The Best New Watches From TAG Heuer, Hublot, and Zenith at LVMH Watch Week Singapore
After 2022, one of the wildest years for watches on record, the big brands are wasting no time picking up where they left off. At the first major watch show of 2023, LVMH Watch Week, TAG Heuer, Hublot, and Zenith revealed a wide array of exciting newness. From crazy colours to new solar movements to exotic new materials, these releases suggest it’s going to be another great year for anyone who loves watches. Here are a few of the most notable ones so far.
TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 200 Solargraph
TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 200 Solargraph
TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 200 Solargraph
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Following the release of the first new Solargraph model at last year’s Watches & Wonders trade show, we’re thrilled to see TAG Heuer double down on solar-powered quartz movements in this handsome new edition. As much as we love mechanical movements, there’s certainly a place for a solar-powered piece in any collection – particularly a sporty, outdoors-oriented one like this. It features a movement that can be powered for an entire day with just two-minute exposure to direct sunlight. After less than 20 hours in the sun, the watch can run for up to six months with no light exposure and needs just ten seconds of light to get it started again when it stops. These impressive specs, plus the accuracy of the TH50-00 quartz movement developed for TAG Heuer by La Joux-Perret in La Chaux-de-Fonds, will surely make this Aquaracer a hit – and make other luxury watchmakers start looking more seriously at quartz in the future. ($3,800)
TAG Heuer Connected Calibre E4 Sport Edition 45 mm
TAG Heuer Connected Calibre E4 Sport Edition 45 mm
TAG Heuer Connected Calibre E4 Sport Edition 45 mm
TAG Heuer Connected Calibre E4 Sport Edition 45 mm
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Since TAG Heuer launched the first edition of the Connected in 2015, smartwatches have come a long way and this year it continues to refine its smartwatch offerings with three new versions of its Calibre E4. While the Golf Edition boasts a new ultralight case and the new 42mm Black Titanium 42mm Edition is stylish enough for everyday wear, the Sport Edition brings the most new tech to the table. With the release of a software update expected next month, TAG Heuer will add a new “Trail & Hiking” application to take the Connected further than ever before. With its fine-tuned barometer (used to track gradients), a new breathable mesh strap with a pin-buckle closure (perfect for making adjustments on the fly), and a rubber crown insert (to make it easily adjustable, even with wet fingers) this is by far the most adventure-ready Connected yet. ($3,250)
Hublot Big Bang Tourbillon Automatic Yellow Neon SAXEM
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In watches, as in mountain climbing, the only justification anyone needs for doing something totally crazy and completely unnecessary is the same: because they can. It’s this spirit of experimentation and over-the-top technical achievement that makes Hublot’s top-tier watches so unique, and their newest Big Bang Tourbillon is the perfect example of this. The product of nearly three years of R&D, the watch’s eye-searing tennis ball yellow case is made from SAXEM, an aluminum oxide alloy containing rare earth elements like thulium, holmium, and chromium. In addition to its neon hue, the material is said to be both ultra-resistant and transparent, with more brilliance than sapphire. Truly, this is one to be seen in person to fully appreciate, but you’ll have to move fast: Hublot is only making 50 of them. ($264,000)
Zenith Defy Skyline Skeleton
Zenith Defy Skyline Skeleton
Zenith Defy Skyline Skeleton
Zenith Defy Skyline Skeleton
Zenith Defy Skyline Skeleton
Zenith Defy Skyline Skeleton
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Skeleton dials (that is, ones that are cut away to reveal the movement beneath) have become a major trend among luxury watch brands in recent years, but these have mostly been limited to somewhat traditional pieces in precious metals. Zenith, however, has become known for deftly marrying the style and sophistication of a cutaway dial with the character of a steel sports watch, the latest example of which is the Defy Skyline Skeleton. With an open dial modelled on the form of a four-pointed star (a nod to the Zenith “double Z” logo of the 1960s), the Defy Skyline Skeleton features Zenith’s famous El Primero automatic movement and a rapidly moving 1/10th of a second counter at 6 o’clock. Without a date or other complications to distract from the artistry of the dial and the movement, the Defy Skyline Skeleton is a unique stylish addition to Zenith’s growing lineup. ($14,200)
