock-like texture on stamped, sunburst dials resembles an eagle’s iris, the baton hands reference feathers and the Lucent Steel – satin brushed or polished – as well as the galvanised dials’ rocky hues are reminiscent of glaciers.
The chronometer-certified Alpine Eagle comes in four 41mm versions and four versions of the smaller 36mm. All components, including bracelets, are produced in-house.

German watchmaker A. Lange & Söhne released Odysseus, its sixth family of watches. As its name suggests, this watch symbolises a new journey for the “king” of Teutonic watches. Its first serially produced stainless steel watch, and another first is approaching a sporty expression, Odysseus boasts an integrated steel bracelet and water resistance to 120 metres. The large date that we have known since A. Lange & Söhne’s first watch from 25 years ago has been complemented with a juxtaposed, equally large date. And it is user friendly – these functions are managed via the tapered correction buttons at 2 and 4 o’clock.
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The baton appliqué and lancet-shaped hands made of white gold have been applied with central glow-in-the-dark elements. Look through the rear crystal of the 40.5mm-watch and you will recognise several Lange treats, including a new automatic movement, the three-quarter-plate, Glashütte ribbing and gold chatons.

With BR 05, Bell & Ross rides the seventies-influenced wave of sporty steel watches with integrated bracelets. The new collection is made with urban explorers in mind, and combines the round with the square – the shape has been intimately connected with Bell & Ross since the 2005 release of the BR 01. This fifth generation of the BR model is softer and more wearable, but still relies on no-nonsense aviation instrumental clarity.
The new collection has a fully integrated 40mm case, meaning that it is fused with the bracelet. The BR 05 also follows the trend of easily changing straps without tools – within seconds you can go from satin-polished steel to rubber. The grey, black and blue dials all have a sunray finish, and the baton hands are, like the appliqué numerals, coated in Super-LumiNova.
All references in BR 05 come with sapphire crystal casebacks, and there is even a skeletonised version baring it all.

With the Premier collection, Breitling digs into the archives to the 1940s. In the past three years, the brand has gone through a huge change with new owners, and several new collections and redesigns, the most current being the 15 different Premier models.
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The latest edition in Premier is the Breitling Premier B01 Chronograph 42 Wheels and Waves Limited Edition, released in collaboration with the motorcycling and surfing festival in Biarritz, France.
“It gave us a chance to introduce ourselves to people who, like us, are driven by action, purpose and style – and we launched a watch that celebrates the festival that expresses those values,” says Breitling CEO Georges Kern about the bi-compax chronograph with an in-house movement ticking under the grey dial.
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Why Breitling, Audemars Piguet, Chopard and others can’t resist flirting with the past

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Brands find answers for their latest releases by delving way back into their 20th-century archives

Brands find answers for their latest releases by delving way back into their 20th-century archives