In partnership with Richemont

As Watches and Wonders 2025 opens in Geneva (1-7 April), here are headline new watches to look out for from brands of luxury group Richemont: A. Lange & Söhne, Baume & Mercier, IWC, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Montblanc, Panerai, Piaget and Vacheron Constantin.

‘This year’s releases are characterised by a clean design, a sharp technical nous and a celebration of craftsmanship, paying tribute to historical codes while encapsulating a very modern mood,’ says Wallpaper* watches & jewellery editor Hannah Silver.

See the watches below, and for those at the fair, when you’ve exhausted the stands, dip into our Geneva guide to help you enjoy some downtime in the city.

A. Lange & Söhne

With every new watch developed by A. Lange & Söhne, the focus is on harmonising technology and aesthetics, finding the balance between tradition and modernity. ‘During the process, we question everything and take great care to ensure that every aspect of a watch, every design feature and every function, fulfils its intended purpose,’ explains director of product development Anthony de Haas. For 2025, optimal readability is a high priority for the brand; from case shape to arched lugs, distinctive hands and typography, new designs nod back to A. Lange & Söhne’s distinctive geometric and aesthetic codes.

alange-soehne.com

Baume & Mercier

The sport-chic spirit of Baume & Mercier’s Riviera collection is inspired by the French Riviera itself, the timepieces’ distinctive 12-sided case and bezel referencing the sculptural relief of the Côte d’Azur landscape. This new iteration of the Riviera Chronograph, the M0A10827, is engineered for the horological aficionado, its 1950s-style, black-and-white dial representing balance, harmony, and beauty.

baume-et-mercier.com

IWC

For the manufacture of its new Ingenieur, IWC Schaffhausen’s material choice allowed no compromise. Rendered in tough zirconium oxide ceramic, Gérald Genta’s design classic is now updated for its Watches and Wonders 2025 debut with sleeker indices and a more lucid dial architecture.

iwc.com

Jaeger-LeCoultre

The Reverso Tribute Geographic, powered by Jaeger-LeCoultre’s newly developed in-house Calibre 834 movement, is a fresh interpretation of the classic and quintessential travel time complication. Displaying world time indication on the reverse dial and presented in a steel case, this new timepiece underlines the innovative and catalytic role that the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso has played in the nine decades since its unique, swivelling case was invented back in 1931.

jaeger-lecoultre.com

Montblanc

Paying homage to Reinhold Messner’s record-breaking 1986 ascent of Mount Vinson, Antarctica (which saw him become the first climber to ascend the seven highest peaks in seven continents without the use of supplementary oxygen), the new Montblanc 1858 Geosphere 0 Oxygen Mount Vinson Limited Edition is available in a run of 986 pieces. A 43.5mm titanium case, inspired by the Mount Vinson landscape, holds a composite middle case crafted from quartz fibres, aluminised basalt fibres, calcium carbonates and light blue resin – the colours and patterns a nod to Antarctica ice crystals. Both the northern and southern hemispheres are represented, through two three-dimensional globes that turn anti-clockwise, with dots marking the seven peaks of Messner’s challenge, as well as the Mont Blanc summit.

montblanc.com

Panerai

The name Luminor originates from a luminous compound created by Panerai, an innovative material that shaped the creation of the first models in the series in the early 1960s, invented to meet the demanding standards of the Italian Navy. Panerai had long been supplying robust and precise instruments to the Marina Militare, but it was the Luminor that brought together a collection of distinctive features in the 1990s. Every element served a purpose, balancing form and function, maximising reliability, readability and resilience in a way that would come to define Panerai’s timepieces as ‘tool’ watches. These characteristics were consolidated into a design that, with its safety lock system along with the sandwich dial and enhanced luminescence, set the Luminor apart and became synonymous with the maison. Now, for the first time in Panerai’s core collection, Luminor Marina sets a new benchmark with enhanced water resistance up to 500m.

panerai.com

Piaget

1969 was the year that Piaget redrew the boundaries between watchmaking and jewellery; in the hands of Jean-Claude Gueit, who led the company’s design team, the wristwatch was transformed from a simple timepiece into an avant-garde design object. Almost 60 years later, new models from Piaget’s ateliers combine the maison’s heritage with the present; the marque’s distinctive trapezoidal shape showcases a graceful balance between geometry and delicacy, refinement and allure.

piaget.com

Vacheron Constantin

Complications continue to push the boundaries of previously accepted limits, amply demonstrated by Vacheron Constantin’s beautifully rendered and technically impressive Traditionnelle Perpetual Calendar. There’s a moon phase with a starry sky in ‘950 platinum’ (with 95 per cent platinum in the alloy) and two three-dimensional moons. The tachymeter scale painted on the dial makes it possible to determine an average speed thanks to the central hand of the chronograph. The perpetual calendar requires no adjustment until the year 2100.

vacheron-constantin.com

Italian powerhouses Panerai and Prada have come together to create a chic new collection of watch straps, with the Luminor Due Prada Re-Nylon collaboration pairing the regenerated nylon fabric with Panerai’s Luminor Due family of watches.

‘The partnership between Panerai and Prada, two Italian brands leaders in the luxury sphere, embodies a shared vision for combining design, heritage and innovation,’ says Jean-Marc Pontroué, Panerai CEO. ‘Both brands have deep roots in traditional savoir-faire and a commitment to contemporary aesthetics, resulting in a quintessentially sophisticated timepiece emblem of individuality and self-expression. With Panerai's history of high-precision timepieces and Prada's legacy as a purveyor of modern luxury and beauty, the collaboration offers a strategic fit of both visions.’

The straps come in a choice of hues, with iron grey and navy blue available for the 42mm case, and alabaster pink and cornflower grey for the 38mm. All feature the distinctive logos of both brands. 

Adds Pontroué: ‘The Luminor Due's design is emblematic of urban Italian sophistication – slim, light and sleek. These attributes align seamlessly with the minimalist yet functional essence of Prada's Re-Nylon strap. Furthermore, the clean and sustainable nature of the Re-Nylon material, derived from Econyl regenerated yarn, reflects a modern ethos. The watch's matte white sandwich dial, subtle inscriptions and elegant layout are complemented by the strap, making for a timepiece that is not only aesthetically cohesive but also represents a new conscious modern luxury.’

For now, the straps are only available on the Luminor Due models, as the most modern collection from the brand. ‘We felt it matched with Prada’s style,’ Pontroué says. ‘However, with our creative synergy, we are always open to exploring new artistic avenues. Stay tuned!’

panerai.com

Panerai is returning to its roots this year with the launch of new Radiomir collections at Watches and Wonders 2023, in a modern rethink of the military watch originally presented in 1935. 

‘The history of Panerai is an authentic journey full of value and pioneering innovations developed for performance in response to evolving technical needs,’ says Panerai CEO Jean-Marc Pontroué. ‘This year’s launch of the Radiomir collection defines where it all began for us. It was the invention of the radiomir substance for the Italian Navy that set in motion Panerai’s legendary story, and a Radiomir was the first ever Panerai watch made. As we are projecting into the future with advances in sustainability and new materials, it is more important than ever for us to remember our origins, leveraging our undisputable heritage.’

New Panerai Radiomir watches

It is a philosophy encompassed in new models this year, which pay tribute to the watch’s distinctive sandwich construction, luminescent dial and conical winding screw-down crown, while experimenting with new materials and designs. ‘Merging our innovation in materials while staying true to the Radiomir DNA, we are proud to say that we’ve introduced many innovative elements that spotlight our capability in reinterpreting an icon and its vintage aesthetics in a contemporary key to appeal to connoisseurs,’ Pontroué adds. 

‘The leather straps of the watches exude that unmistakable vintage style. With the Brunito e-Steel case, every timepiece is hand-finished one by one to create a seasoned look, rendering each watch uniquely different. The Radiomir Quaranta collection is offered in a 40mm size instead of the conventional Radiomir 45mm size to give it a more universal appeal, while we’ve also made available various Radiomir models in precious materials.’

The creation of e-Steel is a conscious move by Panerai to reduce the environmental impact implicit in watchmaking. ‘For a steel watch, the steel case accounts for about 30 per cent of this impact. We worked closely with our steel supplier and we came to the conclusion that the best way to incorporate the recycled content was in the main lever. With this, we were able to go from an average use of e-Steel of 50 per cent to 95 per cent. The main challenge lies in organising the collection and quality control of the steel scrap. We pay the utmost attention to our steel quality to ensure it is compliant with our high standards.’

Available from watches-of-switzerland.co.uk

Panerai imbues a classic silhouette with romantic references in its new Luminor Due Luna timepiece. Originally created in the 1950s, the Luminor model traditionally takes a clean form, eschewing the superfluous to focus on the streamlined form of a diver’s watch. 

Panerai Luminor Due Luna with moonphase function

Now, the watch family adopts a complication for the first time, adding a moonphase function, a 24ct gold moon at three o’clock, tracing its journey across a starry sky. Available in four versions, the watch dial is left clean to allow the complication to take centre stage, and the various renditions make an elegant foil for the new technicality at its heart. 

The four variations of the Panerai Luminor Due Luna include one in the brand’s trademarked Goldtech metal, a deep red alloy of platinum and copper, which frames a mother-of-pearl dial; and a sun-brushed dial paired with an alligator strap in a bold, dark pink hue. Other pieces celebrate the clean cut of steel, brought into sharp relief against the dial’s elegant gold detailing. 

Measuring an understated 38mm, the Luna builds on Panerai’s military heritage, marking a heavenly new direction for the Italian brand.

panerai.com

A version of this article appears in the November 2022 issue of Wallpaper*, available in print, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today!

Panerai draws on its nautical heritage with the release of the Radiomir Eilean Experience Edition watch, in a piece that encompasses nautical-inspired Italian design codes.

The new watch, limited to 50 pieces, is inspired by the classic form of the yacht, Eilean, designed and created by boat builder William Fife and restored by Panerai. Originally built in 1936, its history is interlinked with that of Panerai, which designed the first Radiomir case shortly after.

It is a natural tribute for Panerai, which began by supplying timekeeping instruments to the Italian Royal Navy. This new watch unites both this craftsmanship and technical accuracy, while staying consistent to the design of the original Radiomir with a case crafted in both patinated steel and bronze, as well as details such as the divided hour hand.

At 45mm, this new piece cuts a slimmer silhouette, the surface of its organic form adapting over time thanks to the bronze on the bezel, crown and caseback, which will take on its own unique patina, an homage to the repurposed metal salvaged from the Eilean. Elsewhere are other nautical nods, from the textured surface of the blue dial reminiscent of the ripples on a boat’s teak deck, to the engraving on the side of the case, which replicates the dragon emblem on the Eilean’s bow. A focus on legibility is translated into the uncluttered face and Super-LumiNova Dial.

The watch comes with a raft of experiences, from the immersive to the digital, with owners of the watch offered the chance to sail on the Eilean along the Amalfi Coast. Owners will also receive an NFT, which comes with a unique artwork, amongst other benefits.

It is an exciting first step into the metaverse for the brand. ‘Technology is the next frontier offering limitless potential, and Panerai is at the leading edge in that arena,’ says CEO Jean-Marc Pontroué. ‘Through our blockchain digital wallet, and creation of our first NFTs, the brand will use dynamic new measures to respond to our customers and allow them to verify ownership of their treasured Panerai watches.’

INFORMATION

panerai.com

The Panerai Challenger Trophy initiative, now in its third year, is an award presented by Panerai and the Royal Yachting Association in honour of the sailing achievements of those aged between eight and 18.

Pinch London and Simon Hasan were the first two recipients of the Panerai trophy design commission, awarded to British designers working primarily with natural and reusable materials. Menswear designer Bethany Williams, who has championed positive change within fashion, was a natural choice for 2020.

Panerai was drawn by her ‘energy as a designer, together with her persuasive voice to affect change for future generations’, says the brand. ‘But even more compelling was her idea for the trophy, which is immensely thoughtful – and as such, entirely appropriate for 2020.’

This year’s trophy takes its most personal iteration yet, reflecting the emotions and motivations of the young finalists. To create the trophy – which takes the form of a pair of gloves, displayed in a hanging box frame by fine-art framer Darbyshire – Williams spoke to the finalists about their favourite clothes to wear when they go sailing, embroidering the gloves with the different ways the sport makes them feel empowered.

‘The work we do is about the personal, and about storytelling. Linking all three finalists together with a common thread felt like a natural direction in which to take this year's trophy,’ says Williams. ‘After asking the nominees a few questions about their sailing gear and their most valued items of clothing, it became clear that their sailing gloves are such an essential part of the kit for these young sailors, giving protection and comfort to the wearer. It's really amazing to be a part of the award and the journey; to hear the incredible stories and the strength of the young people.’

Sixteen year old Ben Tylecote from Rutland sailing club has been declared the winner of the trophy and is set to receive a grant of £5,000 to continue his development in the marine industry, with his club receiving a grant of up to £10,000 for new equipment. Runners up Nieve Ball from Burton sailing club and George Ford from Walton and Frinton yachting club - who along with the winner, overcame physical, economic or social challenges to reach their personal milestones – will each receive £2,500, and their clubs £5,000 each.

INFORMATION
panerai.com

This week, Pinch Design presents its first ever public-award piece. The Panerai Challenger Trophy was commissioned by the Florentine watch brand to celebrate the achievements of junior sailors across the UK through a nationwide competition.

The Trophy design marks the first in a three-year series, with a different name being nominated each year to create the piece. The design has to reflect the nature of classic yacht building, so the use of wood as the primary material is a crucial element.

It was a brief that appealed to designers Russell and Oona Pinch, who were enamoured at the idea of studying the principles of yacht design. Panerai has had strong links to the sea since the late 1930s when it was commissioned to create technical instruments for the Italian Navy seals. It is also chief partner for the international regatta circuit of classic and vintage sails.

In 2006, the brand bought and restored a significant 1930s heritage yacht, Eilean, designed by the famed William Fife shipyard in Glasgow. Having starred in Duran Duran’s 1981 ‘Rio’ video, it changed hands and fell into disrepair. The then Panerai CEO spotted its decaying form in a West Indies mangrove and immediately knew its provenance.

Eilean is the prime inspiration for the Trophy. As Russell Pinch says: ‘The design and story of Eilean is so rich with beauty and perfection. She is a boat of extreme poise and elegance, under-stated beauty, quiet confidence, and exquisite strength. It was really hard to know where to start when designing the Trophy, as there were so many design avenues to explore.'

Elegance of line and form as well as a dedication to craftsmanship resonate with Pinch Design’s own furniture aesthetic, making them the perfect choice for Panerai Challenger Trophy’s inaugural outing. ‘There are contrasts and contradictions in all aspects of the sailing community,' Pinch says. ‘Our Trophy design subliminally references these aspects with a lightness of touch. But the most important value of the Trophy is its beauty – as a symbol of an opportunity, of the individual.'

The Trophy committee – formed of representatives from the Royal Yacht Association, the British Classic Yachts Club and Officine Panerai, selected four young finalists from sailing centres across the UK. This week, during Cowes Classic Week, 18-year-old Nicola Stockdale from the Debdale Outdoor Centre in Manchester was announced the winner, having been deemed ‘an outstanding young person who has embraced the power of sailing or windsurfing to achieve a personal triumph against the odds'.

The Panerai Challenger Trophy 2018

INFORMATION

For more information, visit the Pinch Design website and the Panerai website

The opening of Officine Panerai’s brand-new boutique in London’s New Bond Street, presents the perfect moment to look back on the results of the brand’s fruitful interior design collaboration with Patricia Urquiola. Having first breathed new life into the Paris home of the Florentine marque in 2014, the Spanish designer was set to work on an extensive renovation concept of its proud Florentine home – a small, early 20th-century workshop in the Piazza San Giovanni, opposite the Duomo.

It wasn’t just the spirit of the workshop that she set out to encapsulate – Urquiola was faced with the ultra-tricky task of expanding the tiny 58sq m space into a 285sq m boutique, while attending to the expectations of modern tastes. For a renowned tastemaker like Urquiola, a stripped-back approach was natural, but her choice of materials added sumptuous warmth of tone in the form of a geometric Striato Olimpico marble floor and walnut, brass and steel details.

‘Throughout its evolution, Panerai’s own design has been clean, contemporary and very modern. I have taken similar care with the boutiques design, reflecting and honouring these stylistic elements,’ she says. Her boutique identity has now been adapted to outposts in Hong Kong, New York and Miami.

Now, comes London. ‘I wanted a boutique that felt like you were at home, not at a shop – nothing too formal. New Bond Street is special and to be here is one the most important achievements for the brand – it gives us a chance to show everything that Panerai is, for new people to discover us. It’s not just about showing the products,’ says outgoing CEO Angelo Bonati, who has steered the watchmaker’s growth, partly guided by an immovable faith in the brand’s strong, graphic design, for the past 18 years.

Particular design details for London include engraved oak wall panels, rippling glass that shimmers around lozenge-shaped burnished brass vitrines. All these elements are a direct reference to Panerai’s oceanic past and its ownership and restoration of the classic Fife-built yacht, Eilean, the surprise star of Duran Duran’s 1982 Rio video.

A specially designed watchmaker’s desk is also situated on the lower ground floor, as is a cosy, customer lounge area, with its floppy leather Italian sofas. Lazing comfily in one of them, Mr Bonati, who had the foresight to hire Urquiola in 2011 pinpoints the success of their design relationship: ‘I first met Patricia when she worked on the design for the O'Clock: Time Design, Design Time exhibition at Milan’s Triennale Design Museum in 2011, for which we partnered. I asked her “Will you look at our boutiques and give them the soul of our historical boutique in Florence, and make them feel more warm and welcoming?” She came to see them with me and said: “I don’t want to change everything, there is nothing much to do”.’

‘Of course,’ he says, cheerily, ‘Patricia changed everything!’

INFORMATION

For more information, visit the Officine Panerai website

Spanish designer Patricia Urquiola looked to Officine Panerai’s marine heritage for inspiration when she began work on her design for the Italian watch marque’s new 840 sq m mega-booth at this year’s Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie (SIHH) in Geneva.

Founded in Florence in 1860, Officine Panerai supplied the Italian Navy for many decades, specialising in precision instruments for the diving corps, and is today known for iconic models such as the Mare Nostrum chronograph.

Visitors coming aboard Urquiola’s showstopper of a booth, inspired by maritime architecture and nautical interiors, encounter an ocean-going ambience of brushed brass, cobblestone glass walls, wood panelling, banquettes and deck flooring all referencing an elegantly salty, luxury sailing vernacular. A reception desk of rope-effect wainscoting completes the yacht aesthetic, while glass vitrines redolent of nautical instruments showcase Officine Panerai’s latest collections and novelties.

Urquiola’s partnership with Officine Panerai began in 2011 when the Milan-based designer worked as art director on ‘O’Clock – Time Design, Design Time’, an exhibition at Milan’s Triennale Design Museum that included an Urquiola-conceived timeline of the  brand. In 2014 Urquiola redesigned Officine Panerai’s Piazza San Giovanni store in Florence, overseeing the transformation of the small historic boutique (the brand's first, it opened at the turn of the century) into a 285 sq m flagship. ‘I feel a great bond with Panerai,’ says Urquiola, ‘because I share the same values: a focus on design and technology, but not in an obvious, show-off way. There is credibility, consistency and quality”.

For the SIHH exhibition stand, Urquiola created 17 different rooms, each representing a different Panerai timepiece – L’Astronomo, Lo Scienziato, Luminor Due, Luminor Logo et al. ‘This new Officine Panerai booth not only brings together very different elements, blurring the lines between the traditional and the contemporary, but also allows Panerai watches to speak for themselves,’ says Angelo Bonati, the company’s CEO. ‘We found that we shared common ground: a love of design, rigorous execution, consistency with the history of the brand and a striving for excellence.’

For more information, visit the Officine Panerai website

Left, having served on the jury for this year’s Judges Awards, architect Farshid Moussavi also designed our special, limited-edition cover (available to subscribers), featuring an original pattern for a wallpaper concept inspired by a Simone Rocha dress. Right, newsstand cover. One of two staircases designed by Gwenaël Nicolas for Dolce & Gabbana's Mayfair store, in which a multitude of marbles are patchworked together with millimetre precision, among them Indian Black Lightning; Brazilian Nordic White and Copacabana; French Nero Grand Baroque; and Chinese Panda White. 

Welcome to our annual Awards issue, where we honour the year’s highest achievements in design, architecture, fashion and beyond. This is our round-up of the best products and brightest talents that have raised our pulse and kept our pecker up.

Regular readers will be familiar with the format, but for the newcomers, I’ll explain. The issue is split into two perfect parts. Part one is essentially the Wallpaper* love list – a compilation of our favourite things, debated, deliberated upon and ultimately decided by Wallpaper* staffers together with our global network of editors, photographers, writers and stylists. Enjoy the fruits of a year’s worth of globetrotting, researching and polite bickering.

Part two is the Judges’ Awards. Eleven major award-winners have been selected (from a shortlist put together by Team Wallpaper*) by an international panel of judges – all experts in their fields. This year we were blessed with the sharp minds and sagacity of architectural force of nature Farshid Moussavi, culinary world champs René and Nadine Redzepi, the always rakish environmental artist Daan Roosegaarde, model, fashion entrepreneur and campaigner Liya Kebede, and the ultimate designers’ designer (and 2017 Designer of the Year), Jasper Morrison. A big thank-you for your time and impeccable judgment.

As seen at Design Miami, the Core Pavilion by Philippe Malouin, a contender for Wallpaper* Designer of the Year. Did he win? See the Judges' Award winners here

Also look out for our Next Generation Designer award. This particular prize honours a promising design tyro who has impressed us over the last year and looks set to make an impact in the future. Last year’s winner, Gustavo Martini, has had a fruitful 12 months and his furniture collection ‘The Grove’ even made our 2018 hit list.

Special thanks go to our sponsor, watch manufacturer Officine Panerai. Its design acumen, aesthetic heritage and skilled combination of technology and craftsmanship make it the perfect partner.

Finally, our annual celebration of the exemplary usually closes with the naughty page. A playful rummage through the year’s design stinkers. This issue, though, we have added an analytic edge and historical perspective to our list of misadventures. In the first of an ongoing series we are snappily tagging History’s Worst Design Decisions, we look at fatal, or at least commercially injurious, missteps in the tech sector, from the $400 Wi-Fi-enabled smoothie maker to Snapchat’s spooky specs. Next Generation designers: look and learn!

Tony Chambers, Brand & Content Director

As originally featured in the February 2018 issue of Wallpaper* (W*227)

What better way to kickstart the Design Awards celebrations than with Hussein Chalayan’s party popper-inspired fashion collection. 

Inspired by the latest mania for modern interiors, we settle down with superior sake. 

Catch some rays with this blast of coloured designs.

Wicker is slicker for the ins and outs of modern furnishings, scooping our award for Best Weaves.

The Best Descent award goes to the ‘Vidra’ slide, by Eckersley O'Callaghan and Cricursa. 

We celebrate Kengo Kuma & Associates’ undulating façade of the V&A Museum of Design in Dundee. 

Chanel clinches the shining prize for Best Metal Gurus, with its Gallery Collection. 

Our interior inspiration comes in waves, as we go deep-sea diving for design finds. 

Making its debut, we bring you the furniture of Christophe Delcourt, for Minotti. 

Both Dior and Dior Homme feature in our celebration of 2017’s best fashion collections. 

INFORMATION

The February 2018 issue of Wallpaper* is out now. Subscribe here

The accolade for Best New Hotel in the 2017 Wallpaper* Design Awards went to Aman’s new hotel in Cabrera, with interiors by John Heah. So it was only appropriate for us to host our intimate Design Awards dinner in the Ballroom of The Berkeley, newly redesigned by the architect himself and two weeks off opening.

The Wallpaper* dinner was the first event to take place in the new space – still in the midst of its makeover – and we joined forces with French champagne house Veuve Clicquot for the soirée with notable guests including John Pawson, Liz Swig, Andrea Rosso and Hiroshi Sambuichi among others.

Ascending from drinks in the Motcomb Room, guests sat down on Designer of the Year Jasper Morrison’s ‘Alfi’ chairs for Emeco, while sipping on Veuve’s Vintage 2008 that was paired with the first course. Following the main course, Wallpaper* Editor-in-Chief Tony Chambers set to hand out trophies with the help of architect Amanda Levete (who sat on this year’s six-strong judges panel). Design Awards partners Officine Panerai also presented a new award category – the Next Generation Designer of the Year – which went to Gustavo Martini.

The ambience was set by FlowerBx’s spiky chrysanthemums sat in refined Nude vases on the table, while candles flickered in holders by Patricia Urquiola for Georg Jensen.

Guests were sent off with a hefty gift bag too that included Best New Grooming Product winner Dyson’s ‘Supersonic’ hairdryer; a snazzy gift voucher for Best Outpost Aquavit London; an Iittala and Issey Miyake cup and saucer; a signed Fortnum & Mason cookbook; and a Wallpaper* City Guide to help plan their trip to Lisbon, this year’s Best City award winner.

A futuristic clock-making workshop set up in the opulent surrounds of Milan’s Palazzo Visconti, made for an intriguing spectacle at last week’s Salone del Mobile. With its brightly lit, open, black framework design sitting in sharp contrast to the palazzo’s frescoed ceiling and glittering chandeliers, the temporary atelier is the result of a collaboration between luxury Italian watch brand Panerai and ubiquitous Japanese design studio Nendo.

‘Time is not something that you get afraid of,’ says Nendo founder Oki Sato of the exhibition’s theme, ‘but it is something that by feeling it, it becomes very rich and it becomes part of you. I wanted to create an experience where people can feel time and bring home their own time.’

Clock faces of varying thicknesses were cut on site from a length of extruded transparent plastic in front of waiting customers, who could order a clock and then watch as it was sliced and assembled in the workshop. While the minimal square-shaped face displays just four numbers and one-stroke numerals, the clock’s thickness depends on the exact time of the customer’s visit. ‘For example,’ explains Sato, ‘if the time is 10:15 we add 10 and 15 to make a 25mm thickness, and you understand that you were here at 10:15 and you can take home your own time.’

After being cut, the clock proceeds through the different departments of the workshop, where it is polished, sand blasted and assembled by Panerai technicians dressed in white lab coats. The extruded plastic shell from which each clock is cut, is all the time becoming shorter and shorter over the duration of the exhibition. Once the shell is used up, the installation is complete. ‘In other words, the empty-shell-like clock is an apparatus that enables time to be perceived like an hourglass,’ explain the studio.

Even the workshop itself – an open framework of interlocking circular spaces – was designed to to resemble the mechanism of a clock. ‘By walking through the space you feel time and you also feel the craftsmanship of the Panerai watches as well,’ says Sato.

With 2017 marking 15 years since Sato debuted his studio at Milan’s Salone Satellite, the topic of time seems an appropriate one. Since the 2002 launch, Nendo’s rise has been stratospheric encompassing the completion of countless architecture and interior design projects, product designs and collaborations with the likes of Cos, Tod’s, Kenzo and Cappellini to name just a few.

INFORMATION

For more information, visit the Nendo website and the Panerai website

Irony of ironies, Panerai has downsized. No, not the diameter, which was reduced in certain models to 40mm some years ago for greater wearability by the small of wrist. This time, with the 'Due' model, the case thickness is reduced. The name means ‘two’ in Italian and refers to its being a second-generation design inspired by the 1950s 'Luminor' models with Panerai’s unmistakable lockable-by-lever crown.

This low-carb case will be used for the 42mm manually-wound 'Luminor Due 3 Days' and the automatic 'Luminor Due 3 Days', with a 45mm version of the same case. Their cases are, respectively, only 10.5mm and 10.7mm thick, compared with 13.5–15.6mm for a ‘regular’ Panerai.

The secret to this slimming down? The new P1000 calibre. It provides hours, minutes and seconds reset and a 72-hour power reserve, yet it is only 3.85mm thick.

Both manually-wound models feature a 3/6/12 dial with small seconds at nine o’clock. The automatic, with its larger case, allows the seconds to remain at nine o’clock, but there is space for the numeral '9' to appear, too. And, of course, on top of all the other good reasons to covet the 'Due', surely the fact that its skinny frame means that there is no longer any possible conflict with one’s cufflinks is one of the most compelling.

INFORMATION

For more information, visit the Panerai website

As the creator of beautiful timepieces with a long-standing association with design and architecture, Panerai was Wallpaper’s ideal partner for our annual Design Awards celebration event.

Notable guests – including Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec (our Designers of the Year), David Chipperfield, Albert Kriemler and Ilse Crawford – were invited to an intimate dinner hosted by Wallpaper* Editor-in-Chief Tony Chambers and Panerai’s Philippe De Saint Lager in the spectacular home of artist Sue Webster. Designed by Design Awards judge David Adjaye, the converted textile factory in the heart of London’s Shoreditch offered guests spectacular city views from the studio's wraparound balcony, as they enjoyed champagne and 'clever' canapés prepared by chef Bo Lindegaard of the Copenhagen-based I’m a Kombo catering specialists.

Once the party was seated (on Bouroullec-designed 'Officina' chairs for Magis, no less) Lindegaard presented elegantly carnivorous dishes inspired by the Best Cuts category from our Design Awards issue on yet another Bouroullec design – Alessi 'Ovale' crockery, which was itself decorated with stencilled-on spice-emulsions. Inga Sempé's award-winning 'Collo-Alto' cutlery and Spanish vineyard Ramón Bilbao Vinos y Viñedos' delicious Riojas, poured into Saint-Louis 'Twist 1586' glasses, completed the tablescape.  

Long before the prize winners and guests arrived, Wallpaper’s Composed team furnished Webster's home with the help of some of our favourite marques: 'Inari' console tables by Living Divani, Samsung’s award-winning 'Serif' TV (also by Designers of the Year, Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec) and Retegui’s folding marble-topped ‘Bistro’ tables. Vases by Georg Jensen, Michael Anastassiades and Lingby among others, were filled with arrangements by Best Delivery winners Flowerbx, who donated the still-fresh blooms to charity after the event.

After being wined and dined, guests went home with a gift bag showcasing the work of a plethora of other winners and nominees from the 2016 Design Awards portfolio including Punkt’s 'MP01' Jasper Morrison-designed mobile phone, a Misoka toothbrush, Susanne Kaufmann’s hair elixir and Alfredo Häberli's 'Alfredo' vase for Georg Jensen. Copenhagen, our city of the year, was represented with a newly updated Wallpaper* City Guide, naturally.

INFORMATION

Photography: Jamie McGregor Smith

Panerai's Radiomir Mare Nostrum PAM 300, circa 2011, steel chronograph wristwatch. Created in 1943 for deck officers in the navy, this chronograph with two push buttons, is one of just two or three prototypes made at the time. © Artcurial

Acquiring vintage timepieces can be a tricky business - as with any specialist collectable, if you are not in the know, how do you know where to look? Independent auction houses are a good place to start and the best ones are increasingly savvy to the fact that beyond the inner workings that make a watch tick, design is a key factor in collecting.

The result is more sales dedicated to modern names and watches with a recognisable aesthetic. And Panerai is way up there. The Florentine watch marque's precision instruments, secretly created for and supplied to the Italian Navy in the 1930s, have a clean, graphic code that has become the benchmark for military-watch design today.

Now, these 20th century design credentials have become the starting point for a brilliantly curated sale by the French auction house Artcurial. Its watch experts have worked for over a year to collect around 100 seriously special pieces for its 'Panerai Only' auction in Paris on Monday 8 December.

With estimates commencing at €2,000, it's a good starting-point sale for anyone keen to start a collection. But the star lot is undoubtedly the 1956 Egiziano, (estimated at €100,000 - €150,000) created for the Egyptian navy in 1956. Only five have come up for sale at auction in the last 12 years.

'Panerai's forms, colours and designs are a perfect represention of the 20th century object. More than a wristwatch, some of these pieces have become incredible works of art,' says Marie Sanna-Legrand of Artcurial watches department. We couldn't agree more.

Radiomir, PAM 00021, limited edition, version 1997, platinum wristwatch. The first Panerai model in platinum with a Rolex movement numbered 30/60. This watch was one of a limited edition of 60 examples that were made to commemorate 60 years since the first order delivered to the Italian navy, after the first ten prototypes of 1936. © Artcurial

Radiomir Independent Second PAM 080, limited edition, version 2001, white gold watch. Named after the revolutionary substance Radiomi - a Radium-based powder invented by Guido Panerai in 1916 that gave luminosity to military instruments - this limited edition has a dead-beat seconds function, allowing the measurement of short periods of time without the need to reset. © Artcurial

Radiomir, 8 Days, PAM 198, limited edition, version 2004, platinum wristwatch. The first calibre '8 days' model manufactured by Panerai with power-reserve indicator visible on the movement. The chocolate brown dial is pretty special too. © Artcurial

Panerai Marina Militare, ref 6152-1, circa 1950, steel diving watch. This extremely rare piece charts the Radiomir’s evolution into the Luminor; the bridge has the crown guard, while the strap attachments are made from the same block of steel, replacing the original design's wire lugs that were welded onto the case. The bezel is also flatter and wider. © Artcurial

Luminor 1950 8 Days PAM 203, limited edition, version 2005, steel diving watch. In 1949, Panerai invented a new luminous substance based on Tritium. This compound was protected by a patent, registered on 11 January 1949, under the name ‘Luminor’, after which the watch is named. This rare limited edition is fitted with an 8-day power reserve - Panerai was one of the first watchmakers to incorporate this mechanical function into a diving watch in the 1950s. © Artcurial

Panerai Radiomir, Egyptian, circa 1956, diving wristwatch in steel. This model was created for and secretly supplied to the Egyptian navy in 1956. Big, bold and carefully engineered for the task, the Egyptian could calculate the length of time spent underwater and also marked the introduction of the crown guard bridge - a defining and distinctive feature of Luminor models. © Artcurial

ADDRESS

Artcurial
7 rond-point des Champs-Élysées
75008 Paris

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Building anything within the restriction of major environmental considerations is tough. Building a yacht in the early 1800s was invariably tougher. But it wasn’t just technical know-how and perceptive engineering that earned the Clydeside yacht and boat designers William Fife & Sons their worldwide reputation. Rather, it was the almost impossible deft, linear aesthetic of the finished product that made the great Fife family the design geniuses of their 19th century heyday. 

To put it neatly, once you know what to look for, you’ll know a Fife-made yacht when you see one: they look as though a beautiful pencil sketch just leapt off the page onto the sea.

So, in 2006, when yachting enthusiast and CEO of Florentine watch manufacturer Panerai, Angelo Bonati, spotted a wreck of a yacht rotting in the mangroves of a harbour in Antigua, he knew its design credentials just by glancing at its silhouette. Bonati had rediscovered Eilean, a 1936 Fife-built ketch, and one of the finest examples of the boatbuilder’s canon.

In between times, the yacht had become etched in the minds of 1980s teenagers across the globe when Duran Duran filmed the video for their 1982 hit Rio on board, but subsequent owners could not afford its upkeep.

In 2007 Bonati arranged for Eilean to be shipped to Viareggio in Tuscany, to the boatyard of Francesco Del Carlo, where, under Bonati’s keen eye and the ownership of Officine Panerai, its full restoration began. Bonati’s understanding of intricate watchmaking processes meant that he knew that only an exceptional level of craftsmanship, skill and, above all, love, would bring Eilean back to life unscathed.

On 22 October 2009, as she was launched once again at Viareggio harbour, Eilean’s new era as a maritime legend began. She is now a regular on the international circuit at the Panerai Classic Yachts Challenge and can be seen every summer, gracing the oceans around Antigua, Naples, Cannes and Cowes, among other harbours. Each year, Panerai releases a new Regatta watch design to celebrate its proud association with vintage yacht racing: the Luminor 1950 Regatta Titanio is the current model.

But back to Eilean. Every bronze rivet, metal rib and deck beam has been painstakingly considered so that the yacht looks as beautiful now as she did in her 1930s heyday. But it’s not just attention to detail that makes Fife-class yachts so special. Throughout his life, William Fife III was asked many times what it was about the design of his family’s boats that made them so instantly recognisable and sought after.

‘If it looks right, it is right,’ is all he would say. Spoken like a true design great.