SINGAPORE – This is a regular series featuring the latest news in watches and all things horological.

Sizzling hues for the Franck Muller Grand Central Tourbillon Flash

Frank Muller caused quite a stir two years ago when it premiered the Grand Central Tourbillon. Not only was it the first tonneau-shaped watch to feature a tourbillon, but it also positioned the complication smack in the middle of the dial instead of the six o’clock position.

For the watch lover who wants not just horological wizardry but also a little pizzazz, the brand has released the Grand Central Tourbillon Flash, which comes in striking hues of blazing orange, neon green and electric blue.

The watch case has been downsized from 40mm to 36mm for the Asian market.

Vividly coloured indices replace numerals in the redesigned black dial. They point towards the centre of the watch – all the better to spotlight the heady intricacy of the tourbillon. Incorporated into the cage bridge is a neon arrow which circles the nucleus to indicate the seconds.

The watchmaker has scored a design feat by fitting the movement to the curved middle of the redesigned Curvex CX-case, which is fashioned from black carbon. Just as impressive is the way the sapphire crystal extends all the way to the lugs, thanks to a special way of fixing the glass at 12 and six o’clock.

Watch nerds will coo over artisanal embellishments to the movement, such as Cotes de Geneve (a decorative pattern resembling stripes) on the bridges and circular graining on the plate.

Price: $188,600

Panerai goes for a California vibe with its new Radiomir

First, a history lesson. A California dial is one which boasts Roman and Arabic numerals. Popular in the 1930s, it was patented by Rolex in 1941. 

Panerai produced watches using movements and other parts by suppliers like Rolex before it manufactured its own. One of the most famous Panerai watches sporting a California dial was a Radiomir (Ref. 3646) produced with Rolex in the 1930s.

This new Radiomir California is pleasing for several reasons. It has been downsized from 47mm to a more on-trend 45mm.

Fashioned from e-steel – an alloy made from recycled steel – it boasts a beautiful hand-applied finish called the Brunito, which means burnished in Italian.

The watch’s vintage or worn appearance is achieved through an arduous cycle of, among other processes, black coating and hand-polishing. Hence, each watch looks a little different. The smokey green dial is beautiful, made even more attractive by gold and cream accents. 

Powering the watch – which is fitted with a vintage-looking brown calf-leather strap – is the P.5000, which is water-resistant to 100m and boasts eight days power reserve. 

Price: $17,900

Tag Heuer skeletonises the Monaco

The 80th Monaco Grand Prix took place in May. Since the race inspired one of Tag Heuer’s most iconic models, the Swiss watchmaker has decided to mark the occasion by dropping not one but three skeleton Monaco chronograph timepieces.

It is trumpeted as the first use of a skeleton dial within the Monaco collection, although, strictly speaking, it is not the first time the model has gone skeletal.

Two years ago, the brand produced a one-off Monaco timepiece featuring an open-worked dial for Only Watch, a biannual charity event where watchmakers contribute unique one-off pieces which are auctioned to fund research into neuromuscular diseases.

Boasting titanium cases (one with a DLC or diamond-like carbon coating), the three new watches have different sandblasted dials: original blue, racing red and turquoise.

They are all head-turners, but the original blue model is especially drool-worthy. Inspired by the first edition of the Tag Heuer Monaco in 1969, it has red hands and blue markers, subdials and indexes, which are white lacquered and coated with blue Super-LumiNova. 

Powering the new chronographs is the Caliber Heuer 02 Automatic, which can be admired through the caseback. It has 80 hours of power reserve and is water-resistant to 100m. The watches are fitted either with an embossed blue or black calf skin and rubber strap.

Price: From $15,300 to $16,050