Dior relaunches Chiffre Rouge

Two decades ago, Dior launched the Chiffre Rouge as its first venture into automatic timepieces. The collection has returned with new models that pay homage to its heritage while flaunting updated mechanical sophistication.

Initially a men’s dive watch, it now caters to a broader audience with 38mm and 41mm versions. The case is fashioned from blackened steel and accented with red details.

The French word “chiffre” means number or figure, and in a nod to founder Christian Dior’s favourite number and colour, there is a red numeral eight in the date window at four o’clock.

The collection’s unique aesthetic includes the signature off-centre crown and notched bezel, a subtle tribute to Dior’s legendary tailoring. Also highlighting the maison’s legacy is the “cannage” pattern – a stitching pattern synonymous with the brand – which adorns the dial, oscillating weights and rubber straps.

Supplied by sister LVMH brands Zenith and Louis Vuitton’s La Fabrique Du Temps, the movements run the gamut from the Zenith El Primero to flying tourbillons and are visible through the transparent caseback.

Five of these 20th-anniversary models will be available in boutiques from February, one from July and the last two from October. Prices are from $11,500 to $23,000.

Omega auctions off MoonSwatch Moonshine Gold suitcases

Omega recently held an auction of 11 MoonSwatch Moonshine Gold suitcases, which raised 534,670 Swiss francs (S$817,800).

Held from Feb 12 to 14, the online event managed by Sotheby’s in Geneva marked the first time these special sets and suitcases were offered to the public. Proceeds went to Orbis International, a charity which fights avoidable blindness and vision disability worldwide.

Each of these suitcases – normally used as store displays – contained 11 Omega x Swatch Mission to Moonshine Gold watches, a new twist on the bioceramic MoonSwatch originals first released in March 2022. In black or blue, the watches dropped in 2023, and featured hands coated in Omega’s special 18k Moonshine Gold alloy. 

The suitcases, each representing a major city with an Omega boutique, fetched prices ranging from 38,100 Swiss francs for the Singapore edition to 60,960 Swiss francs for Beijing’s.

Tudor is the official timekeeper for The Tour of Flanders

Tudor is the new official timekeeper for The Tour of Flanders in Belgium, part of the Flanders Classics – the third-largest organiser of professional cycling competitions in the world – spring cycling showdowns. Affectionately known as De Ronde (The Tour) by fans, this jewel in the crown of competitive cycling is well-known for its punishing cobbled climbs.

Together with Milan-San Remo, Paris-Roubaix, Liege-Bastogne-Liege and the Giro di Lombardia, it is one of the five prestigious Monuments races. Cycling fans love The Tour of Flanders because of its intense challenges such as sections with gradients as steep as 20 per cent. 

Three-time winner and Tudor ambassador Fabian Cancellara is mentoring the brand’s Pro Cycling Team as it prepares to tackle the 2024 edition.

Grand Seiko’s Limited Edition SBGW315

Grand Seiko has dropped the SBGW315, a limited-edition watch which pays tribute to the blue skies over the snow-capped Mount Iwate in Japan’s Iwate prefecture, where the brand’s mechanical watches are crafted.

Launched in celebration of the first anniversary of the Grand Seiko Asia-Pacific boutique at Marina Bay Sands, the timepiece – limited to 88 pieces – has a beautiful powder-blue dial with a radial feathered pattern.  

The elegant case, fashioned from Grand Seiko’s proprietary “brillant hard titanium” and finished with the brand’s signature Zaratsu polishing, houses a dual-curved sapphire crystal to enhance readability.

The heart of the SBGW315 is the Caliber 9S64, which has a 72-hour power reserve and is visible through the transparent caseback.

Besides the crocodile strap with folding clasp, the $12,800 watch comes with an additional strap made with Kyoto Leather, a collaboration between textile artisans in Nishijin, Kyoto, and tanners from Himeji, a leather-producing area.